Exploding Airbags Force Ford to Recall Over 500,000 Mustangs

Ford on Thursday recalled over 500,000 vehicles with defective Takata airbags which can thrust metal shrapnel at drivers.

According to Reuters, the airbags can malfunction under long exposures to high humidity. Shrapnel are launched when the bags inflate. The recall includes 500,439 2005 to 2008 Mustangs and 2,050 Ford GTs 2005-2006 models. Thursday's recall follow earlier recall of nearly 55,000 vehicles made at the behest of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which also asked other carmakers including Honda and Mazda to announce recalls.

CBS DC reported that recalls of vehicles with Takata airbags have been restricted to high humid areas along the Gulf Coast but Ford's latest recalls have expanded to other areas including Canada and Mexico. Ammonium Nitrate, the propellant used in airbags can ignite under high humidity conditions and cause a metal can to explode. Such explosions have been linked to five deaths and numerous injuries in the US though no deaths were reported in Ford automobiles.

Japanese parts maker Takata has promised to cooperate with NHTSA. It has however refused to issue a nation-wide recall arguing that there is no evidence for such a move. It agreed to expand its production lines in Mexico and elsewhere to boost supply to North America by 30 percent, besides improving its testing facilities, Businessweek reported.

With Ford's recall, the number vehicles recalled globally touched 20 million, with 12 million in the US alone. Ford's latest move is expected to force carmakers BMW and Chrysler which have not announced recalls, to announce them.