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Ford recalls 1.2m F-trucks

Unexpected airbag explosions lead to a recall of 1.2 million Ford trucks.

About 1.2 million Ford F-150 pickups are being recalled after at least 269 incidents of what is being called "inadvertent airbag deployment".

The airbag incident began when Ford recalled 144,000 pickups earlier this year, saying the unexpected airbag explosions had only affected vehicles built in 2005 and 2006. Now the net is being cast much wider with vehicles built from 2004 to 2006 involved, as well as the Lincoln Mark LT truck.

The Ford action comes as Toyota - already hit with a long string of recalls in the USA - is investigated over a report that airbags failed to trigger in a collision at 88km/h.

The owner of a Camry, Fred Maynard, has reported that there was no deployment when his vehicle hit a deer in Pennsylvania.

The incident is now the subject of an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Toyota has already recalled 13.7 million vehicles as a result of safety complaints in the USA as part of a global total that now stands at 19.2 million.

On the Ford front, there are reports of at least 98 injuries including two drivers who suffered vision damage.

The recall is likely to cost more than $180 million as the company rectifies a wiring problem. It says a wire located in the steering wheel could have been improperly positioned so it could chafe, creating a potential short-circuit.

The F-150 is not officially sold by Ford in Australia, although a number have been imported privately and converted to right-hand drive for local use.