The recall covers 650 2017 Ford F-150 pickup trucks and Mustang cars in the U.S.
by Staff
August 31, 2017
Photo of Ford F-150 courtesy of Ford.
2 min to read
Photo of Ford F-150 courtesy of Ford.
Ford Motor Co. is recalling 650 2017-model year Ford F-150 pickup trucks and Mustang cars in the U.S. because their front-passenger air bag inflators, manufactured by ARC Automotive, might rupture during a crash, the automaker said.
Air bag inflators made by the Tennessee-headquartered automotive supplier have come under increased scrutiny since a woman in the Canadian province of Newfoundland died July 8 after suffering injuries when an ARC air bag inflator exploded in her vehicle during air bag deployment, according to an Associated Press report. The woman's car was a 2009 Hyundai Elantra.
Ad Loading...
Investigators have indicated they believe the ARC inflator defect is different than the one behind the Takata Corp. recalls — even though the results are similar. Surprisingly, Takata has assumed a role in this recall as well. It was Takata that alerted Ford about the ARC air bag inflator rupture risk.
“Ford was notified by Takata, a supplier that uses the inflators in airbag modules, of an abnormal deployment of ARC’s passenger airbag inflator during testing conducted at Takata’s engineering facility,” Ford said in a released statement about the recall.
Ford noted that it isn’t aware of any Ford vehicle accidents or injuries associated with the issue.
In addition to the recalled vehicles in the U.S., Ford is also calling back 279 trucks and cars in Canada for the same air bag inflator problem. A total of six vehicles will be recalled in Mexico.
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
Fleets have more driver data than ever, so why isn't behavior changing? Training requires more than reports and coaching — it requires real-world practice.
A two-part conversation with Stefan Heck on how AI is transforming the fight against distracted driving. As fleets adopt smarter tools, the focus shifts from reacting to preventing risk. In Part 1, we look at where AI is making an impact for fleets today.
An 11% drop in pedestrian fatalities in early 2025 signals progress in U.S. road safety, but elevated death rates and ongoing risks underscore the need for continued action from fleets and policymakers.