Ford has announced the recall of its popular F-150 pick up truck because of random airbag deployment, reports AutoWeek.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggested to Ford that it voluntarily recall 2005 and 2006 F-150 models after the 238th report of airbag deployment occurring without a vehicular collision.
AutoWeek states that 77 injuries had been reported including "chipped teeth, minor burns and cuts to the arm hands and face."
The bags supposedly deploy when road vibrations and regular driving could "cause the airbag wires to scrape the metal edge of the horn plate" which could lead to the deterioration of the wire's insulation. This could lead to an electronic short-circuit and force the airbag to release.
Approximately 135,000 Ford F-150 trucks are being recalled in the U.S., with an additional 9,000 in Canada. According to the news source, the automaker believes the risk of having an airbag deploy while driving is "relatively low."
The wire issues was reportedly fixed for the 2007 issue, but there's been no explanation on why it's taken them this long to issue the recall if they knew for five years.