US carmaker Ford Motor is recalling 262,000 Fiesta subcompacts from model years 2011-2013 to reprogramme the passenger side curtain air bags.
The recall, which is expected to start soon, covers 154,604 Fiestas in the US, with the rest in Canada, Mexico and South America.
The recall affects vehicles manufactured from 3 November 2009 through 21 September 2012.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicles have an air bag system designed to deploy the side air bags only when it detects the presence of a front passenger.
The automaker will reprogram the Fiesta's airbag computer in such a way that the curtain airbag will inflate if it is needed in a side impact crash despite the front passenger seat is occupied.
Ford said that no crashes or injuries related to the recall issue have been reported.
