2005 Ford Thunderbird

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY LAST EVENING, THE LEFT SHOULDER AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I NOTED THAT THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT. MY HUSBAND CHANGED THE TIRE. UPON REMOVING THE WHEEL WE NOTED THAT THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL, BUT THE RIM WAS FRACTURED ON THE INTERNAL ASPECT. THE SEAT WAS DAMAGED FROM THE DEPLOYED AIRBAG. IT APPEARS THAT THE RIM IMPLOSION SET OFF THE LEFT SHOULDER AIRBAG. HAD IT BEEN THE CHEST AIRBAG, I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS. I HAD 4 NEW TIRES PLACED ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO AT COSTCO IN ALBUQUERQUE. THE CAR HAS ONLY 16,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE OWNED IT FOR THEEE YEARS. PRIOR OWNER AN ELDERLY MAN- DRIVE IT 10,000 MILES OVER 13 YEARS. I AM NOT AWARE OF EVER ANY DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL OR HITTING ANYTHING WITH IT. I WAS DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED.I HAVE INCLUDED A PICTURE OF THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE RIM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 129,000.

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 WHILE TRAVELING ON AN 8-LANE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG ON MY 2005 FORD THUNDERBIRD DEPLOYED WITH A VERY LOUD NOISE AND CONSIDERABLE FORCE. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR ACCIDENT INVOLVED WITH THIS INCIDENT. THE AIR BAG SIMPLY DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED AND PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN TO DARLING FORD IN BANGOR MAINE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2005 WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO HAVE NO SIGNS OF ANY RECENT IMPACT EITHER ON THE EXTERIOR OR THE UNDERBODY. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW ON FEBRUARY 14TH 2005 AND HAS GONE APPROXIMATELY 16,000 MILES. THIS IS WELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER TOLD US THE CAR WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO BE INSPECTED BY FORD PERSONNEL TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND TO AUTHORIZE ANY REPAIRS. THE DEALER LATER CONTACTED US ON SEPTEMBER 18TH WHO TOLD HIM THAT FORD HAD DECIDED NOT TO COVER ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ANY IMPACT. THIS DECISION WAS MADE WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THIS INCIDENT WAS CLEARLY A FAULT OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, AND SINCE WE CANNOT FIND ANY EXCLUSION OF THE FORD WARRANTY REGARDING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WE ARE SEEKING AUTHORIZATION FOR REPAIRS TO THIS VEHICLE. IT IS VERY FORTUNATE NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED DUE TO THE FAULTY OPERATION OF THIS DEVICE. FURTHER, THE DEALER TELLS US THAT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE AIR BAG NOW DISABLES ALL OF THE AIR BAGS LEAVING THE DRIVER AND ANY PASSENGERS IN A VERY VULNERABLE SITUATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT APPROX. 65 MPH, MY DRIVERS SIDE, SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THANKFULLY I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED MY VEHICLE. I CHECKED MY CAR, ALTHOUGH I KNEW I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING OR RUN OVER ANYTHING. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF IMPACT AND NOTHING IN THE ROAD BEHIND ME. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY SAID THEY'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. THAT WAS 2/17/06. TODAY, ON 2/20/06 THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AS I HAVE 40,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND THAT THE DEPLOYMENT WAS CAUSED BY MY RUNNING OVER SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. APPARENTLY THAT'S WHAT THE COMPUTER CODE TOLD THEM. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR THAT AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. I BELIEVE THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY FOR A MALFUNCTION. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AT THAT SPEED. IT KNOCKED MY OVER TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS NOW TAKING CARE OF THE CLAIM AND THE AIRBAG AND SEAT WILL BE REPAIRED AT THEIR AND MY COST. THE THING THAT UPSETS ME IS, THAT AIRBAG SHOULDN'T HAVE DEPLOYED FROM RUNNING OVER SOMETHING. THEY COULDN'T EVEN TELL BY LOOKING UNDER THE CAR THAT I RAN OVER SOMETHING, ONLY WHAT THE COMPUTER CODE TOLD THEM. *JB