WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will recall 3 million vehicles for broken airbag inflators, at a cost of $ 610 million.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday ordered Ford to remove airbag inflators from the driver’s side, rejecting the automaker’s 2017 request to prevent it.
The defect, which in exceptional cases causes the rupture of air cushion inflators and the sending of potentially deadly metal fragments, led to the largest automobile withdrawal in U.S. history of more than 67 million inflators. Worldwide, some 100 million inflators have been recalled installed by 19 major car manufacturers.
The withdrawal includes 2.7 million American vehicles. Ford will include cost in fourth-quarter results.
Previously, inflatable vehicles were removed from the passenger side. “We believe our extensive data showed that the safe removal of the driver’s seat cushion is not guaranteed. However, we respect NHTSA’s decision and will post a withdrawal,” Ford said.
NHTSA also demanded that Mazda Motor Corp recover 5,800 air cushion inflators in 2007-2009 Series B vehicles.
Takata inflatables have caused at least 400 injuries and 27 deaths worldwide, including 18 fatalities in the United States with two in 2006 Ford Ranger trucks recalled earlier.
Ford vehicles to be remembered include several Ranger, Fusion, Edge, Lincoln Zephyr / MKZ, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKX models from the 2006-2012 model.
In November, NHTSA rejected a petition filed by General Motors Co. to prevent the withdrawal of 5.9 million U.S. vehicles with Takata airbags. GM said the callback covered 7 million vehicles worldwide and would cost $ 1.2 billion.
Ford separately disclosed Thursday that it expects to record a $ 1.5 billion pre-tax pre-tax loss in the fourth quarter related to pension plans and other post-employment benefits, driven by more discount rates low.
Ford said the revaluation loss is expected to reduce net profit by about $ 1.2 billion, but did not change expectations for 2021 pension contributions.
Reports from David Shepardson to Washington; Edited by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis