All Entries Tagged With: "exploding airbags"

Ford FINALLY Expands F150 Airbag Recall, But Where’s The Fine?

In February, Ford announced an F150 recall pertaining to spontaneously exploding airbags. This recall was significant because:

1. NHTSA instructed Ford to recall approximately 1.5 million trucks for this problem
2. Ford decided to ignore the government and recall just 150k trucks instead
3. Now, two months later, Ford has finally followed NHTSA instructions and recalled 1.5 million F150s

Of course, I cried foul when Ford ignored the government recall recommendation. How could Ford blatantly disregard NHTSA safety instructions? What’s more, how could Ford ignore a government safety mandate without risking a media firestorm and a massive NHTSA fine?

Yet Ford Motor Company somehow managed to ignore a NHTSA two months ago – and then flip-flop – without any sort of outcry. Be it political influence or just plain ignorance, something stinks at NHTSA.