Air Bag Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

Dashboard separation concerned with airbag. Every day driving you run the risk of more damage. Have spoken to koons Ford who states cannot help due to warranty. No one has looked at it except for pictures. This should not be the owners responsibility since I am not alone with issues of this problem.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at 40 mph, another vehicle did not stop at a stop sign and crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. All of the air bags deployed. The contact's boyfriend suffered bruising to the wrist and left upper arm and redness on the right hand. The front passenger-side curtain air bag caused the contact second-degree chemical burn on the right side of the stomach when it burned through two layers of clothing. The contact also suffered from a sprained left foot and left hand and lacerations from the shoulders and elbows from the air bag deployment. The contact and her boyfriend were transported to the hospital via ambulance and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard but was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Description of incident: the driver, [xxx] , was idling on a road near lake murray when her vehicle was rear-ended. Despite the force of the impact requiring ms. [xxx] to be rushed to the hospital, the vehicle’s airbags failed to deploy. Post-accident concerns: following the collision, the ceo of ridecare had the vehicle moved immediately to avoid public scrutiny. I have reason to believe the company is intentionally withholding the vehicle from inspection to prevent the xxx highway patrol or safety investigators from accessing the "black box" (event data recorder). The vehicle is currently being stored inside the garage at the ridecare facility off [xxx] . Given that this company is responsible for the safe transport of vulnerable mental health patients, the failure of critical safety equipment and the subsequent attempt to hide evidence is a matter of urgent public safety. I request a formal investigation into the maintenance standards of this fleet and the specific safety failure information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I have an airbag light on as well as the 2nd row inflatable seatbelt has stopped working. I took it into the dealership and they said it was generating codes b141b and b141c. Ford issued a customer satisfaction program 21b11 specifically to fix this problem in 2022 but it expired less than a year later. Now my air bag and my seatbelt don't work. Ford knows about the safety defect and their dealers are charging people to fix it ($2400 in this case) rather than stand behind the safety of their product and do the right thing. This is clearly a safety issue that Ford should be addressing yet they are trying to slide by and get their customers to pay for it. The car only has 49,000 miles on it.

The airbag light shown in the attached photo came on at an unknown period of time. We did not know when this came on that it was not a normal light. This is a safety issue as there are many causes for this light to come on, and with this light being on the airbag may not deploy properly or at all during a collision. We did take the vehicle to the Ford dealership for warranty work and they did not say anything about the light on the dash. Which adds to the reason why we did not know that the light meant there was a problem. There are other airbag lights that come on in the sinners console for the passenger side airbags that are orange as well.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

On my 2020 Explorer st, the plastic backing on the front seats is popping off and exposing the seats airbags. My dealer said one replacement backing would be $1400 to replace. In a facebook group I am in, multiple people have complained on the 2020 st that theirs has done the same thing.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Horn stopped working. Airbag indicator will not reset. Took to local dealership but their service department doesn’t seem to find an active recall for this, even though I can see them listed, just not for my particular VIN number.

Unknown.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Front and side curtain air bags failed. Was side swiped and hit a guard rail head on at 60-70 mph. I was going on the far left lane on the interstate 85. When a lady in the center lane hit the side of my car not paying attention that I was in my lane.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Dashboard not attached to frame. Clips intended to attach dashboard to frame are defective (cracked in half). Air bags may be affected (either won't deploy or will deploy on their own). Service dept. At Ford dealership says this is the first case they've seen and repairing it would cost $$$. This vehicle has been regularly maintained and has 0 history of accidents. It is unknown if this defect has existed from the date the car was purchase(or earlier).

The dash board is warped and literally peeling off. I took it to a dealer to get it looked at to see if Ford could help. They won't. My concern is that if the airbag had to deploy, they won't operate properly. I don't know what to do.

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the contact struck a deer with the front of the vehicle. There was no property damage reported. The vehicle came to a stop shortly afterwards. The contact stated that the air bags had not deployed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not destroyed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

See all problems of the 2024 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Constant fail of O2 sensor and abs causing check engine and abs lights to come on. After diagnosis, did research and it is a common problem on Ford Explorers.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the wiring harness located on the passenger’s side of the vehicle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,737.

