The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has announced a recall of certain Ford pickup trucks due to a potential air bag deactivation. 

The steering wheel clock spring may have an insufficient weld, causing a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag. A deactivated air bag will not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Vehicles Affected and Dealer Remedy

The recall affects an estimated 17,970 2023 F-150 trucks, Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 trucks, and F-600 chassis cabs.

Dealers will inspect and replace the clock spring as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notifications explaining the safety risk are scheduled to be mailed Jan. 8, 2024. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available, anticipated during the 2nd Quarter 2024.

The Reason for the Recall

According to documents submitted to NHTSA, in Nov. 2023, one of Ford's parts suppliers, BCS Automotive Interface Solutions, notified the automaker that the airbag clock springs supplied to BCS by a sub-supplier would be submitted for a recall report.

Certain clock spring assemblies used in Steering Column Control Modules (SCCM) supplied to Ford by BCS may have been contaminated in the sub-supplier’s manufacturing process.

Ford worked with BCS to analyze production and shipping records to determine which vehicles were affected.

As of Dec. 6, 2023, Ford was aware of 19 warranty reports received from May 1, 2023, through Nov. 10, 2023, indicating issues in vehicles that may have been affected by the insufficient weld.

Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to the recalled equipment.