Ford to recall about 850,000 cars to fix airbag deployment glitch

Ford Motor Co (F.N) said it will recall about 850,000 cars in the United States to fix a software glitch that could lead to a short circuit, delaying the deployment of airbags in the event of a crash.

The affected cars are 2013-2014 models Ford C-MAX, Fusion, Escape and Lincoln MKZ vehicles and could have a defect related to the restraints control module, Ford said.

If a short circuit occurs, the airbag warning indicator will illuminate and depending on the location of the short circuit, the restraint systems may not deploy properly in case of a crash, raising the risk of injury, the carmaker said.

The deployable restraint systems includes airbags, pretensioners and side curtains.

Ford said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.

The company's shares were little changed at $16.19 on the New York Stock Exchange in morning trading on Friday.