NEW ORLEANS — In your Breakdown: a ‘do not drive’ warning has been issued for about half a million Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Mazda vehicles older than 2015.
There’s a serious issue dealing with faulty Takata airbags, which can explode, sending out shrapnel in all directions. 27 people have been killed and more than 400 people have been hurt.
Ford's warning covers 374,290 of the following model year 2004-2014 vehicles previously recalled:
- 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks
- 2005-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles
- 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles
- 2006-2012 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ / Zephyr vehicles
- 2007-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles
- 2007-2011 Ford Ranger trucks
Mazda's warning covers 82,893 of the following model year 2003-2015 vehicles previously recalled:
- 2004 – 2009 B-Series
- 2003 – 2013 Mazda6
- 2006 – 2007 MazdaSpeed6
- 2004 – 2006 MPV
- 2004 – 2011 RX-8
- 2007 – 2012 CX-7
- 2007 – 2015 CX-9
Ford says because these vehicles are older, the airbag is more likely to rupture in a crash.
Even more alarming: vehicles in places with high humidity – like Louisiana – are more likely to have exploding airbags.
If you own any of these vehicles, stop driving it until you get your faulty airbags repaired or replaced.
You can click here to see if your vehicle is included in any recalls or “do not drive” alerts.