Air Bags. Review the 66 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
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NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

79 crash reports11 fire reports42 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

66 reports

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Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2005

Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE BACK. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10113175

Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2005

Air BagsCrashInjury

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. OWNER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10113106

Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2005

Air BagsCrashInjury

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT 35 MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY CONSUMER.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10111506

106,390 miles · Jan 31, 2005

Air BagsInjury

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MY THEN 20 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 1999 ESCORT ZX2. SHE STOPED AT A STOP SIGN, AND AS SHE BEGAN TO ACCELL. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. SHE WAS SHAKEN UP, AND BURNED ON HER FACE AND ARMS. I REPORTED THIS TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THEY TOLD ME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE AND WOULD NOT EVEN INESTIGATE THE CONCERN. THEY ADVISED ME TO CONTACT MY INSURANCE CO. I CONTACTED FARMERS INS. THEY SAID THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT IT WAS NOT COVERED. HOWEVER THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR A PORTION OF THE INVESTIGATION. A REPORT WAS MADE BY AN INDEPENDANT CO. THEY RECOMMENDED TAHT THE AIR BAG MODULE BE REMOVED AND SENT TO A QUALIFIED ENGINEER FOR EVALUATION. NORTH POINT FORD IN N.L.R. AR. REMOVED THE PART, AND FARMERS SENT IT TO BE EVALUATED. IN THE MEAN TIME MY VEHICLE IS DAMAGED AND NO ONE WILL HELP. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING MORE FROM FARMERS, AS OF 1-31-05. I KNOW THAT FORD HAS RECALLED OTHER YEAR MODEL ESCORTS FOR THE SAME POSSIBLE CONCERN, BUT THEY REFUSE TO HELP ME OR EVEN INVESTIGATE. I HAD ESP TO 100,000 MILES , I CARRY FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE, AND THIS KIND OF DAMAGE AND INJURY IS NOT COVERED , THIS DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT TO ME . IS THERE ANYTHING MORE I CAN DO. PLEASE ADVISE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10108320

98,716 miles · Sep 14, 2004

Air BagsCrashInjury

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES, AND IS CURRENTLY IN THERAPY. *AK *SC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10087274

26,000 miles · Jun 16, 2004

Air BagsFire

WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG COMPARTMENT. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10079362

Mileage unknown · Mar 23, 2004

Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A UTILITY POLE. UPON IMPACT, FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES ALL OVER THE BODY, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10064704

113,000 miles · Jan 21, 2004

Air BagsCrashInjury

AFTER HITTING A GUARD RAIL 70 MPH ON DRIVER'S FRONT SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED MINOR ARM INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10055532

Mileage unknown · Sep 17, 2003

Air Bags

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CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO A DEALER AND STAYED OVER NIGHT. THE CONSUMER WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR AND WHEN HE GOT IN THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE STARTED IT HE REALIZED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. HE WAS TOLD TO PUMP THE GAS PEDAL AT WHICH TIME BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AS WELL AS THE DEALER, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT IT WAS CAUSED FOR AFTER MARKET PRODUCTS THAT WERE INSTALL IN THE VEHICLE. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10040177

Mileage unknown · Aug 25, 2003

Air BagsCrash

MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG POPPED OUT ALL OF A SUDDEN. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HIT A BRICK MAIL BOX. AFTER THE COLLISION THE OTHER AIRBAG POPPED OUT. I FILED A POLICE STATEMENT AND I HAD A WITNESS DRIVING BEHIND ME WHO SAW WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD BUT THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED A CALL AS OF 8/25/03. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10033458

Official recalls

99V276000 · Power Train:manual Transmission:shift Pattern Indicator

Oct 12, 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE S/R OPTION. THE S/R OPTION INCLUDES, AMONG OTHER FEATURES, A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT PATTERN IS NOT DISPLAYED IN THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT IN VIEW OF THE DRIVER. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION POSITION OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVE BACKED PLAQUE CONTAINING THE SHIFT PATTERN, ALONG WITH MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOCATING AND AFFIXING THE PLAQUE TO THE VEHICLE CENTER CONSOLE, JUST FORWARD OF THE SHIFT LEVER. OWNERS WILL ALSO BE ADVISED THAT THEIR DEALER CAN AFFIX THE PLAQUE IF THEY PREFER.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT

Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

No summary supplied.