Ford Motor Co. is in the middle of a “recall of a recall.” They are reinspecting more than a quarter-million vehicles after the discovery of poor workmanship and false billing by dealership technicians. Some customer repair records reflect fixes never made that have put them at risk from the devices, which can explode without warning and spray shrapnel on vehicle occupants. Moreover, drivers of certain Ranger pickups, may have incorrectly installed air bags that may not deploy in a crash, putting passengers at risk.
An investigation reviewed internal company documents, dealership memos, federal regulatory filings and court papers, showing that Ford fined some dealerships whose repair techs billed the automaker for replacing Takata air bags despite installing the devices incorrectly or not doing the work at all. A federal whistleblower complaint alleges Ford invited trouble by easing repair rules to allow low-skill techs to process the repairs quickly — a charge the automaker adamantly denies. The result was drivers left dealership after the repair thinking their air bags were safe. The reality is without reinspection they and their front-seat passengers have remained at risk of injury and death. The facts reveal Sara Morgan lost her left eye in a low-speed accident in 2020 and settled with Ford in 2022 and the dealership in 2023.
The investigation shows that no one — not the drivers, Ford, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knows which vehicles weren’t repaired correctly. Among the challenges is Ford must track down current owners of vehicles as old as 2004 and reinspect them. Most of the 232,000 vehicles included are Ranger pickups, for which Ford issued a formal recall in 2023 because of incorrect air bag installation. In this instance, Takata air bags were replaced, but those installed improperly may not deploy in a crash, leaving passengers at risk. Another 41,600 Ford vehicles of various models “where we believe there could be issues with repairs” must be reinspected, Ford spokesman T.R. Reid told the investigators. In those instances, Ford’s records show that air bag replacement was completed, but by technicians found to have cut corners on some recall work.
Ford sold millions of the models from which the 41,600 was drawn, including Fusions, Edges, Mustangs and more. Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said more vehicles should be reinspected. “I think Ford needs to go back and do a full audit to make sure no one has received a fake Takata repair, that they don’t miss anything,” Brooks said. “They need to find every vehicle that hasn’t received the correct fix. They’re the ones ultimately responsible. These are consumers who presented their vehicles for repair and they weren’t repaired.
“After years of exposure, the failure rate of the air bags goes through the roof and becomes incredibly dangerous,” Brooks said. “If someone gets an incorrect repair, they’re going to be at risk. There’s no question. You literally have a ticking time bomb that can explode at any moment.” After finding evidence of shoddy recall work, Ford in 2020 required specific dealers to audit certain safety repairs. Ford says the audit, called the Dealer Incomplete Recall Repair Process, was triggered when it discovered some technicians failed to complete door latch recall work for which they billed the automaker.
The audit also directed the dealers to review work on air bags and seat belt components, a company document shows. The audit focused on techs whose work was flagged; the company won’t say how many workers were involved. As a result of the audit, Ford wrote to its roughly 3,000 Lincoln and Ford dealers on March 28, 2022, saying the company determined that vehicles claimed by dealers as repaired under the Takata air bag safety recalls may not have actually had the repairs.
That letter told dealers to inspect vehicles in the shop and ensure air bags are installed correctly. The reinspection was classified as a “quality inspection program,” which differs from a formal recall. An NHTSA representative said the quality inspection program “is an audit to ensure recall repairs, and it and other service programs were conducted as instructed. While there is no reporting requirement, Ford regularly updates the agency on the progress of such programs during meetings.”
The whistleblower alleges that in 2019, Ford moved to allow workers without adequate training to complete air bag repairs. A follow-up letter in July 2022 to top NHTSA officials from the whistleblower’s lawyer said, “Ford Motor Company intentionally caused bad actors and egregious actions by turning away from their own published policies.” Takata air bags were so common that, after their danger was discovered, they couldn’t be replaced quickly. NHTSA set a schedule that is still being completed, with 7.1 million of 67 million air bag inflators originally recalled still to be replaced, according to the NHTSA website.
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