Dec. 22, 2017—Ford and Mazda are recalling more than 380,000 older small pickup trucks for a second time to replace Tanaka airbag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnel, The Detroit News reports.
The recalls cover driver and passenger inflators in certain 2004 to 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series trucks made by Ford.
Takata uses ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion that inflates air bags. But the chemical can deteriorate over time and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister.
At least 20 people have been killed worldwide, including a victim reported just this week.
The trucks were recalled in 2015 and 2016 to replace inflators with newer ones as a temporary fix. Under the latest recalls, inflators will be swapped for ones that don’t use ammonium nitrate.
Owners will be notified starting later this month.
