Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module (Mercury, Lincoln and Ford)
Vehicle recall 21V-158. NHTSA received Ford Motor Company’s report on Mar 10, 2021.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. NHTSA’s own record is on nhtsa.gov.
The short answer
NHTSA received Ford Motor Company’s report on Mar 10, 2021. Copied from NHTSA on Oct 20, 2026.
Every line below is in NHTSA’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.
The driver’s side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.
- NHTSA’s part: Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module.
What should you do?
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 21S12.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.
- How to reach the firm: 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 2,602,668 vehicles potentially involved, across everything this recall names.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.
- Mercury Milanand 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, before the model years listed here
- Lincoln MKZand 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, before the model years listed here
- Lincoln Zephyrand 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, before the model years listed here
- Ford Fusionand 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, before the model years listed here
- Ford Rangerand 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, before the model years listed here
- Ford Edgeand 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, before the model years listed here
- Lincoln MKXand 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, before the model years listed here
Who is recalling it?
- Made by Ford Motor Company.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 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
-
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010).
Released Oct 20, 2026 and checked Oct 20, 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 20, 2026.