Ford, Mazda forced to recall 3 million vehicles with deadly Takata airbags

Ford and Mazda must recall 3 million vehicles that house faulty Takata airbags, federal authorities ruled Tuesday.

The airbags have killed 27 people throughout the world, including 18 in the U.S., and forced the recall of 100 million vehicles globally since 2013.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered the recall of these particular vehicles back in 2017, but Ford petitioned to avoid it, according to Reuters. The NHTSA rejected that petition Tuesday, and Ford said Wednesday it would issue the recall notice.

The vehicles are: 2007-11 Ford Ranger; 2006-12 Ford Fusion; 2007-10 Ford Edge; 2006-12 Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ; 2007-10 Lincoln MKX; 2006-11 Mercury Milan and 2007-09 Mazda B-Series.

A full list of vehicles with the Takata airbags is available on the NHTSA’s website.

Of the 100 million vehicles ordered to be recalled or fixed, only 50 million have been turned in or successfully repaired, the Associated Press reported.

The problem with the airbags is their inflater, which uses a small explosion to expand the safety device. However, the inflater can deteriorate, causing it to launch shrapnel into a person when they crash. In addition to the 27 deaths, 400 people have been injured by the Takata airbags.