The driver's side impact airbag burst open when it deployed. This deposited unreacted airbag propellant on my skin, causing a severe chemical burn. The airbag is with the vehicle and currently in the yard of a local body shop, but which will soon turned over to my insurance company. To my knowledge, no investigation has yet been conducted regarding this equipment failure. There were no warning lamp or lights lit which would indicate that there was an issue with the associated supplement restraint systems. I was the driver in a collision where the side impact airbags were deployed. I was wearing my seat belt. There was no intrusion of any foreign object into the cabin of the vehicle. I was not hit on the driver's side of the vehicle. When the side impact airbag deployed it tore open the left side of the t-shirt I was wearing and deposited unreacted airbag propellants on my skin. The unreacted airbag chemicals left me with a what looked to be a minor injury but which soon developed into a very painful chemical burn the size of my fist. Over the course of the next several days, this painful burn proceeded to eat through my skin.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Air bag light illumination on occasion, Ford confirmed and suggested $1000 repair. Seems like a safety issue that is a manufacturer defect. Vehicle has been maintained and rear seat rarely used.

The contact owned a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 15 mph traveling southbound, the occupant of a Chevrolet impala driving at approximately 55 mph allegedly fell asleep, veered into her lane, and crashed into the driver's front end. There were no warning lights illuminated. The steering wheel was bent three inches toward the dashboard. The transmission was fractured during impact. The contact mentioned that the airbag deployed late and may have been too powerful. The impact forced the vehicle back about 40 feet. The driver sustained injuries resulting in broken rib bones, a broken sternum bone, and four herniated discs, and medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to the auction lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage is approximately 135,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The VIN was not available.

As zero recall data refreshed on Aug 09,2025 shows unrepaired recalls associated with 2025 Explorer. Please broadcast. . . The following. . 2025 Explorer safety recalls* missing o-ring supporting disc on bosch fuel injectors recall incomplete accessory protocol interface module software update - loss of rear-view camera image recall incomplete missing dashboard air bag warning label recall incomplete transmission cross member bolt torque recall incomplete powertrain control module pcm reprogram recall incomplete front subframe bolt torque check recall incomplete front brake caliper bolt inspection recall incomplete unrequested second-row seat movement recall incomplete transmission main control valve body replacement recall incomplete connecting rod inspection recall incomplete while the investor is being held up by the department of the treasury, he is awaiting in ogden, ut for the release of funding to help fix this list of reported recall and alerts. By providing engineers with the held and pending release of notes/bills being paused without explanation by the internal revenue service. As the close of stock options supports the claim for legitimate use and collect my mecca express inc tr, as trustee for collecting funding for these issues. Please broadcast. . . . . And advise owners of this vehicle type to stop driving them ASAP as powertrain control module pcm reprogram, and missing o-ring supporting disc on bosch fuel injectors. May cause engine failure at high mph during high rpm on highway and road ways. Potential stall is possible, please report ASAP. For safety International!.

VIN: [xxx] recall data refreshed on Aug 09,2025 0 unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN for 2025 police interceptor - utility while the 2025 Ford Explorer is recalled,this model for 2025 police interceptor - utility has additional incomplete issues to be reported by NHTSA. As officers on duty should turn these models in to the nearest Ford dealer for competition of the following: 2025 police interceptor - utility safety recalls* missing o-ring supporting disc on bosch fuel injectors recall incomplete accessory protocol interface module software update - loss of rear-view camera image recall incomplete missing dashboard air bag warning label recall incomplete transmission cross member bolt torque recall incomplete powertrain control module pcm reprogram recall incomplete front subframe bolt torque check recall incomplete front brake caliper bolt inspection recall incomplete unrequested second-row seat movement recall incomplete transmission main control valve body replacement recall incomplete connecting rod inspection recall incomplete this recall is a immediate report for any on duty peace officer assigned to these vehicles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vinyl on the top part of the dash has completely seperated which is causing a major white reflection on my window and rendering the car unsafe to drive. Ford refuses to address the issue. I also suspect if my air bags deployed this could impact how they deploy or cause additional vinyl shrapnel hitting an occupant in the face in the event of a crash.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front passenger side airbag had began to bulge outwards. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted therefore the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,231.

