New Drivers Of The Ford F-150 May Be Part Of A Recall
Michael Babboni
Recalls
Ford is one of the oldest and most revered automobile manufacturers in the United States. So, it’s no surprise that their vehicles are found everywhere, including in Florida and cities like St. Pete. Unfortunately, although we’re still relatively early into the new year, Ford has already announced a recall on one of its most recent and popular models, the Ford F-150 truck.A Manufacturing Defect
The problem with the Ford F-150 pickup truck occurs with one of the most recent batches of the vehicle. Anyone who has purchased a Ford F-150 between November 29th, 2022, and January 11, 2023, is one of the 1352 owners around the United States affected by the recall.
In this case, the issue stems from a manufacturing defect in the vehicle assembly that has created a risk with the passenger-side airbag. The instrument panel on the passenger side used contaminated paint for some vehicle colors, namely, Black Onyx, Black Onyx Ash, and Admiral Blue Leather. These particular colors were contaminated, compromising the panel structure they were used for during mold injection.
The result is that this structural defect impacts the safety and proper ignition of the passenger-side airbag. In the event of an accident, the airbag may not deploy or may not deploy correctly.
Take Action
Ford has claimed that it notified owners of this model via email to inform them about the situation. If you have not received an email, but are one of the new owners affected by this defect, contact Ford and undertake the proper recall procedure.
In this case, Ford is doing the right thing and practicing due diligence in its customer responsibilities. Ford is aware of the defect, and they are trying to protect people who have bought the product by letting them know of the risk and providing a solution for a fix. This is good corporate responsibility.
In other cases, however, companies have chosen to allow a defect to go unaddressed, creating unacceptably high rates of accidents, injuries, and even deaths. Ford was guilty of this in the 1970s with their Ford Pinto, a car with a defect in gas tank manufacturing and placement that left it vulnerable to volatile damage and explosion from impacts that should have caused such an intense reaction.
You Have Options
If you are injured when using your car, truck, or other vehicle, and the injury results from a defect with the vehicle itself, you may have grounds for a personal injury case. If the fault is widespread, and you are not the only victim harmed by this defect, this puts more and more responsibility on the vehicle manufacturer.
This gives you legal and financial options for compensation. Next, you should talk to an experienced auto accident attorney about your situation. They have the experience to help you understand the nature of your case. If it really is a product defect that has caused the incident, they can help guide you through the necessary preliminary steps of building a case or even participating in a class action lawsuit with other victims of the same defect.