Ford ranger takata airbag woes.

So, I have just picked up a 2010 ranger, 2.3 manual. Nice little truck, 134000 miles. Somehow I got it in my head the only rangers affected by the takata mess are 2006-2008. Wrong. Apparently 2006-2011 passenger airbags are shrapnel bombs as well. But, my vin doesn't pull a recall. So I do some searching. Pull up some random 2010 vins from Florida and such and they all flag a recall. Seems they are recalling ones in humid regions first. Ok great, but Michigan is humid af. So I'm kind of freaked out by this thing. I don't want a passenger with me, and who knows if the drivers side is good. I called Ford customer service to see if they had any answers and the woman assured me the airbags were not takata. I told her that was weird because I was holding the airbag in my hand and it's labeled takata on the back. Couple dealerships had no answers. Sent some emails to Ford customer service with no reply, though I did get an automated reply asking to add me to the email list lol.

So, I really want to keep this truck, but I'm not sure willing to be hurt by something that's supposed to help me. Do I remove the airbags? Truck would be no less safe than my current airbag less 1993... but then I wonder about my insurance and such. Also, in the process id lose my side airbags, which to me are a highly desirable feature. The main reason I went with the 2010, as that's the first year it had them. Is it possible to add a resistor to the wiring to fool the system into thinking i still have the airbags so it doesn't deactivate the side bags? Or should I sell this thing? Or park it and wait for Ford to recall it?

I know I'm being jumpy but I don't want the risk.

Thanks!

See if this link works... NHTSA website detailing recalls

(also click where it says "8 associated documents" and do some reading)

It isnt so much just the humidity, but also the temperature. Some of the inflator ruptures were one in a million and when looked into they determined that without the aggrivating affect of the humidity and heat combination that it was not a risk.

It could however be that they are only recalling the high affect zones now so that they can get them done first because they are much more likely as the problem is a time degradation that depends on the conditions.

I wouldnt worry overmuch. Aside from a few choice early 2000's hondas, ruptures are rare events where across several hundred thousand vehicles and hundreds of deployments, you only have a scant handful (usually one or two) actual ruptures.

The air bags are a part of a complete safty system that is design ed to work together. Removing them makes the car more dangerous than a car that never had them (with everything else being equal)

I personaly would not worry about it and drive the thing. But if it does park it or sell it.

Oh. I would not mess with resistors and what not. There is a very good chance you could cause the remaining airbags to deploy when you don't want them to or not deploy when you need them.

specifically;

Ford said: On May 3, 2016, the Agency issued an Amendment to the November 3, 2015 Consent Order in EA15-001. The Agency has concluded that the rate at which propellant degradation may occur in non-desiccated frontal airbag inflators varies based upon geographic factors of environmental heat and humidity. In light of the Agency’s findings, NHTSA has concluded that at some point in the future all non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators will reach a threshold level of degradation that could result in the inflator becoming unreasonably dangerous. On May 16, 2016, Takata issued three Defect Information Reports (16E-043 – Zone A, 16E-042 – Zone B, and 16E-044 – Zone C) in accordance with the terms specified in the May 4, 2016 Amendment to the November 3, 2015 Consent Order in EA15-001. Takata is not aware of any test ruptures in ballistic testing or confirmed field incidents of the subject non-desiccated ammonium nitrate inflators other than those already under recall. Out of an abundance of caution, Takata filed the DIRs in cooperation with NHTSA to promote public Safety

Ford said: Description of the Defect : The passenger frontal airbag inflator could rupture if the vehicle is involved in a crash where the supplemental frontal airbags are designed to deploy. This defect report is in response to Takata DIRs 16E-042, 16E-043, 16E-044. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition

Thanks guys. For sure thanks for the digging you did apex. In my mind I'm very confident I'm fine. But my subconscious is obsessing over this lol.

I know removing airbags can be dangerous, but since the ranger originally didn't have airbags, I wonder if removing the bags would make it that less safe than my 1993... from which the truck is nearly unchanged, other than engine and front suspension...

Joey,

Since you're in Michigan, would it be practical to drive the truck to Dearborn and ask around there?

Somebody at Ford World Headquarters might know exactly whom to call. That's at 1 American Drive, Dearborn MI. They might also be very interested to know that you got the brush-off from their customer service hotline.

chaparral wrote: Joey, Since you're in Michigan, would it be practical to drive the truck to Dearborn and ask around there? Somebody at Ford World Headquarters might know exactly whom to call. That's at 1 American Drive, Dearborn MI. They might also be very interested to know that you got the brush-off from their customer service hotline.

An interesting idea. Only about an hours drive from me...

In reply to joey48442:

Do it!

So, after receiving emails from Ford customer service, one of which said "we've recalled all the vehicles takata told us to, and having said that, there is no way for us to know which airbag your truck has", I was talking about it at work. A girl I work with said "I don't care, I'll buy it from you". I showed her the emails, fully explained why I didn't want it, I even did a google image search with her showing her pics of injuries from takata bags. She still wanted it. So I sold it for exactly what I bought it for.

And... promptly bought another ranger, a 2001 with half (76,000) miles, and half ($2500) the price! Also, it has the 2.3 MZR, not the 2.5 Lima bean motor.

Joey

Result!!!!!

dean1484 wrote: Result!!!!!

It worked out well! The new one was an old mans truck, and he passed away. His family finally decided to sell after it sat for quite a while.

So, is the 2001 old enough it still has the full power, head exploding bags that killed all sorts of people?

See what I did there?