1999 Ford Explorer Air Bags
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE DUAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK THE CONSUMER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AND STAYED ON FOR TWO WEEKS. *SC *JB
PURCHASED A 1999 FORD EXPLORER SPORT IN OCTOBER 2003. THE VEHICLE HAD 59303 MILES ON IT WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. A FEW WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL. WE FINALLY TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND IT TURNS OUT THAT IT IS FAULTY ELECTRICAL AND OUR AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY. APPARENTLY OUR BUMPER TO BUMPER EXTENDED WARRANTY (MINUS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR) DOES NOT COVER SAFETY ITEMS. THE DEALERSHIP WE PURCHASED IT FROM WON'T HELP US. NOW WE ARE DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT IS UNSAFE. *NM
THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER ABOUT A TEMPORARY FIX THAT WOULDN'T LAST LONG.*JB
SIDE AIR BAGS ARE ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM REAR CENTER OF THE SEAT BACK. THIS PLACEMENT ALLOWS THE WIRES TO BE DAMAGED BY THE FEET OF THE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT SETTING A TROUBLE CODE AND DISABLEING THE AIR BAG SYSTEM ! I AM A MECHANIC AND FOUND THIS ON AN EXPLORER I WAS WORKING ON TODAY.*AK
AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD CONTINUE ILLUMINATING. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE TWICE BUT HAD NO SOLUTION, PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH VEHICLE HIT A DEER HEAD ON, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD. *JB
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, UNIVERSITY FORD SERVICE REP SAID LIGHT ON MEANS AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. SERVICE REP SAID IT WOULD COST $500 TO REPLACE WIRING HARNESS IT HAS A SHORT IN IT. I WAS TOLD EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THIS PROBLEMS.*AK
AIR BAGS DID NOT OPEN I WAS INVOLVED IN 2 MAJOR ACCIDENTS IN MY FORD EXPLORE 1999 BOTH ACCIDENTS WERE FRONT IMPACT AND NOW I HAVE TO GET SURGERY IN MY BACK. *NLM
AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUALLY APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THIS VEHICLE HAD ALREADY TWO FRONT COLLISIONS AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS INSPECTED, AND COULD NO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD. *JB
AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES A CODE OF 2 FLASHES AND THEN 6 FLASHES AND THEN REMAINS ON UNTIL YOU TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE REPAIR TECHNICIAN AT THE NEAREST FORD DEALER TO WHERE IT FIRST HAPPENED SAYS THE FAILURE IS IN THE HARNESS. HE SAID THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A SAFETY WARRANTY. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AT MY LOCAL DEALER AND HE IS DENYING WARRANTY FOR THE REPAIR. GOING TO BE STUCK WITH A $450.00 BILL UNLESS YOU CAN PROVE OTHERWISE. *JB
1999 FORD EXPLORER- AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT, TOOK TO DEALER AND RESPONSE WAS THE CONNECTION FOR SIDE AIR BAG, VEHICLE HAS NONE, NEEDS REPLACED, APPROXIMATELY $400 JOB. TO MANY COMPLAINTS BY OTHER OWNERS TO BE A COINCIDENCE. WILL AIR BAGS DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED? *NLM
WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, THE VEHICLE SKIDDED, HIT A BARRIER AND FLIPPED OVER 3 TIMES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB
WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE SLID ON BLACK ICE AND THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION AND SUBSEQUENT ROLLOVER. VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED, BUT THE NEITHER THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *NLM
I WAS IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT AND MY CAR ALMOST ROLLED OVER. I HIT THE HIGHWAY RAILING AND MY CAR WAS DAMAGED PRETTY BADLY IN THE FRONT AND SIDE. THE CAR WAS NOT IN DRIVABLE CONDITION HOWEVER, NO AIRBAG CAME OUT. THREE MONTHS LATER MY AIRBAG FAILURE LIGHT UNEXPECTEDLY TURNED ON. THE LIGHT REMAINS ON.
WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH, ANOTHER DRIVER MADE AN ILLEGAL PASS OF THE RIGHT SIDE AND CLIPPED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONSUMER;S VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED HER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE CONSUMER HIT THREE PARKED VEHICLE AND LANDED ON TOP OF THE FOURTH VEHICLE. THE SECOND ACCIDENT THE CONSUMER STATED A VEHICLE WAS COMING TOWARD HER, SO SHE SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED IN A WOODEN POLE AT 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BOUNCED OFF THE POLE AND WENT BACK INTO POLE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED INJURIES . *AK *JB *NLM
1999 FORD EXPLORER - AIRBAG SENSOR STAYS ON; WILL NOT DEPLOY AIRBAGS. FORD DEALERSHIP SAYS IT NEEDS A "CLOCK SPRING" A COIL OF WIRE LIKE A STATOR WHICH BURNED AND CAUSED A SHORT IN THE AIRBAG WIRING. ACCORDING TO FORD, THIS WILL ALSO CAUSE THE HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL TO MALFUNCTION. FORD WANTS $300 TO REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY DEVICE IN WHICH THERE ARE NO WEARABLE PARTS. IT IS A MIS-ENGINEERED COMPONENT THAT SHOULD REQUIRE A RECALL TO FIX. THIS COULD VERY WELL CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE BY NOT DEPLOYING THE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE 30/40 COMPLAINTS JUST IN THIS WEB SITE ALONE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ESCALATE THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FORD PRODUCE A RECALL TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE? FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS....
AIRBAG LIGHT REMIANS ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REPAIR HARNEST SYSTEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON, CONTACTED DEALER , WAS INFORMED THAT AIR BAG WILL NOT WORK IN AN ACCIDENT,BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. MR CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, A BOLT THAT HOLDS THE DRIVER SEAT BROKE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE SEAT WAS ABLE TO RECLINE ALL THE WAY BACK, ALMOST CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. PH 09-DEC-2002
THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE OWNER PURCHASING TRUCK ACCUMULATING SEVERAL MILES. HE HAD THE "ALL RSPR ASY AIR BAG" REPLACED. NINE MONTHS LATER,SAME SITUATION ACCURRED DEALING WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYING ON. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.AK
AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES, CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK *TT
WHEN STARTING VEHICLE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD TURN ON AND NOT GO OUT. CONSUMER HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM ONCE ALREADY, AND THEN AFTER DOING IT AGAIN, DEALER HAD THE SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM REPLACED.*AK AIR BAG LIGHT ON FOR THE THIRD TIME. LOCAL DEALER REPLACED SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM FOR 2ND TIME. *TT
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION THAT CONTRIBUTED TO A LIGHT POLE FALLING ON TOP OF VEHICLE'S HOOD. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
AIR BAG LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINS ILLUMINATED. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED PROBLEM TWO TIMES UNDER WARRANTY BY SOLDERING AND RECRIMPING AIR BAG WIRING. THEN, THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. *AK *TT
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Quick Summary
The 1999 Ford Explorer has 79 Air Bags complaints on file. 25 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.