The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The side air bag attachment weld studs could detach during the deployment of the side air bag, resulting in an improper deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214, "Side Impact Protection".
The risk
Improper deployment of a side air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the side air bag assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 10, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C19.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 2021 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2021 |
Components: AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 2021 | 447 | 26 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2021 | 40 | 28 |
Other air bags recalls in 2021
65 of the 988 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2021 concerned the air bags; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 21V980000 16 Dec 2021 | Ford Motor Company |
| 21V925000 24 Nov 2021 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 21V923000 24 Nov 2021 | Ford Motor Company |
| 21V892000 17 Nov 2021 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. |
| 21V874000 10 Nov 2021 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. |
| 21V873000 10 Nov 2021 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 21V868000 9 Nov 2021 | Tesla, Inc. |
| 21V860000 5 Nov 2021 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2021