Ford expands massive F-150 airbag recall by 1 million vehicles

Unexpected airbag deployments have prompted Ford to recall 1 million more F-150s.

Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have finally ended their spat over faulty airbags in Ford's F-150 pickup truck. Now, Ford says that it will recall an additional 1 million F-150s in addition to the 144,000 it called back in late February.

The recall covers F-150s and some Lincoln Mark LT trucks produced between 2004 and 2006.

A wiring system can chafe, which in turn could cause the airbag to deploy unexpectedly - even if the truck is not involved in a wreck. The automaker says that most of the reported incidents have occurred right after the truck is started. Although a deploying airbag is certainly a shock, Ford says it isn't aware of any accidents that have been reported as a result of deployed airbags. The automaker said in a statement that it is aware of "one instance where a driver exited a slowly moving vehicle following a deployment in a driveway," however.

Ford says that the airbag light will illuminate if the wire is cut, but many owners of older vehicles - especially work trucks - tend to ignore warning lights.

According to NHTSA, 323 consumer complaints were filed about the faulty airbags, which resulted in 66 injuries. However, the latest NHTSA data is more than a year out of date. Injuries, according to the NHTSA report, included a broken tooth, cuts on drivers arms and faces, abrasions, contusions and, in some cases, lost of consciousness.

Ford won't begin notifying customers until next month, but repairs will take less than half a day. The recall will include replacement of at least one wire in the steering wheel hub.