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 2003 Ford Expedition owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
bought truck 3/2/22 from Gold cAuto In troy NY. 3/7/22 went to take kids to school 2.5 inches of water set in my weather guard mats. seats soaked console everything in front cab reversed to pull out spot and water starting pouring on my and my kids from sides in pass sides front and the front windshield area omgand the sun roof was worst.kids had to go in myslef too it was snow still out.so that dayi oh sunroof needs to be blown out i said well that right frontdoor sounds open when its shut . same night i picked it up said all was good to go and his guy didn't hear any issues with door. the next snow it was worst this was about toward end of march. i called back around 3/15 said its still leaking dude i just want my money back for real and we are good, he said no doesnt work liek that said all his winshield guy he would take a lok at it and tell hijm ihe sent me. …
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 MPH in snow, while changing lanes the vehicle hit a tree head on, the frontal airbags did not deploy and the front and rear seat belts failed. This occurred without warning and pictures were taken at the scene. The driver and passenger received minor injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle sustained body damage and was towed to an independent repair shop however no repairs were made. The manufacturer was contacted. Contact was seeking from Ford the reassurance of safety . He wants Ford to ton inspect the vehicle and determine why the air bags did not work. The impact wa shard enough to trigger them. The reason given to the consumer was that the sensor was not hit hard enough. Wants the dealer to be more forthright with contact and tell him the truth.
On the 15th of July I was in an accident with a Ford taurus which failed to yield a left turn in front of me. I was driving a 2003 Ford Expedition through an intersection at approximately 30 MPH. As the taurus executed the turn I proceeded to hit his front passenger quarter panel, the impact of which mainly to my front driver's side. The passenger airbag deployed however the driver's side did not. There were no injuries involved, however had this been a higher rate of speed the outcome could have been much worse. At present, I am trying to contact Ford motor co. To determine why my airbag failed to deploy and they have yet to call me back. The vehicle itself has $10K worth of damages not to include fixing the driver side airbag.
On 12/10/2008 my wife was involved in a traffic crash. She drives a 2003 Ford Expedition. Impact occurred on the front driver side. Airbags did not deploy. Not sure what to do about this? Wife has neck pain, children on board are OK, not complaining of any pain or injury. Everyone on board were fastened to seatbelts and car seats. Just very concerned, because accident could have been worse and not sure why airbags did not work. The other parties vehicle was a Scion xd not sure what year. Their airbag did work and impact was practically same location, front driver side corner. Was this a defect? Need to investigate somehow? Please feel free to send me some advise. Thank you.
A lady pulled out in front of our 2003 Ford Expedition causing an automobile accident. The day was clear, the weather was warm. My wife hit her monte carlo doing approximately 45 MPH. After hitting the ladies car, both vehicles went off the road into the trees. Our car hit a rather large pine tree. With both of these major impacts, totaling both cars, none of the air bags deployed, and my wife's seat belt failed to lock. The front of our car was hit on both the front right and front left corners. We are depending and paying for these safety, it is not acceptable that they don't operate when needed. Photos are available.
While driving south in the fast lane, the front left tire blew out (no apparent reason). The driver struggled to maintain control of the SUV but hit the guard rail with the left front bumper traveling approximately 75 MPH. The back left tire then blew and the driver hit the guard rail again, at which point the a-frame and front axle were destroyed, eliminating steering and braking functions. The SUV careened on the two left tires, then several moments later the car fell back down to all four wheels, and the vehicle slid across five lanes of traffic to a stop in the far right lane. At no point in time did the airbags deploy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Expedition. While driving at speeds of 35 MPH following another vehicle, the contact depressed the brake pedal as the preceding vehicle indicated a turn. The preceding vehicle did not complete the turn and as a result, the contact crashed into the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and he sustained injuries to his left hand and a fractured sternum. The vehicle was destroyed. The dealer was not contacted and there were no repairs made to the vehicle. A police report was filed. The failure and the current mileages were 128,000.
Driving south on hwy 42, mcdonough, ga. Speed limit 55mph. Wife was traveling between 45-50mph. Car in front of her slammed on brakes to turn into a gas station, which happened to have the counties cheapest gas. Wife attempted to stop, but not in time, resulting in the front of her 2003 Ford Expedition crashing into the rear of the stopped driver. On a fairly severe traffic crash, the airbags for our 2003 Ford Expedition did not deploy. All damage to the Expedition was frontal. All damages to the stopped vehicle were to the rear.
Head on collision, both vehicles traveling approximately 40 MPH. 2003 Expedition air bags did not deploy. Both vehicles were totaled because of the severe impact, however the Expedition air bags did not deploy. As a result the Expedition driver hit his head on the steering wheel, and shoulder on steering wheel, with torn shoulder muscles and possible upper gi bleeding from the sudden stoppage and seat belt injury. *note***- all airbags on the 2010 suburban did deploy (other totaled vehicle).
My 2003 Ford Expedition and was involved in a crash with another vehicle. The Ford Expedition was traveling at 45 MPH when another vehicle going in the opposite direction turned left directly in front of my car. My 2003 Ford Expedition crashed into the side of the other vehicle in the middle of the intersection causing severe damage to the front end and right front quarter panel locations. The passenger airbag deployed but the driver airbag did not deploy.
Airbag complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2003 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 59 complaints about the air bags of the 2003 Ford Expedition, 10% of the model year's 615 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Expedition airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2003 Ford Expedition, though it has 1 recall 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 2003 Ford Expedition airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 27 crashes, 0 fires and 48 injuries and 1 death 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.