Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 9 | 1% | 21,000 miles |
| 2017 | 15 | 2% | 42,000 miles |
| 2016 | 15 | 1% | 52,000 miles |
| 2015 | 18 | 2% | 44,000 miles |
| 2014 | 32 | 1% | 15,000 miles |
| 2013 | 26 | 1% | 66,000 miles |
| 2012 | 55 | 1% | 53,000 miles |
| 2011 | 6 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 2010 | 12 | 4% | 52,000 miles |
| 2009 | 22 | 10% | 45,000 miles |
| 2008 | 26 | 10% | 57,000 miles |
| 2007 | 118 | 30% | 60,000 miles |
| 2006 | 40 | 20% | 65,000 miles |
| 2005 | 51 | 12% | 55,000 miles |
| 2004 | 24 | 6% | 79,000 miles |
| 2003 | 46 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 2002 | 72 | 8% | 38,000 miles |
| 2001 | 147 | 8% | 58,000 miles |
| 2000 | 191 | 5% | 76,000 miles |
| 1999 | 1 | 9% | 0 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
During their recall repair work on my cpv/ecm recall Rowe Auburn Ford allowed my car to leave their custody with the airbag light on and have refused to take responsibility or offer resolution to fix this issue without costing me more money.
Our Focus was hit by a car. The vehicle hit the Focus primarily in the area of the driver's side door. The door was pushed in/crumpled approximately 18-20 inches overall, intruding into the passenger compartment. The window shattered. The damage to the fender was significant enough to distort the front bumper. The "pan" or area immediately below the door was bent approximately 6 to 8 inches toward the midline of the car. The force of the accident spun' the Focus approximately 180 degrees resulting in the Focus colliding with a guardrail. The force of the impact with the guardrail bent/distorted the body of the car and caused significant damage to the rear bumper and brake light assembly. The extent and expense of repairing the damages necessitated the car be considered "totaled" by the insurance company. …
The contact owned a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated her son was driving the vehicle and while depressing the brake pedal to switch to the right lane, the engine RPMs revved and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. As a result, the driver crashed into the rear of the vehicle in front. The navigation display turned black and no warning light was illuminated. The air bag underneath the steering wheel was deployed, but all other air bags in the vehicle failed to deploy. The contact who was the front passenger at the time of the incident sustained bruises on her stomach. The contact's son sustained bruises on his legs. No medical attention was sought. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph and making a left turn when another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of her vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustain a soft tissue bruise on her left knee and did seek medical attention at the emergency room. The contact also stated the other driver sustain a small laceration on his left arm but was not aware of any medical treatment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,280. The consumer provided photos of the vehicle and injuries.
The contact owned a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, a vehicle stopped abruptly causing a 3-vehicle collision ahead. As a result, the brake pedal was depressed however she crashed into the rear of the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deployed. The driver of the vehicle that the contact crashed into was taken by ambulance to the hospital, the driver's injuries and whereabouts were unknown. The contact later went to the hospital and was treated for pain and soreness in her back and right shoulder. The contact mentioned that after the impact she suffered a panic attack. A police report was filed. The contact's vehicle was towed to a collision center where it was pending to be towed to a salvage yard by the insurance company. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side door that pushed the vehicle's driver's side into a fence. The driver's side air bag was deployed however, the passenger side air bag failed to deploy. The contact son sustained scrapes and bruise injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon entering an intersection with a green light, the contact crashed into another oncoming vehicle at approximately 30 MPH. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. No medical attention was rendered at the scene of the accident. The contact later sought medical attention from a doctor and received an MRI scan for both shoulders. The contact received cortisone shots for pain in both shoulders and sought physical therapy treatment for both shoulders. The other driver did not report any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic where it was later placed in the possession of the contact's insurance company. Both the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure; the contact was given a case number by the manufacturer. …
This car was involved in an accident recently. Car was totaled in the accident. Car hydroplaned during rain and hit another car on interstate. Air bags FAILED to deploy during accident. Car is available for inspection if needed. This could have been a fatal crash without air bag deployment. Car is currently being inspected by insurance company. Police were at the accident scene. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms that anything was wrong with air bags. There are no current recalls for air bags according to Ford manufacturer. Ford manufacturer was contacted regarding issue and they stated that they won't do anything about it, they won't look at car or investigate, only to follow up with our insurance company.
Related recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Certain vehicles fail to conform to the requirements specified in federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the driver air bag module May not have been properly assembled.
Remedy: Dealers will replace your driver air bag module free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA investigations
Inappropriate air bag deployment
There is no summary currently available
Air bag burn injuries/vehicle fires
Information disclosed during this pe shows allegations of burn injuries resulting from abrasion and/or termal causes.allegations of chemical burns also exist.several incidents allege vehicles fires resulting from deployment of the air bags.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to facilitate a thorough review of the complex issues in this matter.
Burn injuries due to air bag deployment
All of the consumer complaints allege an incident in which deployment of the driver frontal air bag caused some type of burn injury.most of these injuries are due to contact and/or abrasion with the air bag and are of relatively minor to moderate severity.it is possible that some drivers May have sustained burn injuries to the skin as a result of hot gases exhausting from the vents of the air bags in the subject…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Focus years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (191), 2001 (147), 2007 (118), 2002 (72) and 2012 (55) model years. Airbag complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Ford Focus airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 07V-541 (inflator module, Nov 21, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Focus airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles; 46% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (288 mentions), followed by the side/window (56).
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.