Ford Introduces Inflatable Seat Belts

For 20 years we’ve seen leaps in car-safety innovation from the airbag to electronic stability control. Today, Ford announced one more piece of technology that aims to reduce even more injuries. The company will roll out inflatable seat belts for the rear seats in future models, starting with the next-generation Ford Explorer that’s transitioning from a body-on-frame SUV to a crossover when it goes on sale in 2010.

Inflatable seat belts will reduce the trauma that standard seat belts can inflict on both young children and seniors. Ford says the new system will reduce head, neck and chest trauma.

The airbags deploy within 40 milliseconds of a crash; otherwise they work the same as standard seat belts and will be compatible with child-safety seats.

The seat-belt airbags will fill quickly with a cold compressed gas instead of using a heat-generating chemical reaction like traditional airbags.

Ford says the system will be introduced in future models down the line but gave no specifics on when it would hit family-friendly vehicles like the Flex and Taurus.

Ford Recalling 4.5 Million Vehicles

The Detroit News is reporting that Ford will recall 4.5 million vehicles over a faulty cruise control deactivation switch. It is the same defect that was at the heart of previous recalls now totaling 14 million vehicles. There have been more than 1,500 complaints and at least 550 vehicles fires due to the faulty part. 

The new recall includes these vehicles:

• 1995-2003 Ford Windstar 
• 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesel
• 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesel
• 1992-2003 Ford Econoline
• 1995-2002 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
• 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Ranger
• 1994 Ford F53 Motorhome vehicles equipped with the Texas Instruments speed control deactivation. 

This has been a black cloud for Ford for nearly 10 years. The automaker recalled 9.6 million vehicles between 1999 and 2008 and is still battling dozens of lawsuits over the issue. 

Ford recalls 4.5 million vehicles for faulty switch (Detroit News)

Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Mercury Mountaineer Not Dead Yet

Earlier this week, online stories started popping up declaring that Ford was dropping its Explorer Sport Trac pickup and Mercury Mountaineer SUV. Theoretically, when the next-generation Explorer moves to a crossover platform instead of an SUV platform, these two spinoffs won’t be making the transition. Or so the stories said.

We contacted Ford, and it stuck by the industry standby: “We don’t comment on future product.” Jay Ward, Ford’s communications manager for crossovers and SUVs, said the other stories were purely speculation. Ward wouldn’t even let me speculate that both vehicles could continue on as-is after the Explorer unibody launches.

The only time frame for the Explorer that Ward would divulge was that the world would “see” it in 2010. Whether that means we won’t see it until a 2010 auto show — like the Detroit auto show in January — or that it will go on sale in 2010, he wouldn’t clarify.

It’s likely both would be the case, though, with an auto show debut in early 2010 and production starting late in the year.

Ford to Build New Explorer in Chicago

Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting that Ford will build its next-generation Explorer SUV at the Chicago assembly plant where it builds the Lincoln MKS and upcoming Ford Taurus sedans. Previously, Ford also built the now-discontinued Taurus X/Ford Freestyle crossover at the same plant.

This news likely means Ford will indeed build the next Explorer on the same car platform on which the MKS, Taurus and Taurus X are based. The platform has been highly regarded by the press for its stability and versatility. If the Explorer does indeed share this platform, it would likely have better fuel efficiency than the previous Explorer, to help meet new emissions standards going into effect for the 2011 year.

At the 2008 Detroit auto show, Ford unveiled an Explorer concept, seen above, that was praised by the press. The new Explorer would likely be a 2011 model, and production would probably not begin until late 2009 or early 2010.

Ford Offering Deals for Two Weeks

According to Ford’s consumer website, its latest incentives are good only through Nov. 17 or 18, depending on the region. This is an unusual amount of time for rebates to run, so we’d expect bigger discounts or a specific themed sale later in the month that will last through the holidays. For the next two weeks, though, there are some decent savings on 2009 and 2008 models. The new 2009 Ford Flex is still carrying $2,500 cash back. A new 2009 Ford Fusion — you can read about the upcoming 2010 Fusion here — has up to $3,500 cash back depending on your region. We list the top cash-back deals below. Check out Ford’s site to see the latest deals in your area. 

What Ford Will Look Like in 2010

This morning Ford announced a rather large loss in the second quarter of 2008 — $8.7 billion. Because the company needs to reassure stockholders and Wall Street of its future, Ford has detailed its product plans for the next two years in rather explicit detail. It seems dire economic times have broken through the secretive process Detroit automakers have had in place for decades. Check out our in-depth look at what products Ford will field in the next two years from Europe and North America, and if they’ll be worth the wait. We detail future Lincoln and Mercury products in a separate post.

Ford Explorer Settlement Pays Lawyers

The rich get rich and the poor get certificates. 

Consumers who owned 1999-01 Ford Explorers and charged that their SUV’s resale value dropped like a rock after the exploding-tire-rollover fiasco have finally gotten (a kind of) financial justice.

A California judge has approved a settlement of a class action lawsuit filed more then 2 years ago on behalf of 800,000 Explorer owners in California, Illinois, Texas and Connecticut.

Each will now be sent a certificate worth $500 — toward the purchase of a new Explorer.

Ford Incentives Up, Include Specialty Models

April has begun, and Ford has updated its incentives for the rest of the month. There are some very interesting deals to be had. We’ll break down all the models soon enough, but the most interesting tidbit of information for car enthusiasts is that both the Ford Mustang Bullitt and the upcoming Ford F-150 Chip Foose Edition are getting cash back just like their plain-jane brethren. 

The 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt is already on sale, and the Bullitt package costs an additional $3,310 on top of the cost of a regular Ford Mustang GT. Rebates range from $1,000 to $1,500, with an additional $1,000 offered in some regions if you go with Ford Credit to purchase the vehicle.*

Depending on where you live, that means you could pay just a $810 premium to have the special edition, which adds horsepower and suspension tweaks.

The 2008 Ford F-150 Chip Foose Edition isn’t on sale yet, but the roughly $55,000 sport truck will come to market over the next few months with between $3,000 and $3,500 cash back (plus that potential $1,000 in financing cash) on the intricately detailed hood.

Other rebates are more pedestrian, but still noteworthy:

2008 Detroit Auto Show Video: Ford Explorer America Concept

KickingTires’ own Suburban Dad took on the most suburb-tastic concept at the Detroit auto show and filed this video report. We have to say, the sliding seats on the center track are pretty nifty. But we never knew the tailgate of an SUV could provide an escape for mom and dad.

Suburban Dad in Detroit: Ford Explorer America Concept

This is only a concept, but Ford tells us it's almost certain the next generation of the venerable Explorer SUV will be a unibody, not a truck/body-on-frame, vehicle — though it may not look exactly like this, inside or out. Ford also said it doesn't plan to soften the vehicle's stance, meaning it won't be a crossover; it should still have true offroad capabilities and other traditional SUV functionality.