DETROIT, MI - The death of a South Carolina man last month has prompted Ford Motor Co. to recall more than 391,000 vehicles with airbags made by Takata Corp.
Takata is at the heart of an unprecedented recall related to its airbags, which in some cases exploded and sent metal shrapnel flying through vehicles.
The defect has been responsible for more than 100 injuries and at least 10 deaths.
Joel Knight, 52, was the latest casualty in December when the airbag in the 2006 Ford Ranger he was driving sent a piece of metal into his neck after his truck hit a cow in the road and then a fence, according to the Associated Press.
Ford said Tuesday it is recalling a total of 391,493 Ford Rangers from the 2004-2006 model year. Dealers will replace the airbag inflator at no cost to customers.
Investigations by automakers, Takata and safety regulators have been searching for the root cause of the defective airbags. So far, the consensus is that the chemical propellant that ignites the air bag inflators - ammonium nitrate - can be damaged by moisture over time in humid environments. Once damaged, the propellant becomes explosive.
The total recall now spans 14 automotive companies and about 24 million vehicles.
If you suspect your vehicle is included the recall, you can plug your vehicle identification number into NHTSA's VIN lookup at vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.