Automakers Ford and Mazda are warning more than 200,000 Canadian owners to stop driving their vehicles because of faulty airbags that could pose a “serious safety risk.”
The “do not drive” advisories issued Tuesday involve older Ford and Mazda vehicles that have been previously recalled and not yet repaired.
Roughly 146,650 Ford vehicles in Canada are affected by this advisory, Maria Buczkowski, quality communications manager at Ford Motor Company, told Global News on Wednesday.
Mazda Canada also said in a release that approximately 71,000 of its vehicles were impacted in Canada.
The recalls were due to vehicles having “defective and extremely dangerous” Takata airbag inflators in them.
“The age of these vehicles, some over 20-years old, makes it increasingly possible that air bag inflators will explode and cause sharp metal fragments to strike the driver or passengers resulting in serious injury or death,” Mazda Canada said.
Affected Mazda vehicles include B-series pickup trucks, Mazda 6, Speed 6, RX8, CX-7 and CX-9 and older models from 2003 to 2015.
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Ford models covered by the warning include 2004 to 2011 Ranger pickups, 2005 through 2014 Mustangs, 2005 and 2006 Ford GTs, 2006 through 2012 Fusions and 2007 through 2010 Edge SUVs.
Affected Mercury and Lincoln models include the Milan, MKZ and Zephyr from 2006 through 2012, and the MKX from 2007 through 2010.
Mazda Canada and Ford said they will continue notifying known owners with the updated “do not drive” advisory, adding that customers should contact their dealerships to get their vehicles repaired immediately.
Ford said customers can request mobile service, or dealers will tow vehicles directly to the dealership for repair.
Mazda and Ford warnings are not limited to Canada.
In the United States, more than 457,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mazda owners have been told to stop driving their recalled vehicles because of the same airbag defect.
There have been prior “do not drive” warnings issued by other automakers for vehicles with older Takata airbag inflators after fatal crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 27 people have been killed and at least 400 injured by faulty Takata inflators in the U.S.
Mazda Canada said it was not aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths in the country related to the Takata air bag recalls.
As of August 1, Mazda Canada has repaired 81,078 vehicles in total, replacing 105,974 recalled inflators, Chuck Reimer, a company spokesperson, told Global News.
— with files from The Associated Press
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