* upon a significant partial front and complete side impact, the airbags failed to deploy. No front, side, curtain, etc. . . * the vehicle has been seen by the original tow company, the insurance assigned tow company (from original tow company to a body shop) and by the body shop personnel. * I believe the insurance adjuster has inspected, but I cannot confirm that at this time. * no prior warning lamps or messages were present prior to the impact. * the vehicle safety system engaged the fuel cut-off, hazard lights and automatically initiated the sos system (called 9-1-1).

Restrains indicator lamp warning air bag warning issue with vehicle impact sensor. This can prevent that the air bag system from deploying properly.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side air bag warning light was intermittently illuminated while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic and the contact was informed that the air bag wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.

The air bag light is illuminated as a result of a worn/damaged connection to the rear inflatable seat belt connector.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring underneath the second-row seats had failed. The dealer spliced new pigtail connectors underneath the second-row seats and rerouted the harness underneath the seats, as per TSB number: 16-0001. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 80,159.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The airbag light on my vehicle comes on quite often. If there is a passenger sitting in the seat, it tells me that the airbags off. Nothing has happened yet but if the airbag doesn’t go during your crash, could cause severe injury. Can be inspected but plan to see what issue is and have it fixed soon.

The problem remedied by TSB 21b11-s2 did not occur in my vehicle while the TSB was in effect. It has now surfaced.

As I was driving the vehicle the airbags deployed without a collision. I was in the car with my wife and 2 month old son. Had we been going full speed it could've been much worse than it was. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The car has not been inspected in any way. The insurance company is currently attempting to deny the claim based on pictures alone. There were no warning lamps prior to the airbag deployment regarding the airbags. We did not hit another car. I was able to stop the car in the middle of the onramp.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that water was leaking in on both sides of the windshield. The contact stated that due to the failure, rainwater was leaking onto instrument panel, causing the instrument panel to become inoperable. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer confirmed the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 24v031000 (structure). The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

On 11-21-24, I was traveling down the interstate going at 60mph when a car began to urgently brake, I proceeded to hit the brakes as well and my car would not stop, at the time of the impact no air bag deployed, driver seat belt did not lock, my driver seat moved, no pre-collision assist came up for this accident. No prior issues or lights on dash.

Seat warning module failed. When unbuckling seatbelt car does not recognize you unbuckled, therefore the airbag system does not recognize which seats are occupied. This would also cause a safety concern as you do not have to buckle the seatbelt with no warning or alert there is an issue. Car has been at Ford dealer for service for a month with them failing to find any other vehicle that they can replicate the problem. This is one Ford dealer, but it should be something that is investigated as it might be easily overlooked. Car has been in the dealership for the last month with no answers from Ford or resolution to the safety issue, following federal regulations the dealer will not release the car back to us as it has a safety system malfunctioning.

Pursuant to the attached pdf file this relates to component parts of the air bag system. When these connections fail or have an issue it disables all of the safety features in the vehicle related to the air bag system and will prevent airbag deployment or any operation in a crash. This has been an issue since we purchased the car used with around 35,000 miles on it. Multiple repair attempts have failed. At 61,000 mile I was told that they would have to replace the connections but since it was more than 60,000 miles the cost of that repair would be out of my pocket as they would no longer honor any warranty coverage. Ford customer service in dearborn agreed with that assessment. The cost estimate at that time was given at a minimum of $3000. 00 dollars. This issue remains unresolved to this day and time as I have tried to appeal that decision and while I have tried to find an independent repair shop that would do this work. To date no independent shop will do this as it effects a safety system. At a 100,000+ miles now I am transporting my grandchildren in this car without the benefit of an operating airbag system due to Ford's continued failures.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The passenger side knee airbag went off in an accident causing my dad to have severe lacerations to both legs and a sprained ankle. Those were his only injuries from the accident. All caused by one airbag. There is a good chance he will need a skin graft on one of his legs. The emt and firefighters all said that they have never seen an airbag down there and loon like that. What it did to his legs is horrible. And should have never of happened.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag warning light intermittently illuminated while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with air bag light row #2 inflatable found on higher wire circuit installed, and the was fuse replaced. Additionally, row #2 buckle, rear center row passengers seat, rear driver seat would not buckle, and that the passenger seat buckle was internally fractured, and the buckle assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.