Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the air bag warning light being illuminated and the dealer diagnosed that the front passenger's side air bag sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was ordered; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted regarding NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); in February 2024 and the contact was informed there were no parts available for the recall repair. …
Pursuant to the attached pdf file this relates to component parts of the air bag system. When these connections fail or have an issue it disables all of the safety features in the vehicle related to the air bag system and will prevent airbag deployment or any operation in a crash. This has been an issue since we purchased the car used with around 35,000 miles on it. Multiple repair attempts have failed. At 61,000 mile I was told that they would have to replace the connections but since it was more than 60,000 miles the cost of that repair would be out of my pocket as they would no longer honor any warranty coverage. Ford customer service in Dearborn agreed with that assessment. The cost estimate at that time was given at a minimum of $3000.00 dollars. …
Driver side window panel flew off during my drive on the interstate directly after I noticed it being loose for the first time. 3rd row seatbelts leak when it rains on both sides. Rear backup camera is opposite/flipped and goes in and out. Trunk will close on you after opening it up with the car not running. It will not sense movement when the car is off and continues to shut resulting in harm.
The airbag warning light keeps coming on after continued checks and fixes. The dealership zip tied connector c211 and the light went off for a bit then came back on, the seat belt has been replaced but the light came back on, and all other components have been checked but no matter what the fix the light stays on. This is an issue many people have and Ford should be responsible for fixing it.
Airbag light stays on after have completed all the fixes as stated in the official TSB 12-5-11 05/29/12. The steering has become extremely difficult to turn at low speeds or moving for a complete stop. It is freezing up and get harder as time goes by. The recall is expired, but the symptoms are the exact same as the recall stated.
The dash lights go off then it's says starting rebot. Air bag lights stay on. Check engine light on says miss firng. All Carfax report was forged. Dealer said needs new engine but was not told by seller. No one will fix it they say not worth the price for car. I over paid big time. Got lied too.
I began experiencing problems with the steering wheel mounted controls while driving, which were intermittent. First, the volume button failed and then cruise control functions failed. The cruise control would sometimes cancel on its own, causing a sudden unexplained loss of speed while I thought it was engaged. The "resume" and "cancel" button functions also swapped. "resume" would cancel the cruise control and "cancel" would resume cruise. I only figured this out after pressing cancel while in cruise control to slow the car for traffic ahead of me and it did not respond or slow the car. The car continued at its set speed until I hit the brakes to slow it. The diagnosis for the problem was that the clock spring had failed and it was replaced. I feel this is a serious safety concern, especially since the driver air bag May have also been affected. This car has only 43,000 miles on it. …
I pulled into my driveway at a slow rate of speed, as I was braking the car was not stopping, as I pressed on the brake pedal it collapsed all the way to the floor but the brakes did not engage, just before the car hit the garage door which was directly in front of me the right front brake engaged, fully, stopping the right front tire only, the car pulled to the right and instead of hitting the garage door it struck a concrete column to the immediate right of the garage door. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belts automatic locking retractor did not engage so I was thrown forward into the steering wheel. The vehicle was towed to the dealership it was purchased from. …
Airbag system malfunction light comes on and off seemingly randomly. No correlation to temperature or humidity. No correlation to being in motion or stopped. Sometimes it stays on for long periods of time (I.e. Months). Based on research I've done, it seems that when the airbag indicator is lit, the entire airbag system is off. This is a major safety issue. After about 1 month of it being on steadily, I had it fixed at the dealership, franklin Ford, in franklin, ma. They fixed it through a TSB where connectors were cleaned and re-greased with dielectric grease. This fix lasted about 1 year. After this time period the airbag light came back on, again intermittently and randomly. Again, after about 1 month of steadily on, I took it back to the same dealership, where it was diagnosed to be the same issue. The vehicle was repaired using the same TSB method. …
Purchased used vehicle January 2017. March 2017 airbag light appeared intermittently at start, when placed in drive, or traveling at variable speeds. April 2017 airbag light now illuminates 95% of time at start and remains on throughout operation. Ford dealership identified airbag code b1212, advising high electrical resistance in gear shifter requiring replacement as will not indicate to vehicle safety monitoring system that vehicle is in proper gear and therefor pass fault detecting system. Repair/replacement approximately $515.00. TSB-12-5-11 has been issued for this code, was applied with no resolve. Fault disables critical safety system, is not covered under extended warranty and is owner's financial responsibility. There is an enormous consumer reporting trend for this defect in make/model. …
Airbag complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 44 complaints about the air bags of the 2011 Ford Explorer, 4% of the model year's 1,197 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford Explorer airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2011 Ford Explorer, 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 2011 Ford Explorer airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 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.