Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have a 2004 Ford Escape which I absolutely love knocking on the door of almost 300,000 miles. Go Ford. But lately my airbag light blinks and my escape beeps 5 times every 8 seconds or so and then it repeats itself with a total of 20 beeps. After the beeping is finished my airbag light stays illuminated. When I checked online what it means it says a defective airbag. It is intermittent or when I am on long trips.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Escape. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch. The steering wheel air bag deployed. A police report was not filed. The driver sustained bruising to the legs and was unconscious. Medical treatment was received. The contact was uncertain if the front passenger and curtain air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to a police impound lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer issued NHTSA campaign number: 12V353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and inquired about access to the vehicle to investigate the cause of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 177,000.
In April 2016, I purchased a used 2004 Ford Escape with approximately 130,000 miles on it. The vehicle had a recent state inspection sticker verifying that it passed all state safety standards, to include having working airbags. However, after driving the Escape for only a few days, the airbag light started flashing and later stayed on. Now the airbag stays on all the time. During this same time, the vehicle also started experience an intermittent stalling problem. Not sure if these problems are connected to a larger issue...especially since both problems started occurring at the same time. After reading various articles online, I realized that the airbag light issue is a common problem among Ford escapes and expensive to fix and sometimes a reoccurring problem. …
My 2004 Ford Escape just reached 120,000 miles and my airbag light came on while I was driving home from work on night. The next day I took it to dealer to see what was wrong, they said it was seat belt problem and it would cost $400-$500 to fix it. So I decided to get a second opinion & I took it to a mechanic that does all my repairs to see what he would say. He put it on computer to see what showed up and it says side airbag open circuit. I called dealer to see why they said it was seat belt issue and dealer said they get a lot of older escapes in with airbag lights and its usually just seat belt issue. I personally don't trust the dealer near me but don't want to drive 1 hr away to another dealer. My mechanic is doing research for me. I trust him before the dealer. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Escape. While driving at 30 MPH, the contact heard a noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the air bag and seat belts warning lights illuminated and the front driver side seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the rear passenger inner fender well corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the seat belt pretensioner connectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Vehicle airbag light goes on and off intermittently. This happens whether parked or driving, whether there is a passenger or not. Vehicle will "rev" in park, if the steering wheel is turned slightly, bumped or move. Twice vehicle has "jumped" while in parked when this has happened. Major issue: door locks will not open. There is no manual lock on the doors, only electronic. No place for a key. Passengers have been locked inside with no way to exit vehicle except to climb over seat. Will happen to various doors, most often the front passenger door, but not all doors at the same time (we believe this May happen,) door lock will click 3 times but will not unlock.
It seems one day I noticed my airbag light on. It is usually on constantly or blinking. I am not sure why it stays on. I see a lot of complaints about these airbags on this site. I wish I knew this problem prior to purchasing this car. I also just recently had the hood release cable break on me. Call the dealership and they don't make them anymore. Great! Wonderful! When I went to the parts store the counter person said that this was the 5th Ford hood release that they had people looking for in less than a month. Is there some kind of recall for the hood release cable? Should there be??
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the speed accelerated independently, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond causing the vehicle to crash into a guard rail. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was destroyed. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The SRS airbag light was blinking-the code said that the seatbelt connector had failed-they had to remove and replace the seatbelt connectors costing us 493.13, and this is a safety issue that Ford should cover under a warranty or safety recall. I am out 493.13 plus the 100.00 diagnostic fee and need to be compensated for this. I have attached the services performed by the repair shop. Ford said it was not covered by warranty or any recall. That is ridiculous. Please advise. Thanks
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Escape. While driving at 35 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician replaced two front seat belt buckles and terminals. Also, the air bag warning fault code was cleared. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,508.
Airbag complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2004 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the air bags of the 2004 Ford Escape, 9% of the model year's 499 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Escape airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2004 Ford Escape, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Escape airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.