2002 Ford Focus Air Bags

WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING, AS A RESULT THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES TO HIS BODY. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *TS *NLM

WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH OUR AIRBAG SYSTEM. WE HAVE HAD COMPONETS REPLACED ON 4 OCCASIONS. AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. THIS PROBLEMS IS CAUSING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM TO BE NON FUCTIONAL. WE FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, SINCE IF A COLLISION OCCURED THEY WOULD NOT WORK. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT IS LIMITED TO OUR MODEL OF CAR AND ONLY THOSE THAT IS A 4 DOOR AND 5 SPEED. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND CANNOT COME UP WITH A FIX. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED SO THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN BE CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED. MR

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED. *AK AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF REPAIRING THE AIR BAG/AIR BAG SENSORS, THE PROBLEM WAS STILL OCCURING AS OF AUGUST 15TH 2002 AND AT THAT TIME THEY WERE WAITING ON PARTS. (REPAIRS MADE AT THE DEALER) *SCC

IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I'VE OWNED MY FOCUS I'VE HAD TO RETURN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 3 OCCASIONS BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON. THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN THEY HAD TO REPLACE A MODULE TO THE AIR BAG COMPONENT. THE SECOND AND THIRD TIME I BROUGHT IT IN THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THE THIRD TIME I BROUGHT IT BACK THEY GAVE ME A RECORDING DEVICE THAT I HAD TO USE TO RECORD THE AIR BAG LIGHT BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT REGISTERING THAT IT EVER CAME ON. I HAD TO RECORD THE LIGHT A TOTAL OF 3-4 TIMES AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I DID SO AND RETURNED MY CAR ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THIS DEVICE TOLD THEM NOTHING. SO NOT KNOWING THE EXACT PROBLEM THEY WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE AIRBAG. ALL OF THESE ATTEMPTS OCCURED LATE SEPTEMBER THROUGH MID OCTOBER. AS OF 11/8/2002 THE LIGHT HAS NOT COME BACK ON. I FEEL KNOW THAT I'M LEFT WITH A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AND THE QUESTION OF IF I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT IS THIS AIR BAG GOING TO PROTECT ME. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS AN ISOLATED CASE BUT I'M NOT TO SURE ABOUT THAT. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO SERIOUS CONSIDERATION. DT

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CONSUMER SWERVED TO AVOID BEING HIT BY AN 18 WHEELER TRUCK THAT WAS CHANGING LANES. CONSUMER STATES IN THE PROCESS OF AVOIDING TRUCK, CONSUMER REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR AND WENT INTO A SPIN AND HIT THE CAR AGAIN. CONSUMER STATES NONE OF THE VEHICLES AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER STATES THE FRAME THAT PROTECTS ENGINE WAS BENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR

ON 7/11/2002 MY WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR HEAD-ON ACCIDENT. SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN ANOTHER CAR SUDDENLY TURNED LEFT IN TO HER PATH. THE OTHER DRIVER WAS CITED FOR FAILURE TO YIELD RIGHT OF WAY. MY WIFE HIT THE OTHER CAR IN THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE. THE FORD FOCUS ZX5 SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AND WITH A COST OF OVER $12,000 TO REPAIR IT WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE BUMPER WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. TODAY AT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER (1-866-693-6738) I WAS INFORMED BY STEVE THAT IF I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHY THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY THAT I COULD PAY TO HAVE THEM TESTED. WHEN I QUESTIONED AS TO WHY I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE FORD TO POSSIBLY FIX A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS HE SAID THAT THAT IS WHAT THE COMPUTER POP UP STATED. FORD SHOULD BE MORE RECEPTIVE TO WANTING TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A PROBLEM. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM THEN FORD SHOULD COMPENSATE ME AND MY WIFE.*AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-35MPH AND RAN OVER A POTHOLE. THERE WAS NO COLLISION. THE LEFT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. TS

AT 65 MPH VEHICLE HIT A RETAINING WALL, THEN ROLLED A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HIT HEAD ON WINDSHIELD, VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK