10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Ford’s Takata Recall Is Big, But Bronco Sport Looms Larger

If you own a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle from the 2006 to 2012 model years, you’re going to want to pay attention. Ford, manufacturer of all three brands, will soon have to recall some 2.7 million vehicles related to the Takata airbag inflator issue that just won’t go away.

Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Hyundai Palisade Parts, Nissan Rogue Rebounds

In one of Cars.com’s most popular news articles of the past week, we answer the questions that owners — and anyone else who’s been following automotive safety news for the better part of the past decade — might be asking themselves. The millions of Ford vehicles now being recalled represent just a fraction of the tens of millions of vehicles already recalled by more than a dozen major automakers during various phases of the Takata crisis. The recalls involve airbag inflators that under certain conditions can deploy with too much force and explode, propelling shrapnel into the vehicle cabin. The defect is responsible for 18 deaths in the U.S. alone.

The list of cars impacted by this new Ford recall — for which the automaker has until Feb. 18 to propose a schedule and remedy — includes the Ford Edge, Fusion and Ranger; the Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr from Ford’s luxury division; and the Mercury Milan from the defunct brand.

Follow the link below to our No. 2 article of the week for the full details on Ford’s Takata recall —  and to find out if your car might be affected.

In more positive news for the Blue Oval, Cars.com readers continue responding enthusiastically to the all-new-for-2021 Ford Bronco Sport. Our rapid-fire roundup of the things we dig (and the things we don’t) about the slightly smaller, daily-driver-dedicated version of the recently resurrected off-road icon keeps its stranglehold on the No. 1 spot on our countdown. Check out this week’s first-place finisher for the full list of our compliments and complaints.

And to all our pickup truck peeps: Peep this week’s No. 5 story to learn wuddup with trucks for 2021. We cover a tonneau new stuff with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, GMC Hummer EV and Sierra, Honda Ridgeline, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, Ram 1500, Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck.

Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on all-new automaker Stellantis, the Nissan Armada, the BMW X3, the Hyundai Elantra and much more, so be sure to check out the deep cuts, too. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:

1. 2021 Ford Bronco Sport: 6 Things We Like, 3 We Don’t

2. Ford to Recall 2.7 Million Vehicles for Takata Airbag Inflators: What Owners Need to Know

3. Here Are 5 Great Affordable Luxury Cars You Can Buy Right Now

4. What’s New With Electric Vehicles for 2021?

5. What’s New With Pickup Trucks for 2021?

6. What Is Stellantis?

7. New Year, New Me: These Manufacturers Have New Logos for 2021

8. 2021 Nissan Armada: 5 Pros, 4 Cons

9. Here’s How Far We Went on Electricity Alone in a BMW X3 Plug-In Hybrid

10. 2021 Hyundai Elantra Review: Almost Great

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