After experiencing rough sailing negotiating with government regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford Motor Company has agreed to recall more than 1.4 million F-150 on issues that air bags that unexpectedly deploy.

As  a result, the shares of the company dropped 1.1 percent as the recall became close to being implemented in the United States. The latest issue hounding Ford marks the company’s high profile setback after reviving its sales and Wall Street reputation amidst the financial and safety concerns hounding its US and domestic rivals.

Last February, around 144,000 F-150s have already been recalled. The latest order will include 89,000 F-150s in Canada and 46,000 in Mexico. The recall order will also include around 16,000 2006 Lincoln Mark LT trucks.

According to Barclays Capital, the recall of he 2004-06 models of the Ford F-150 would cost the company $180 million or 4 cents a share. Barclays revealed that the company had already accrued some of its expenses.

Ford has received praise over the years from government officials for its solid management, fuel efficiency of its cars and trucks, and its ability to restructure without bailouts compared to US companies like General Motors and Chrysler.

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said that they were pleased with the result and that the company was showing its concern for its consumers. Records from the agency reported over 200 complaints of air bags suddenly deploying, resulting to over 60 injuries.

Although it stuck to its original conclusion that  the concerns will not have “unreasonable risk,” Ford agreed to the recall to give customers an assurance that it is committed to their safety as well as to clear any confusion . It stated that they had no knowledge of accidents connected to the issue which have been triggered by an electrical problem. Likewise, data from the field showed that drivers maintained control of their vehicles even if their air bags suddenly deployed.

In addition, Ford said that by May it would start informing owners of a F-150 or Lincoln to bring their vehicles to dealers for repairs without any charges. The repairs will take less than half a day. After the repairs, owners would be required to immediately report if their airbag warning light is lit. In some cases, the airbag at the driver’s side could suddenly deploy if the light is ignored.

NHTSA revealed that it would conduct investigations regarding safety issues from other Ford vehicles. This week, it would investigate motorists’ complaints that models of the Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer rolled away even if the gear shift was in neutral.

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