Ford Recalls 470,000 Mustangs

[shakes]

f you are the owner of a Ford Mustang manufactured between the years of 2005 and 2008, the Ford Motor company wants your vehicle. Following a rash of automotive recalls, an estimated 470,000 Ford Mustangs have been recalled because the cars do not comply with a neck injury law as part of the Federal Motor vehicle Safety Standard No. 208.

The requirement in question is for “Occupant Crash Protection,” for a fifth percentile female sitting in the passenger seat without her seatbelt while the seat is in the full front position. The air bag deploys with strong force, which government officials believe place smaller passengers at serious risk of personal injury.

According to the recall, if a small adult or a child is seated in the front passenger seat without a seat belt and the car is as far to the front of the car as possible, there could be a higher risk of neck injury if there is an accident with air bag deployment.

When affected Ford Mustangs are brought into dealerships for service, the dealers will offer to reprogram, for free, the restraint control module. The software will be reprogrammed to scale back the amount of force the air bag uses when it deploys. Mustang owners will receive a letter from Ford by March 2008 to have their free service scheduled.

The recall was scheduled to start on February 28. Ford has said that there have been no reports of injuries due to the air bag issue.

Ford has been plagued by a rash of bad publicity as the result of extensive recalls. Less than three months before the Mustang recall was announced, Ford endured a wave of industry scorn after it was forced to recall over one million of its extremely popular SUVs, including the Explorer, and trucks, including the F-150, over a incorrectly functioning sensor.

Ford was also in the news recently when the government urged over 4 million Ford owners to bring their cars in to Ford dealerships to fix a faulty cruise control system. The cruise control problem could cause vehicle fires. Ford reports three deaths linked to the problem. Eight million vehicles were recalled in response to the issue, but less than half of all vehicles have been brought in for service. The government estimates that 4.6 million vehicles with the faulty cruise control switches are still on the road.

The Mustang recall comes at a bad time for Ford and the Mustang brand. Sales dropped for 2007 and in the first month of 2008. The news isn't any better looking into the future. For several years, Ford's Mustang was the only muscle car left, but with the reintroduction of the Chevy Camaro and the Dodge Challenger, Ford faces an uphill battle if it expects sales to increase. Ford plans a subtle redesign of the current fifth generation Mustang before launching the all new sixth generation Mustang just in time to compete with its resurrected muscle car brethren

[GT4MT]

The only thing they missed on that analysis was what the lunar alignment has to be for all that to happen....

[jpajamas]

So, like 2 months ago... done, over with forgotten, my ride is good.

[letnan]

just got my letter from Ford Canada last Wednesday going in as soon as I wake her up two weeks I guess.

[Darren5.0L]

A friend had his done last week, it's a PCM reflash, takes no time at all.
As we all know, a Supplimentary Restraint System (airbag) is designed to work in conjunction with a seat belt, not to replace it.

Any small framed person whom drives with the seat in the fully forward position while not wearing their seatbelt should put on a hockey helmet, get out of the car, and back on the short bus where they belong.

[bobomac]

i got my letter this week from ford

[GTW]

Got mine last week. Can't remember the last time I've allowed anyone to ride in any of my vehicles ('stang, Explorer, F150) w/o wearing a seatbelt, let alone a "fifth percentile female", but will have the work done anyway. This is what happens when courts run amok and reward people vast sums of money for their own stupidity e.g. the MacDonald's Hot Coffee Settlement. People who don't use seatbelts should be held accountable for their own actions and forfeit taxpayer subsidized hospital and work benefits.

I agree GT4MT - The only thing they missed on that analysis was what the lunar alignment has to be for all that to happen.

[GTW]

Originally Posted by Darren5.0L

Any small framed person whom drives with the seat in the fully forward position while not wearing their seatbelt should put on a hockey helmet, get out of the car, and back on the short bus where they belong.

+1

[BlackAngel20]

Originally Posted by GTW

People who don't use seatbelts should be held accountable for their own actions and forfeit taxpayer subsidized hospital and work benefits.

I second that. I just don't understand, to this day why people think its such a big hassle to wear a seat belt...its not like it bugs you, or hurts you. In fact if i wasn't wearing mine last summer, I wouldn't be here.

[TheDutchGun]

Originally Posted by BlackAngel20

I second that. I just don't understand, to this day why people think its such a big hassle to wear a seat belt...its not like it bugs you, or hurts you. In fact if i wasn't wearing mine last summer, I wouldn't be here.

For sure. I'd be dead if I wasn't wearing one, going back about 7 years though.

Im getting the reflash done April 18 along with my Suspension.

[Halifax_GT]

Originally Posted by shakes

The requirement in question is for “Occupant Crash Protection,” for a fifth percentile female sitting in the passenger seat without her seatbelt while the seat is in the full front position. The air bag deploys with strong force, which government officials believe place smaller passengers at serious risk of personal injury.



According to the recall, if a small adult or a child is seated in the front passenger seat without a seat belt and the car is as far to the front of the car as possible, there could be a higher risk of neck injury if there is an accident with air bag deployment.

Wonder if I can get the ex to go for a ride with me.

Then again, I don't think I could ever do something that horiffic......that would involve damage to my car.

[Arbour88]

I received my letter 2 weeks ago and had the problem corrected then.

Again, I have to echo everyone's agreement that anyone in this day and age that chooses to ride in a vehicle without wearing a seatbelt is just plain stupid. My car doesn't move an inch without everyone being securely buckled. If you don't want to wear a seatbelt then the bus stop is just around the corner.

John

[GT4MT]

Never mind the stupidity of not wearing your belt.....not sure about the other provinces, but in Ontario, you can get yourself a nice little autographed piece of paper worth +$100 from the authorities for not wearing it.......that's reason enough for me!!!

[lone sailor]

This is the first I've heard of this. Never received any letter from Ford about this recall. It is interesting though, as the adults/parents/driver's are responsible for the child being buckled in properly, not Ford.

[ronburgundy]

that cruise control recall on trucks and suv's is very common. there is a switch at the master cylinder that develops a leak over time and drips onto a harness. i saw pictures of a tranny shop down south where everything went up in smoke. poor shop owner never knew what hit him. i'm careful of this now whenever a ford stays overnight at my shop. come to think of it a better check that pos windstar.