The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday said it opened a preliminary evaluation into more than 1.2 million Ford vehicles over the accidental deployment of seat-mounted side airbags that caused serious burn injuries.
NHTSA said it has received eight complaints and four early warning reports alleging burn injuries linked to the deployments in certain 2021-2026 model-year Ford Explorer vehicles.
Side airbags are safety devices that deploy during certain crashes to protect occupants from serious injury.
The US auto regulator said drivers, front-seat passengers and some law enforcement officers in Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles suffered second- and third-degree burns following side airbag deployments.
