The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a preliminary investigation into more than 1.2 million Ford Explorer vehicles from 2021–2026 after reports of burns following the deployment of side airbags.
Which models and model years are being investigated
The investigation documents refer to a single model — the sixth-generation Ford Explorer. The review covers model years 2021 through 2026 and mentions Police Interceptor Utility police versions.
The regulator has not yet published a full list of trims, engines or VIN numbers of vehicles that may be affected, so it is premature to assert that the inquiry covers all Explorer variants for those years.
Nature of the airbag issue
The issue concerns side airbags integrated into the front seats, designed to protect the driver and front passenger in certain types of collisions. In some cases, people suffered second- and third-degree burns after deployment, requiring medical attention.
Complaints named drivers, front-seat passengers and law enforcement officers in police versions as the injured parties. NHTSA must determine how often such incidents occur, the causes of the injuries and whether there is a design defect; at present this is a preliminary investigation, not a recall decision.
Production and the scope of the investigation’s jurisdiction
Ford Explorers for the North American market are built at the Chicago Assembly Plant in the United States, where Police Interceptor Utility models are also assembled. In China, Explorers for the local market are produced at a factory in Hangzhou.
The probe concerns more than 1.2 million vehicles within NHTSA’s jurisdiction, so there is no basis to assume it automatically covers all Ford Explorers sold in Europe, China or other regions. No information has yet been released about any possible spread of the issue to vehicles imported into Ukraine.
