Air bags (Ford)
Vehicle recall 12V-488. NHTSA received Ford Motor Company’s report on Oct 5, 2012.
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The short answer
NHTSA received Ford Motor Company’s report on Oct 5, 2012. Copied from NHTSA on Oct 25, 2026.
Every line below is in NHTSA’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
An occupant in the right rear seating position will not have coverage from the side curtain air bag in a side impact collision when the front passenger seat is empty, increasing the risk of injury to the right rear occupant.
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Fiesta vehicles, manufactured from November 3, 2009 through September 21, 2012.
The vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.” The passenger side curtain air bag will not deploy in the event of a side impact collision when the front passenger seat is empty.
Although the side curtain air bag system was designed to suppress the side curtain air bag under this scenario, that information is not explained in the owner’s guide for these vehicles as required by FMVSS No. 208.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
- NHTSA’s part: Air bags.
What should you do?
Ford will notify owners and dealers will reprogram the vehicle’s software free of charge so that it no longer suppresses the passenger side curtain air bag when the front passenger seat is empty, and consistent with the description in the owner’s guide. The safety recall began on October 26, 2012. Owner’s may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
- How to reach the firm: Ford’s recall campaign number is 12C26.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
- Check a vehicle by its VIN at NHTSA: the recalls still open on it are listed there.
Which ones are recalled?
NHTSA counts 154,471 vehicles potentially involved, across everything this recall names.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
- Ford Fiestaand 2011, 2012 and 2013, before the model years listed here
Who is recalling it?
- Made by Ford Motor Company.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
What the record doesn’t say
- NHTSA’s recall file doesn’t say whether anyone was hurt.
- Whether one vehicle or seat has been fixed: only its maker, or NHTSA’s lookup with a VIN, can say.
- This recall names only model years before 2015, which have no pages here. Your VIN, at NHTSA, says which recalls are open on a vehicle.
- How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010).
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
Vehicle, car seat, tire and vehicle equipment recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Copied on Oct 25, 2026.