My air bag light is reporting - Your Air Bag Warning is on due to an issue with the front passenger air bag system. The front passenger airbag may not work properly. This light came on last week. This first appeared on 9/14. Also, I have another failure light reporting my seat belt is malfunctioning. First appeared 10/15. No one’s safety was put at risk yet. There were no warning messages, just indicator lights.
Ford Escape airbag light comes on
218 of the 27,615 owner complaints about the Ford Escape describe airbag warning light, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 218
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $500
- typical mileage
- 71,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
No deployment 13Seat belt 11Stalling 8Check engine light 8ABS 5Hesitation 4Door locks 4Won't start 3
Trouble codes mentioned
B1881 3B1998 2B1994 1B1869 1
What owners say
My vehicle was towed back to the dealership to have the transmission replaced, under warranty. After confirming the failure and warranty, I was informed, by emailed service order, that the airbag light was illuminated.it also listed the cost to diagnose the light and that I declined this "recommended service". What I said was that I absolutely wanted it diagnosed and addressed. What I declined were the charges they were quoting as the light came on while they had my vehicle-to replace my previously replaced transmission, 100% under warranty. I finally got the dealership to email me a printout/workorder so I could see what repairs have been completed. Re:Airbag light: says I stated the light was on, the tech got it to come on, that I declined a time of original transmission diagnostic; light is off now, they’re unable to replicate, listed as "intermittent airbag fault”, may come back on and would require additional diagnostic fee and repair cost.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact’s husband stated that while driving 25 MPH, another vehicle unexpectedly cut in front of the vehicle, resulting in a collision. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the crash. The contact stated that upon impact, the driver-side air bags failed to deploy; however, the air bag warning light illuminated after the collision occurred. A police report was filed, but the report number was unavailable. The contact’s husband did not receive immediate medical attention at the scene. The contact’s husband later sought treatment at an emergency room. The contact's husband suffered an chest and knee injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.
The air bag warning light illuminated when the front passenger seat was taken. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed air bag sensor. The contact was informed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the failure could be repaired, but it might not resolve the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the federal safety agency Hotline
1. Passenger airbag fails to activate randomly. Passenger airbag light shows "off" with a passenger in the seat. Sometimes it works but often stays off for a whole day. 2. Transmission shifts gears by itself. Drive to neutral, Reverse to park. A software update changed the behavior but did not eliminate the fault. Now goes from Drive to Park. One time the vehicle shut off by itself after shifting from Drive to Park. It has been to the dealer 3 times for these problems, now scheduled for a fourth time. They keep saying they can't find the fault.
I bought a 2013 escape 3-4 months ago. It had a clear car fax as well as clean on Ford.com. recently the air bag light has been flashing on and as time has gone on, it is staying on longer. I just had it diagnosed at a Ford Dealership and was told it was an air bag sensor, with a cost of over $2000. After digging deeper, I discovered that the Air Bag and sensors were replaced in 2016 under the recalls at the time. I understand that this was done and I am only asking for some financial assistance as I can no longer drive my escape. I know i bought an older car, but Ford will not help with any assistance and it seems they have an obligation since this problem has been happening over and over. i worked in Ford dealerships for over 40 years. Please help.
Airbag light and rear seat Restraint lights are coming on. Driver seatbelt doesn't lock when leaning forward.
I am experiencing problems with the driver's side window getting stuck when I attempt to roll it up or down. Following a couple of visits to the Ford dealership, the service team was unable to find any diagnostic trouble codes or issues. The window's performance is compromised in both directions. Additionally, I have observed the passenger side airbag warning light flashing couple of times. I bought the vehicle on [XXX], Only 6 Months with this vehicle and during my June 6th, 2025 oil change, the service team recommended replacing the wiper blades, which seems excessive considering the low rainfall in San Diego, California. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and a message "Belt Monitor Service Required" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Customer Satisfaction Program: 24N08; as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel became inoperable. The traction control, the ABS, the brakes, and the knee air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the Police Department mechanic VIPD Motor Pool, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS module had failed, causing other electrical failures. The mechanic determined that the ABS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
Related recalls
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Escape and Transit vehicles. The affected vehicles may have an improperly crimped diffuser in the side curtain air bags which may result in the diffuser detaching from the inflator in the event of an air bag deployment.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, if the diffuser detaches from the inflator during air bag deployment, the curtain air bag may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side curtain air bag modules, free of charge. An interim letter notifying owners of the safety risk was mailed August 3, 2020. The recall began January 11, 2021. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S35.
Recall number 20V415000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
- Risk
- If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S44.
Recall number 17V803000 · Recall details
Air bags: knee bolster
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Ford Escape vehicles. The driver's knee airbag modules installed in these vehicles were produced without the inflator gas generant material, and, as a result, the air bags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, if the driver's knee air bag does not inflate as intended, the driver has an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace driver's knee air bag, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C11.
Recall number 17V398000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 C-MAX, and Escape vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the restraint control module (RCM) may have errors in the programming software which may result in a delayed deployment of the side-curtain rollover air bag.
- Risk
- If the side-curtain rollover air bag is delayed in deploying in certain rollover circumstances, the risk of injury to the passengers is increased.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RCM, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑800‑392‑3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S04.
Recall number 14V237000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Escape airbag light
Why does the airbag light come on in the Ford Escape?
Owners who report it most often also describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, seat belt won't latch or retract and engine stalls while driving, and the codes they mention most are B1881, B1998 and B1994.
Which Ford Escape years have airbag warning light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (46 complaints), 2004 (40 complaints) and 2003 (39 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix airbag warning light on the Ford Escape?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $500 (median of 38 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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