Sunita SomvanshiFord Australia has recalled nearly 14,000 Ranger Double Cab vehicles over a safety defect affecting side curtain airbags, marking the third major recall for the model in 15 months.
The recall covers 13,907 vehicles built between November 26, 2025 and July 10, 2026. The issue: side curtain airbags designed to protect occupants in side-impact crashes may interact with B-pillar trim—the vertical support panel between front and rear doors—during inflation and fail to deploy properly. In some cases, the B-pillar ramp may detach, increasing injury risk. Carsales reported the full details on August 13, citing Ford’s official recall notice. GoAuto confirmed the tally had reached 12 recalls for the year.
Ford identified the defect through routine internal testing. “Ford Australia identified the issue through routine vehicle testing and is not aware of any incidents in customer vehicles associated with this condition,” the company said in its recall notice. No injuries or crashes have been reported.
Of the recalled vehicles, approximately 8,000 have already been delivered to customers, while 6,000 remain in dealer stock under a temporary delivery and demonstration hold. Ford will begin free repairs from mid-September through authorised dealerships. The fix involves replacing part of the B-pillar trim, with an estimated labour time of just under two hours in New Zealand.
Owners can continue driving their vehicles. All other airbags—front driver and passenger, centre, knee, and side thorax—operate as designed. Ford recommends checking VIN eligibility through ford.com.au/support/recalls/ or by calling 13 36 73.
In New Zealand, 2,602 Ranger vehicles are affected. Approximately 900 have been delivered and 400 are in transit under delivery hold. The Ranger was New Zealand’s best-selling vehicle for ten consecutive years until the Toyota RAV4 surpassed it last year. Ford has also recalled over 565,000 Broncos in 2026 for an engine fire wiring defect, its 60th recall this year—another sign of the automaker’s ongoing quality challenges.
This is Ford Australia’s 17th recall in 2026 and the sixth affecting the Ranger or Everest. In May 2025, Ford recalled 13,490 Ranger V6 vehicles over a sprocket manufacturing defect that risked engine stalling. June 2026 saw another V6 recall for a leaking turbocharger oil return line. Separately, Ford recalled 312,120 vehicles this year for an electronic brake booster fault that increases crash risk. Another Ford recall targeted over 600,000 vehicles for brake, camera, and software issues, including 273,000 SUVs facing leak risk.
The recall reflects a broader quality challenge for Ford globally. Over 100,000 Rangers were recalled in 2025 in the US and Canada for a related B-pillar side-curtain airbag defect—a different manufacturing issue affecting vehicles built in the US, not in Thailand or South Africa where Ranger production for other markets occurs.
Globally, Ford has executed 51 recalls affecting over 8 million vehicles in the US alone in 2026. CEO Jim Farley has been publicly vocal about quality improvements, and Ford spent US$4.8 billion on warranty and recall fixes in 2023. The automaker holds the US recall record, though it won the JD Power Initial Quality Study in 2026.
The Ranger defect is contained to a specific build window and production region. Owners affected by the recall can verify their vehicle status and schedule repairs through Ford’s online tool or dealership network.
