Ford expands recall of vehicles with Takata airbags.

Several major national news outlets report that at the request of the NHTSA, Ford Motor is expanding the recall of vehicles with Takata airbags. The move adds 447,000 more Ford vehicles to the list of those recalled. Reports note that Ford was among five automakers asked by the NHTSA to expand a recall of vehicles with driver-side Takata airbags.

        For its part, the New York Times (12/19, B3, Kessler, Subscription Publication, 9.9M) reports Ford said that the expanded recall brings the total number of Ford vehicles recalled to “538,977 worldwide, 462,911 of which are in” the US. The article says that the scope of the airbag defect “has led to a standoff between” Takata and the NHTSA. According to the report, the NHTSA has demanded that the airbag manufacturer “issue a nationwide recall of all driver’s-side airbags,” but Takata responded, saying that the agency lacks the “authority to compel such an action.”

        The AP (12/19, Krisher) says that Ford’s expanded recall “puts pressure on BMW and Chrysler, the only two automakers,” which have not agreed to national recalls. Mazda and Honda have already expanded their recalls nationwide. The report notes that the NHTSA has threatened Takata and the remaining automakers with legal action if they don’t comply with the agency’s demand.