Airbags may not work as well if they are deployed in an incorrect way.
First recall for the Ford Bronco has been issued. When the passenger-side airbag deploys, it can open prematurely. This would cause the SUV to be in violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number208 concerning occupant crash protection.
553 Broncos are affected by this recall. These units were built between July 18th, 2021 and August 17th, 2021. To fix the problem, dealers will replace the passenger airbag.
According to the chronology found in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documentation Joyson, Joyson’s airbag supplier, discovered an example that had opened prior to activation of the micro-gas-generator during routine lot acceptance tests. Ford’s Critical Concerns Review Group was notified by the company on August 12, 2021.
Further testing revealed that the premature opening occurred only in airbags that were folded by one of six workers. Joyson discovered that the worker had been in the same position since June and was adding another fold to the bag. This person had not been randomly chosen in previous lot acceptance tests.
Ford conducted tests to determine the impact of airbag openings that were prematurely. Ford determined that there was a danger of the airbag not conforming to crash standards, and a recall was required.
There have been no injuries reported by the company as a result of this problem. Joyson has changed its process control and detection procedures to prevent problems such as this from happening again.
Ford will notify affected Bronco owners via mail beginning November 15, to inform them about the recall. Customers will then be able to schedule repairs with their dealer. The problem must be fixed before any showrooms will sell Broncos that have these airbags.
Ford also promised to replace the hard tops of affected Broncos, although it is not a safety recall. The original panels were subject to quality control and had fitment issues. The new panels should be delivered by October.