In a recent development, Ford has issued a crucial warning to more than 95,000 vehicle owners in the UK concerning a fault that has been linked to several tragic incidents.

The American automaker has taken swift action by sending out letters to owners of vehicles equipped with a specific Takata driver airbag, a component designed to protect drivers in emergencies. This recall affects models such as the Mondeo, Galaxy, and Smax from the years 2006 to 2017, impacting more than 95,000 drivers across the UK.

The critical issue revolves around the potential degradation of the Takata airbag due to a combination of factors, including the passage of time, fluctuations in high temperatures, and humidity. This deterioration can result in inflators within the airbag exploding, propelling metal shrapnel at high speeds towards the vehicle’s occupants, posing a grave danger.

In a letter obtained by the Scottish Sun, Ford explained, “This degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly when the airbag is deployed in the event of an accident. When the propellant burns too quickly, high pressure inside the inflator can cause it to rupture.” The automaker further emphasised that a ruptured inflator can send metal parts toward vehicle occupants at high velocity, potentially leading to severe injury or even death.

To address this safety concern, Ford has offered a solution that takes approximately 40 minutes to implement and is provided free of charge through authorised Ford dealers.

However, it’s worth noting that the issue extends beyond Ford vehicles. The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) shared data with Auto Express in November, indicating that approximately 5.3 million vehicles in the UK may be affected by the faulty airbag component, part of nearly 100 million potentially impacted worldwide.

This airbag defect has been associated with tragic incidents globally, with more than 30 reported deaths and numerous injuries linked to Takata airbag inflators in various automakers’ vehicles since 2009.

One heart-wrenching case involved 17-year-old Huma Hanif from Richmond, Texas, who tragically lost her life due to the malfunctioning airbag in her 2002 Honda Civic when it was rear-ended by another vehicle in April 2016.

Ford’s recent airbag warning follows Toyota’s recall of 50,000 older U.S. vehicles over similar concerns related to potentially hazardous airbags. Toyota advised owners not to drive vehicles from 2003 to 2004 equipped with these airbags.

Ford provided additional details about the recall, stating, “The number of vehicles still under this remedy in the UK is 95,217, consisting of Mondeo, Galaxy, and S-Max vehicles (produced 2006-2017). This recall is being completed in phases. We address customer vehicles aligned with the incoming flow of parts to remedy all affected vehicles as quickly as possible. Our approach is to prioritise replacement based on vehicle age, oldest first.