Ford Motor Company has teamed up with rival automakers Mazda Motor Corporation and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in order to more effectively reach customers in and around Houston, Texas about dangerous Takata-supplied airbag inflators, Automotive News reports. Texas is ranked second in the country for vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator recall that remain unrepaired, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last November.
The Houston program will give the owners of affected vehicles the options of having a repair done in their driveway or parking lot; having the vehicle towed to and from the shop for repairs, free-of-charge; or taking a free loaner vehicle while repairs are completed, according to Automotive News.
The Takata recall is the single largest in US automotive history, with more than 42 million cars, trucks, and SUVs being recalled for airbag inflators that have demonstrated a capacity for exploding in a crash, possibly sending shrapnel into the vehicle cabin. Ford vehicles affected by the recall include Mustangs from 2005 through 2014, the 2005/’06 Ford GT, 2004-2011 North American-built Ford Rangers, and others. (For a complete list of affected Ford vehicles, and a link to a VIN lookup tool, click here.)
The 2006 Ford Ranger represents possibly one of the most serious cases for Ford. In January, the automaker issued a warning to 2,902 North American owners to stop driving the trucks after confirming a second death related to the Takata inflators, expanding that warning to more than 33,000 Rangers from 2006 the following month.
“I applaud these automakers for ramping up efforts to help these drivers get their vehicles fixed and to prevent additional tragedies from occurring on our roadways,” said Houston Councilwoman Brenda Stardig in a statement.
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