NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA10-001: Inadvertent airbag deployment

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA10-001 on January 13, 2010 and closed it on April 25, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004–2006 Ford F-150 for it and links recall 11V-107 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: EA10-001 (also written EA10001)
Investigation type: Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
Status: Closed April 25, 2011
Opened: January 13, 2010
Closed: April 25, 2011
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Components: Air Bags; Air Bags — Frontal; Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module; Air Bags — Frontal — Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
Recall linked by NHTSA: 11V-107: INADVERTENT DRIVER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, reported February 23, 2011
Vehicles and equipment: 2004–2006 Ford F-150

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA10-001.

ODI opened this investigation based on reports of inadvertent airbag deployment.

Data provided by Ford indicated that the airbag clockspring jumper wire, which is situated inside the steering wheel assembly, was installed in a manner that would allow it to rub (abrade) against a sharp metal edge on the nearby horn plate.

Because the horn plate is electrically grounded the abrasion of an airbag wire on the sharp edge could cause a short circuit condition.

As a result the airbag light may illuminate and/or the airbag may inadvertently deploy.

Inadvertent deployments are most likely to occur during the airbag system's self-diagnostic test that initiates when the ignition switch is turned on.

Ford modified the vehicle design in late January 2006 adding a protective tape over the sharp metal edge of the horn plate.

Ford made additional design changes on MY 2007 vehicles to the horn plate, the clockspring jumper, and the connector layouts to further address this issue.

ODI identified 318 deployment incidents with 121 alleged injury reports from subject vehicles.

All but one of the incident and injury reports occurred in vehicles built before the January 2006 modification.

In addition, there was one incident and alleged injury reported in the MY 2006 Mark LT vehicles that share the same design. In letters dated February 21 and April 11, 2011, Ford announced a recall of all of the approximately 1.3 million MY 2004-2006 F-150 vehicles built prior to January 24, 2006, the date the initial vehicle modification was made.

In addition, approximately 14,000 MY 2006 Mark LT vehicles built prior to January 24, 2006 will also be recalled.

Vehicles built after that date, which contain the modification, are not within the recall scope.

Accordingly the investigation is closed.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA10-001. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Ford

Ford F-150
- 2004, 2005, 2006

All Ford recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for EA10-001

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.