Ford Motor Co. is the latest U.S. automaker to expand recalls of vehicles equipped with driver-side airbags manufactured by Japanese-based Takata Corp. The expanded Ford airbag recall affects an additional 502,500 older-model Mustangs.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked Ford and four other automakers to add more vehicles to the Takata airbag recall list, focusing on vehicles that might have defective airbags. Honda Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. also expanded the Takata airbag recall. BMW AG and Chrysler have yet to follow suit.

Ford had already recalled over 50,000 vehicles but agreed to expand the recall after the NHTSA informed them that Takata airbags may cause injury in areas that did not have high-humidity.

According to Takata, high humidity causes the airbags to malfunction. When the airbags inflate, they can essentially explode, possibly sending shrapnel flying at the vehicle passengers and causing severe injuries.

The Takata airbag recall has mainly involved vehicles with Takata driver-side airbags, although a large number of passenger-side airbags have also been involved in the recall.

Ford recalled Mustangs ranging from 2005-2008 models and also 2,000 Ford GT vehicles from 2005-2006.

Takata Airbag Recall

So far, over 8 million vehicles have been implicated in the Takata airbag recall. 

The recall began after it was discovered that Takata airbags could explode and send pieces of metal and plastic flying into the vehicle. Many have been injured due to this Takata airbag flaw; some have even died.

It was suggested that the Takata airbags had a flaw in the design that allowed moisture (from humidity) to enter the airbag system. Takata airbags contain ammonium nitrate which causes the airbags to inflate when in a crash. However, when ammonium nitrate mixes with the moisture from humidity, it may cause the airbag to explode.

Takata is facing a large number of Takata airbag class action lawsuits that claim the automaker was aware of the airbag flaw and failed to adequately warn users or initiate a recall.

Allegedly, Takata was aware of the airbag flaw as early as 2001; however, a Takata airbag recall did not begin until 2013. The number of recalled vehicles has increased dramatically over the past year.

Honda actually recalled many vehicles in 2004 due to the same exploding airbag dangers. However, they did not report the problem to NHTSA until 2008 when they considered Takata airbags to be a serious problem.

It has been suggested that other automakers should have been aware of and issued their own Takata airbag recalls before 2013, when the first recalls began in earnest.

The car makers involved in the Takata airbag recall include Acura, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Subaru, and Toyota. Over 50 models from these manufacturers may have serious air bag safety issues.

NHTSA gives a special warning to those who live in especially humid areas, as that may increase the risk of exploding airbags.