Ford faces probe of side air bag deployments in latest safety issue

Ford Motor Co., which has issued more than twice the recalls of any other automaker this year, faces another safety issue that has prompted a preliminary federal investigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it had opened the evaluation of more than 1.2 million Ford Motor Co. vehicles over the accidental deployment of seat-mounted side air bags, some of which caused serious burn injuries. kAm}w%$p D2:5 :E 92D C646:G65 6:89E 4@>A=2:?ED 2?5 7@FC 62C=J H2C?:?8 C6A@CED 2==68:?8 3FC? :?;FC:6D =:?<65 E@ E96 56A=@J>6?ED :? 46CE2:? a_a`\ae >@56=\J62C u@C5 tIA=@C6C G69:4=6D] ~7 `` A@E6?E:2==J C6=2E65 244:56?ED C6A@CE65 E@ 7656C2= D276EJ @77:4:2=D[ `_ 42FD65 :?;FC:6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 7656C2= D276EJ @77:4:2=D]k^Am kAm}w%$p :?G6DE:82E:@?D 5@ ?@E ?646DD2C:=J =625 E@ C642==D]k^Am kAm“$276EJ :D 2 E@A AC:@C:EJ 2E u@C5[Q u@C5 DA@<6DA6CD@? |:4926= p=32?@ D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] Q(6 2C6 H@C<:?8 H:E9 }w%$p E@ DFAA@CE :ED :?G6DE:82E:@?]”k^Am kAm$:56 2:C 328D 2C6 D276EJ 56G:46D E92E 56A=@J 5FC:?8 46CE2:? 4C2D96D E@ AC@E64E @44FA2?ED 7C@> D6C:@FD :?;FCJ]k^Am kAm%96 &]$] 2FE@ C68F=2E@C D2:5 5C:G6CD[ 7C@?E\D62E A2DD6?86CD 2?5 D@>6 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E @77:46CD :? u@C5 tIA=@C6C !@=:46 x?E6C46AE@C G69:4=6D DF776C65 D64@?5\ 2?5 E9:C5\568C66 3FC?D 7@==@H:?8 D:56 2:C 328 56A=@J>6?ED]k^Am kAm%96 D@FA65\FA A@=:46 G6CD:@? @7 u@C5VD tIA=@C6C :D 2 E@A A:4< 7@C =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 286?4:6D ?2E:@?H:56]k^Am kAmu@C5 92D DECF88=65 H:E9 C642==D[ =2DE J62C D6EE:?8 2 C64@C5 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 7@C E96 ?F>36C :DDF65 :? 2 D:?8=6 J62C] %96 4@>A2?J :? C6DA@?D6 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]56EC@:E?6HD]4@>^DE@CJ^3FD:?6DD^2FE@D^7@C5^a_ae^_f^``^7@C5\BF2=:EJ\;:>\72C=6J\C642==\49:?2\>6I:4@^h_gfddde__f^QmAFD965 E@ :>AC@G6 BF2=:EJk^2m[ H:E9 D@>6 A@D:E:G6 C6DF=ED] u@C5 E9:D J62C C646:G65 2 E@A >2DD\>2C<6E 2FE@>2<6C C2?<:?8 :? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]56EC@:E?6HD]4@>^DE@CJ^3FD:?6DD^2FE@D^7@C5^a_ae^_e^ad^7@C5\;5\A@H6C\:?:E:2=\BF2=:EJ^h_efgfbb__f^Qmys !@H6CVD x?:E:2= "F2=:EJ $EF5Jk^2m]k^Am kAm$E:==[ u@C5 92D :DDF65 >@C6 E92? 5@F3=6 E96 C642==D E9:D J62C @7 2?J @E96C 2FE@>2<6C] %96 2FE@>2<6C :D F?56C 2? :?56A6?56?E 7656C2= >@?:E@C E@ @G6CD66 :ED C642== AC@46DD6D[ 52E2 2?2=JE:4D 2?5 4@>A=:2?46 27E6C }w%$p 7@F?5 :E 72:=65 E@ C642== G69:4=6D H:E9 56764E:G6 C62CG:6H 42>6C2D :? 2 E:>6=J >2??6C]k^Am kAm$2> u:@C2?:[ G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 8=@32= G69:4=6 7@C642DE:?8 2E pFE@u@C642DE $@=FE:@?D[ D2:5 u@C5 92D 366? Q4@?D:56C23=JQ 7@4FD65 @? D276EJ 7@C C@F89=J E96 A2DE J62C] qFE 96 D2:5 C646?E 492?86D 42??@E 7:I A2DE BF2=:EJ :DDF6D]k^Am kAmQ(96? J@FVC6 =@@<:?8 2E 2 AC@5F4E E92E 92D 366? @? E96 >2C<6E 7@C @G6C 7:G6 J62CD[ 2?5 E9:D :?G6DE:82E:@? :D 8@:?8 324< E@ a_a`[ :EVD 5:77:4F=E E@ 8@ 324< :? E:>6 2?5 C6A=246 2:C 328D 367@C6 E96C6VD 2? :DDF6[Q u:@C2?: D2:5] QqFE E96 724E E92E u@C5 :D DE6AA:?8 FA 2?5 =@@<:?8 :?E@ :E :D 2 8@@5 E9:?8]Qk^Am kAmw6 2=D@ ?@E65 E96 C6=2E:G6=J D>2== ?F>36C @7 C6A@CE65 244:56?ED 2?5 :?;FC:6D C6=2E65 E@ tIA=@C6C D:56 2:C 328D 4@>A2C65 E@ E96 ?F>36C @7 E9@D6 G69:4=6D @? E96 C@25D]k^Am kAm$FAA=:6CD 2?5 2FE@>2<6CD 92G6 7@4FD65 >@C6 @? C65F4:?8 E96 A@E6?E:2= 7@C 92C>7F= D:56 67764ED 7C@> D:56 2:C 328 56A=@J>6?ED 27E6C 9@?:?8 7C@?E 2:C 328 E649?@=@8J @G6C 564256D[ u:@C2?: D2:5] $:56 2:C 328D AC6D6?E 2 492==6?86 3642FD6 DA246 :D >@C6 =:>:E65]k^Am kAm$E:==[ u:@C2?: D2:5 E96 C:D< @7 D64@?52CJ :?;FC:6D D9@F=5 36 H6:8965 282:?DE 2:C 328DV =:76\D2G:?8 36?67:ED] p:C 328D 56A=@J E9C@F89 2 D>2== 6IA=@D:@?[ 96 D2:5[ H9:49 :D :?96C6?E=J 52?86C@FD]k^Am kAmQx7 2? 2:C 328 8@6D @77 2?5 J@FVC6 3FC?65 2 =:EE=6 3FE :E D2G6D J@FC =:76[ E92EVD E96 8@@5 D:56 @7 E96 6BF2E:@?[Q u:@C2?: D2:5] Q*@F H@F=5 92G6 366? @E96CH:D6 9FCE >F49 >@C6 H:E9@FE :E]Qk^Am