2001 Ford Focus 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
HAND BADLY BURNT BY AIRBAG. *JB
SLOW SPEED ACCIDENT. ACCIDENT RESULTED IN NO DAMAGE TO VECHICLE HIT AND NO DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLE. PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. PASENGER SIDE AIR BAG BROKE WINDSHIELD AND SENT FRAGMENTS OF GLASS FROM THE VISOR MIRROR THROUGHOUT THE CAR. *AK
DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AT LOW SPEED,2001 FORD FOCUS. *AK
WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO SUSTAIN MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK
WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED THIRD DEGREE BURNS TO HER FACE, LIP, AND NECK AREA. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *JB *SC *JB
(1) AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STARTED FLASHING ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE THEN GOING OUT A FEW DAYS BEFORE ACCIDENT. (2) IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT CAUSE IN TURN CAUSING ME TO RELEASE CLUTCH AND BUMP IN TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ADDITIONALLY AIRBAG CAUSED 2ND DEGREE BURNS ON MY LEFT WRIST AND SPRAINED KNUCKLES ON RIGHT HAND. (3) CAR IS CURRENTLY AT AUTOWAY FORD FOR EVALUATION/REPAIR. *JB
I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHERE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND CAUSED A THIRD DEGREE BURN ON MY RIGHT ARM AND STOMACH. IT IMPLODED AND BURNED A 6-8 INCH HOLE IN MY SWEATSHIRT AND JEANS.
DT: 8-10 MONTHS AGO CONSUMER BOUGHT A 2001 FORD FOCUS. SERVICE DEALER NOTICED AIR BAG SENSOR WAS NOT WORKING AND WENT AHEAD AND INSTALLED A NEW AIR BAG. THIS WEEKEND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS PAST WEEKEND CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL IMPACT INVOLVING ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO REPAIRS AS OF YET WERE DONE. THE AIRBAGS HAD NOT BEEN CHECKED OUT, NO EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED FACE INJURIES AND RECEIVED 23 STITCHES IN THE FACE. *AK *AK
I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 FORD FOCUS WHEN MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. I WASN'T IN AN ACCIDENT NOR HAD MY CAR BEEN BUMPED HARD. I TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID MY DRIVERS SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER NEEDS TO BE REPLACE AND THAT FORD ONLY REPLACES THEM FOR FREE UP TO 50000 MILES. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR PRE-OWNED 4 MONTHS AGO AND THEY SAY MY WARRANTY IS NO GOOD. THIS PART IS GOING TO COST ABOUT $200 PLUS LABOR. IF I DON'T GET THIS FIX MY AIR BAG COULD GO OFF JUST FROM ME PUTTING MY SEAT BELT ON. *NM
I WAS DRIVING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BRAKED HARD. I SAW IT TOO LATE AND HIT MY BRAKES, LOCKING THEM UP. I HIT THE CAR AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BURNING MY LEFT ARM (THOUGH NOT SEVERELY) AND BREAKING THE WIND SHIELD. THE CAR I HIT SUSTAIN VIRTUALLY NO DAMAGE, EXCEPT TWO MARKS ON ITS REAR BUMPER FROM THE BOLTS THAT HOLD MY LICENSE PLATE. MY CAR SUSTAINED MINIMAL FRONT END DAMAGE. IT IS LIKELY I WAS TRAVELING UNDER 10 MPH WHEN MY CAR IMPACTED THE OTHER CAR. OVERALL, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. IT BURNT MY ARM AND CAUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF UNNECESSARY DAMAGE: BOTH AIR BAG REPLACEMENTS, DASH, WINDSHIELD, SEAT BELTS AND TOWING COSTS. *NM
WHILE DRIVING, THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS NOT HUR,T BUT SEEKED MEDICAL ATTENTION THE NEXT DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
DURING A 5 MPH REAR END COLLISION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE PARTICLES INSIDE THE AIR BAG CAUSED 3RD DEGREE BURNS TO THE CONSUMER UPPER BODY. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
TIME/PLACE: 11PM, FRIDAY JUL 16 2004, 25 MILES BEFORE MIDWAY SERVICE EXIT PA TURNPIKE EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE: NONE FAILURE AND CONSEQUENCES: WITH NO PROVOCATION, DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG INFLATED. SEAT WAS TORN APART, PILLAR NEAR SEAT BELT WAS CRACKED, DRIVER WAS VIOLENTLY JOLTED FORCING CAR TO SWERVE SLIGHTLY. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT, BUT DRIVER SPRAINED NECK. DEALERSHIP HAS AGREED TO REPLACE AIRBAG AND RESULTING DAMAGE B/C STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON DURING THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE. THIS OCCURRED WITH OUT ANY COLLISION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING OVER ICE AT 25 MPH THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, CONSEQUENTLY THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, HOWEVER THE FORCE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO SHATTER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM *JB
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MPH AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS A SOFT BUMPER TO BUMPER COLLISION. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT THE VEHICLE THAT WAS IDLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, SHATTERING THE WINSHIELD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, BUT WAS DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION SINCE BEING SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT. *AK
SINCE THE CRASH JUST HAPPENED YESTERDAY (12/22/02), I DO NOT HAVE AN ESTIMATED REPAIR COST YET, BUT MY FEELING IS THAT EITHER THE BILL WILL BE VERY HIGH OR THE CAR WILL BE TOTALED. MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. SHE WAS DOING ABOUT 30 MPH ON THE DIRT ROAD NEAR OUR HOUSE. A DOG RAN OUT IN FRONT OF HER. SHE TRIED TO STOP QUICKLY; THE CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND SHE HIT AN EMBANKMENT/DITCH. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND SHE RECEIVED 2ND DEGREE BURNS ON HER LEFT ARM FROM THE AIRBAG, AS WELL AS A BURN ON HER CHEST FROM THE SEATBELT. SHE ALSO RECEIVED A BLOODY NOSE FROM THE IMPACT OF THE AIRBAG. WE WERE ABLE TO BRING HER HOME FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM, SO WE ARE GRATEFUL, BUT WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW SHE COULD HAVE BEEN BURNED MORE SERIOUSLY.
AIRBAGS WHERE IMPROPERLY CONFIGURED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. *LA THE CONSUMER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A STOP. THE IMPACT WAS NOT SEVERE BUT THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT ALSO SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD. *NM
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD INJURIES. *JB
I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN MY 2001 FORD FOCUS. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG GAVE ME SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON THE INSIDE OF MY RIGHT WRIST AND HAND.
OWNER STATED THAT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG IS COMING THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL.*AK
Trend Over Time
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Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2001 Ford Focus has 121 Air Bags complaints on file. 85 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.