2006 Ford Focus

My sister was driving my 2006 Ford Focus along a highway. Out of nowhere, the airbag in the side of the driver's seat deployed. This was the only airbag that deployed. The airbag deployed into the side of my sister emitting a white smoke or powder substance. She saw black from the trauma of the airbag impact. She was able to then gain control of the vehicle as no other vehicles were around. She got into the emergency lane and slowly made her way to the offramp then into a gravel parking lot. She then called her daughter to pick her up, who then took her to the ER. She was not thinking clearly or she would have called an ambulance. My husband took off work and took our car dolly and towed the vehicle to our house. My sister was diagnosed with head trauma, concussion, and whiplash. She has since been to her primary doctor who is following her care now. My sister now has ongoing foggy head, headaches, slower reactions, pain going down her leg and arm and dizziness. We have made contact with Ford and made a complaint, giving a case number and told they would contact me with 15 business days. As of today, no one has contacted us, so my sister called Ford and basically had to file another complaint, given a second case number, then told her for me to file a report with my insurance company and take the vehicle to Ford to have the airbags inspected. I immediately called my insurance company and am waiting for the adjuster to call me today. I was informed due to the price of a new airbag and the year of my Focus, it will likely be totaled. I will have the car towed to Ted Russell Ford in Knoxville as soon as I am told how to proceed with the towing by the adjuster.

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON AFTER CAR WAS PARKED AND THEN STARTED. ENGINE STARTED, AND THE AIR BAG SRS LIGHT CAME ON AS PART OF SELF TEST, WENT OFF FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS, CAME BACK ON THEN STAYED ON. CAR WAS NEVER IN A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT. ONLY ACCIDENT WAS SCRATCHED BUMPER FROM SIDESWIPE WHEN VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. CHECKED UNDER AND AROUND 2 FRONT SEATS FOR DEBRIS PER OWNER'S MANUAL. ALL OK WITH INSPECTION. LATCHED AND UNLATCHED SEAT BELTS (DR AND PASS), PULLED AND RETRACTED SEAT BELTS. NO CHANGE, AIR BAG LIGHT STILL ON.

PURCHASED NEW, HAVE HAD IN TO FORD DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR AIR BAG LIGHT ON BOTH ON CLUSTER AND ON DASH. FORD DID WHAT AMOUNTED TO TEMP FIX 3 TIMES, I MOVED LATER PAID NEARLY $1OOO TO REPLACE PARTS. FIX LASTED FEW WEEKS. LIGHT OUT RIGHT NOW BUT ONE OR BOTH LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON ABOUT EVERY OTHER WEEK. FORD HAS BEEN USELESS AS TO PERMANENT FIX. HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH FORD F-250 BUT WITH ENGINE. MOVING OR STOPPED SOMEONE IN BOTH SEATS OR NOT IT KEEPS HAPPENING.

VEHICLE SLID ON BLACK ICE, UP AN EMBANKMENT AND INTO A UTILITY POLE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. OPERATOR WAS WEARING SEATBELT, STRUCK FOREHEAD ON STEERING WHEEL SUSTAINING A LACERATION THAT REQUIRED 20 STITCHES. OPERATOR WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE, WHERE HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PUT ON A VENTILATOR BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE BLEEDING IN THE BRAIN. OPERATOR, THANKFULLY MADE A FULL RECOVERY, BUT WILL BE PERMANENTLY SCARRED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 3/31/15*CN