2000 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
2000 FORD EXPLORER. AIR BAG DIAGNOSTIC LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN TO THE FORD DEALER 4 TIMES IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. THE LIGHT FLASHES 3 TIMES AND THEN 7 TIMES AND THEN STAYS ON.
AIR BAGS INOPERABLE DUE TO HIGH RESISTANCE OR POOR CONNECTIONS IN THE SIDE AIR BAG (SAB) WIRING HARNESS CIRCUITS OR RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE. (FORD ARTICLE #03-24-1) MANUFACTURER MAKES A SERVICE KIT FOR REPAIR AT CUSTOMERS EXPENSE OF $800 INSTALLED. I GUESS AIR BAGS AREN'T THAT IMPORTANT. *CB
WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH WAS INVOLVED A FRONT COLLISION AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER STATED THAT MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT HELPING AT ALL. *AK *PH
AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD. *MR THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ON LONG AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO THE WIRING HARNESS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SCC *JB
WHEN STARTING UP THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND WOULD STAY ON THE REMINDER OF THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINE. THE CONSUMER HAS NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVE. *NLM
NAR 1/29/2003. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONSTANTLY STAYED ON. THERE HAS BEEN FOUR ATTEMPTED REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH VEHICLE WAS IN A COLLISION. CONSUMER STATES THAT BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE COLLISION ACCIDENT, NEITHER THE 4 AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH *TT
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HIT A WALL, AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB
WHILE MERGING ONTO A RAMP AT 25-35 MPH CONSUMER ALLOWED A VEHICLE TO PASS. SITTING AT A STAND STILL AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP WAS ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED. CONSUMER WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. POLICE DID ARRIVE ON THE SCENE AND NO ONE WAS CITED.*AK
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH A TREE. BOTH FRONTAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. TS
VEHICLE HIT 5 FEET STONE WALL AT 25 MPH, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. DRIVER HIT HER HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL AND SUFFERED HEAD TRAUMA/ BROKEN CHEEK AND NOSE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK
WHILE AT LOW SPEEDS DURING TRAFFIC CONSUMER WAS REAR ENED AT 60 MPH, AND CONSUMER WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, TAKEN IN FOR WARANTY REPAIR, HAD SEVERAL WIRING HARNESSES REPLACED AND THE SIDE AIRBAG. *JG
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40-45 MPH WITH A TREE, AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR BRACKET WHICH IS 4 INCHES LONG FOLDED AROUND, THUS NOT DEPLOYING THE AIR BAGS, HAD THE SENSORS BEEN PLACED ON THE FRAME ON A SHORTER BRACKET THEY WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *TT
WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, HITTING A TREE WITH FRONTAL DAMAGE, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ANY TIME.*AK. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY MANUFACTURER THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR AIR BAGS IN AN ANCCIDENT.*JB
CONSUMER STATED THAT PARKED VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR BY ANOTHER CAR TRAVELLING APPROXIMATELY 25-30MPH. CONSUMER'S DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. COLLISION CAUSED OVER $3500 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. TS
WHEN STARTING UP VEHICLE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON, LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME WHILE DRIVING. HAD LIGHT FIXED SIX TIMES AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *SLC
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 50 MPH A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE STOPPED VEHICLE AND BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER RECEIVED HEAD, NECK, AND BACK INJURIES. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP OR INSURANCE COMPANY TO DETERMINE REASON FOR THE AIR BAG FAILURE. *AK ANOTHER AUTO SPECIALIST EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY WAS DUE TO THE COMPUTER FAILURE. *YH
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH SLIP ON A ICE SPOT AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, CRASHING INTO AN UTILITY POLE, AND NONE OF DUAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK
THIS COMPONENT CONTROLS THE OPERATION OF THE TWO FRONT AIRBAGS. THIS WIRE HARNESS JUST STOPPED WORKING. *AK
THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER POINTED OUT THAT THE CORRODED CONNECTOR WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *YH
AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND FLASHING. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES BUT MECHANIC CAN NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER, BUT CHECK THE FUEL CAP LIGHT CAME ON. ALSO, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS BACK AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *YH
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ON A HEAD ON CRASH. FRONT LEFT WHEEL AND ASSEBLY RIPPED OFF DOORS TWISTED OUT OF ALIGNMET, AUTO IMPACTED TWICE. WAS AIR BAG SUPPOSED TO DEPLOY OR NOT?
AIRBAG SENSOR INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON. THE CONSUMER TOOK AUTOMOBILE TO DEALER. DEALER HAD ADVISED CONSUMER TO PICKUP THE AUTOMOBILE, BUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS STILL ON. EFFECT CAN MEAN THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN A CASE OF AN ACCIDENT WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. *AK
Trend Over Time
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Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2000 Ford Explorer has 55 Air Bags complaints on file. 26 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.