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 2007 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, a vehicle crashed into the front of the contact's vehicle. Additionally, two other vehicles crashed into the side and rear of the contact's vehicle; however, the air bags failed to deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact and the passenger sustained injuries and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.
The driver airbag light keeps going off and on. I went to ford dealer shop to fix it. Only shortly after it came back on. I tried different tricks online and they dont last long. This is a common issue among ford focus owners. The connection plug from airbag to the steering wheel is bad and it just loses connection from time to time. Focus owners cant just DIY sensitive parts like airbag to temporarly fix it nor can we spend big bucks to visit dealersshop everytime. They charged me $140 just look at my car. And told me $700 for airbag replacement, when all that needs replacing is the faulty connecting plug. Ford knows this but is getting away with jeopordizing with customers lives for money. Please make this recall issue so ford will fix for all focus owners before people dies from this well known focus issue because the driverside airbag failes to deploy. Please.
In dec. 12-23 a deer landed in front of us as we were driving on a on highway and going about 50 MPH. Deer damaged hood radiator etc. Biggest concern . Both airbags deployed. The powder. Right after the initial impact I said open the door open the window cuz the dust was flying around the car and I believe I inhaled some in my throat up my nose that was really bad . The dust smells bad irritating eyes throat. As a couple days went by. Throat very sore coughing off and on. ? The chemicals ? Toxin,, can they cause problems later. Inside both nazal passages very crusty and dried blood. Small skin burn on mid nose. Also headaches , feel dazed, hair and face had a weird smell , also severe ringing in ears. I am extremely concerned if this vehicle has had issues with toxic chemicals and what help can I get to resolve this and I am concerned. …
1) the airbag did not deploy in an accident several years ago ( approx. December, 2011 - mileage was approx. 45,000) when the car collided with an oncoming car and was damaged on the front end and driver's side. No one was injured. During the past 2 or 3 years, I have noticed that the driver's side airbag warning light has been going on and off for days at a time. It seems to be affected by heat and humidity. It seems to go on when the weather is humid and off when the air is dry, at all times of the year. I am not sure whether the airbag would deploy when it is necessary. 2) during the past year, the power steering has making a loud grinding noise when I turn the steering wheel either right or left. A mechanic who worked on it said he put a clamp on it and refilled the steering fluid, which helped for a few weeks, but the problem has returned. …
We were driving north at 50 MPH, man going east rolled through stop sign. He t-boned us square in both driver side doors, rolling us over twice, landing back on the driver side of the car. Out of 7 airbags only one deployed. The air bag that deployed was on the passenger seat on the opposite side of where the impact occurred. I have the car, it has been untouched other than tow truck company and is locked in my parents garage, as we don't know what to do with it or next. We have tons of pictures. Pictures of the car, the scene, we have it all. Thank you rw
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Focus. When the brake pedal was depressed at 30 MPH, the vehicle continued to accelerate without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. After the failure occurred, the driver side air bag warning indicator illuminated. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000. Updated 05/30/17 updated 7/9/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving a vehicle cut in front of her. The result was that she broadsided the vehicle at 35 MPH. The frontal air bags did not deploy on either the driver's or passenger's sides. One passenger was taken by ambulance with chest pains to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local junk yard and no estimate has been performed yet. The dealer or manufacturer had not been contacted yet. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Ford Focus. While driving at approximately 30 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver was injured, but did not seek medical attention. A police report was filed and the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 17,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 4/15/15 updated 9/22/2017
Was driving down the road at the posted speed limit of 35 MPH. Hit a patch of ice on the untreated icy roads in glocester ri . Caused me to increase speed while spinning in circles . Ended up hitting a tree with the front quarter panel on the passenger side destroyed everything on that side under the hood and the chasie in the front!! Next I spun again hitting the front bumper on the right side! Air bags never deployed and they should have at the speed and velocity the car hit the tree at!
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Focus. While driving at approximately 60 MPH, the air bags inadvertently deployed without warning. The contact stated that there was black smoke and fuel fumes emitting into the vehicle. As a result, the contact was unable to breath properly and his ears were ringing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Airbag complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2007 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 118 complaints about the air bags of the 2007 Ford Focus, 30% of the model year's 391 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Ford Focus airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2007 Ford Focus. 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 2007 Ford Focus airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 42 crashes, 3 fires and 58 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.