U.S. safety regulators are investigating Ford Explorer vehicles after reports that airbag deployments may cause burn injuries to passengers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting a probe covering about 1.2 million vehicles, following allegations of chemical burns and reports of burns described as potentially severe.
The outlets broadly agree that the affected models are 2021–2026 Ford Explorers and that NHTSA is acting on multiple complaints and early warnings. Carscoops highlights alleged chemical burns tied to airbag deployments, while Car and Driver, Quartz, and others describe the scope of the preliminary evaluation and the number of reports that prompted it.
Some coverage emphasizes the quantity of vehicles under review, while other reports focus more on the types of injuries alleged. Forbes specifically frames the potential burns as second or third degree, and Post notes the number of complaints and early warning reports it says regulators received, aligning with the overall account in the other sources.
