13 complaints reported

2003 Ford Mustang Air Bags

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
13
Crashes
8
Fires
0
Injuries
10

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2026

From all the research I have done on my vehicle, it has the Takata airbag inflators that uses phase‑stabilized ammonium nitrate without a desiccant which should have been in the Nationwide Ford vehicle recall. I am the original owner of my 2003 Mustang Mach 1 and it has never had the airbags replaced and I have never received a recall notice. I had Ford run an OASIS report on my VIN and they tell me there is no recall for my car. I told them the reports don't show data past 15 years. After all these years I thought I was safe because my car never showed it had the Takata recall, so I didn't think mine had them. Now after watching a YouTube documentary and doing research, I am now afraid to drive my car. What can be done about this?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2003
Oct 2017 Crash Injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 FORD MUSTANG. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2016
Oct 2016 Crash Injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A FIRE HYDRANT, SPUN OUT, AND CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED CLAVICLE AND SUFFERED NUMEROUS CUTS AND ABRASIONS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. UPDATED 01/27/17*LJ

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2016
Mar 2013 Injury

MAKING A RIGHT TURN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A SPEED OF APROX. 10 MPH THE AIRBAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND THE PASSENGERS SIDE. THERE WAS NO COLLISION WITH ANY KIND OF OBJECTS (CAR,PETS.VARMENTS,ROAD DEBRIS ETC;;... ) THERE WAS NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER TO THE CAR. BUT MY SON WAS KNOCK-OUT BRIEFLY AND HAD INJURIES TO HIS FACE, CHIN, AND ARMS. THANKFULLY NO OTHER CARS ARE PEOPLE WERE IN THE PATH WHILE HE WAS TURNING. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2013
Aug 2010 Crash Injury

AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN FROM A DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET AND WAS HIT WITH SPEED OVER 40MPH. COMPLETELY TOTALED THE FRONT END OF CAR AND BUCKLED THE HOOD SEVERELY. FRONT BUMPER COMPLETELY REMOVED. IMPACT WAS INITIALLY ON DRIVER SIDE, BUT THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS DESTROYED. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2010
Oct 2007

I WAS TURNING RIGHT IN A PARKING LOT AT 15+MPH WHEN I HIT A PARKING STALL CURB IN THE SNOW. THE WHEELS STOPPED BY HITTING THE CURB WITH AROUND A 3 INCH CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE FRONT BUMPER AND THE CEMENT BLOCK. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED UPON STOPPING ON THE CURB. NO BODY OR MECHANICAL DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE VEHICLE. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2006
May 2006 Injury

DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED AND MY RIGHT ARM WAS INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS UNEXPECTED MALFUNCTION. *NM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2006
Jul 2004 Crash Injury

DURING A 30 MPH REAR END COLLISION, THE CONSUMESR AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2004
Dec 2003 Crash Injury

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AS A RESULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2003
Oct 2003 Crash

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK CONSUMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHEN ONCOMING VEHICLE TRAVELING TO FAST TO STOP HIT THE CONSUMER. NO INJURIES AND NO ONE WAS CHARGED WITH THE ACCIDENT. CONSUMER'S INSURANCE DIDN'T COVER THE DAMAGES SO HE REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES NOT COVERED. *PH

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2003
Jun 2003 Crash Injury

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB THE CONSUMER HAD NO WHERE TO GO ON THE FOUR LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THE OTHER VEHICLE HIT THE CONSUMER HEAD ON. THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS SMASHED AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED ON IMPACT. *SCC *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2003
Jun 2003 Crash Injury

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HIT AT 35MPH IN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2003
Jan 2003 Injury

INADVERTANT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ON MY DAUGHTER'S 2003 MUSTANG GT CONVERTIBLE, WHILE PARKING, CAUSED HER TO JUMP THE PARKING CHOCK, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. THERE WAS NO APPEARANT DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND THE SPEED WAS LESS THAN 10MPH.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD MUSTANG GT, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2003

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2003 Ford Mustang has 13 Air Bags complaints on file. 8 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.