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 2008 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's son owned a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 60 - 65 MPH, another vehicle rear-ended his vehicle in a hit-and-run collision. The driver's side front seat fractured and detached, hitting the contact's grandson's face. The airbags were not deployed upon impact. The contact's son sustained head injuries, and her grandson suffered facial fractures and a broken jaw. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm and difficult to turn. The contact stated that the air bag and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled, lost braking and steering ability, and crashed into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The contact stated that several warning lights illuminated momentarily. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a local garage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but did not help, claiming that there was no indication of vehicular malfunction. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic. The failure mileage was 36,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Ford Escape. While driving at approximately 55 MPH, the driver fell asleep due to a health issue and the vehicle traveled off the road and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver sustained a head concussion and cracked ribs. The front passenger injured both the left and right hands severely. The driver and passenger required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,237.
Ford Escape approached a city street intersection with right away by green light. A truck ran the red light of same intersection. The Ford Escape veered to left to avoid being directly hit by truck. Air bags of Ford Escape did not deploy, whereas they did in the truck.
I was traveling down a busy road at about 35 miles an hour and collided into a vehicle that pulled out in front of me. My front passenger side area (the passenger side headlight) impacted with the drivers side passenger door of a 2002 Mercedes Benz. The Mercedes' airbags deployed on the side of the impact. None of the 6 airbags deployed in my brand new 2008 Escape. Fortunately none of my passengers (wife, 4 yr old daughter, 11 mo old son) were injured. If this accident had occurred on the interstate or had we been traveling faster, due to the air bags not deploying, bodily injury and or death could have occurred to the occupants of my vehicle. There were damages to my vehicle in excess of $8500 at the initial estimate. I am still waiting for my truck to be fixed. I will attempt to contact the dealership as well as Ford motor company to work out a remedy if possible. …
I was hit head on by a vehicle that was traveling aprox 60 miles per hour. My airbags did not deploy. But the airbag light on my bash lit up as if they had deployed. I have asked several certified mechanics why this happened and have never been given the same answer twice. I asked a Ford plant worker that helped build my Escape, he also had no answer. My brothers was also involved, this last summer, in a high impact totaling his focus and the airbags did not deploy, again, no answer, just a lot of shrugs and him hawing. Once again my best friend had a 2012 explorer it was 4 months old she hit a deer full on causing over 18,000$ in damage, and again, no airbags deployed! Why? I find it disturbing that we all paid no less that 15,000$ for a Ford vehicle and none of us were protected by the safety equipment, nor were we provided with a sufficient explanation as to why it did not work. …
Tl contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. While exiting the driveway in reverse at 10 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. Several months later, the failure recurred while approaching a stop sign. The contact's vehicle struck another vehicle and the damages exceeded $2,400. The dealer stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. Several weeks later, the failure recurred and the contact was involved in another crash. The air bags failed to deploy. The damages exceeded $8,000. During each failure, the contact depressed the brake pedal all the way down to the floor. He still has possession of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 6,000 and current mileage was 13,000 updated 06/16/08
I have been having multiple problems with this vehicle. I went and got the power steering recall fixed 1 yr to maybe 2 yrs ago and Ford said it was fixed. Now I'm having power steering going out while driving and car pulls to the right. I then turn the vehicle off and back on and it goes back to working correctly. I went back to Ford and they said that the recall has been fixed and closed out and nothing they can do. Now I'm having power steering still going out and now all my lights (ABS,traction control,tire,air bag, anti theft light). After spending 200 at Ford they told me ECM is bad and need to replace. Almost 500 at Ford for keys to be programmed to new computer I am still having same problems and Ford wants me to spend more money to see what the next step is.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. While driving 15mph, the contact crashed into a parked mobile home and the air bags didn't deploy. There was damage to his vehicle; however, there wasn't any damage to the motor home. The front passenger seat was damaged and destroyed. There were no passengers in the vehicle or injuries. There were no warning lights present before or after the crash occurred. A police report will be available in 10 days. Photos are available. The vehicle is at the repair facility. The VIN and the engine size are not available. The failure and current mileage was 2,100. California traffic collision report. Updated 10/15/07
Airbag complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2008 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the air bags of the 2008 Ford Escape, 2% of the model year's 1,974 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford Escape airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2008 Ford Escape, though it has 3 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 2008 Ford Escape airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 0 fires and 12 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.