I was in a collision and the whole front end was crushed but the airbags did not deploy
Ford Expedition no deployment problems
165 of the 9,415 owner complaints about the Ford Expedition describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 165
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 75,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Seat belt 9Sudden acceleration 4Brake failure 4Airbag light 3Tire blowout 2Grinding brakes 2ABS 2Won't start 1
What owners say
I was in a head on collision and my airbags did not deploy. Also when I looked at my seat belt after the crash it was fully extended out and did not retract.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, another vehicle drove through a stop sign, causing the contact to T-bone the other vehicle, causing damage to the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that no air bags did not deploy in his vehicle. The contact stated that he sustained whiplash to the neck and upper back. No medical attention was required. The contact mentioned the vehicle was towed to a collision center. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed him to take the vehicle to the dealership. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
Air Bags did not deploy Impact directly to drivers side of vehicle the other car was going 55 MPH caused me the driver to hit my head on the window hard. I was informed the air bags should have deployed by officer on site.
July 17th on highway going near highway speed of 65-70mph in congested heavier traffic, person merging from on ramp caused abrupt slow to stop and rear ended a F250 truck causing MAJOR front end damage, couldn’t get front doors open, frame bent, vehicle totalled with $22k or more in damages. Seatbelt locked and air bags NEVER deployed. Ford dealership and insurance company very very suprised that given impact, speed, etc airbags never went off. Also emergency braking system did give collision detection warning and then seemed to entirely take over braking as I attempted to brake very hard nothing seemed to be happening for brakes. Seemed crash could have been entirely avoided. Vehicle totalled and gone to salvage yard. Thank goodness no injury very badly bruised
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V236000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, a deer crossed the road. The brake pedal was depressed down to the floorboard; the brake pedal felt soft. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. The vehicle came to a stop after a short distance. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did not deploy. The contact was not injured. No police report was filed. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The insurance company was notified. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I was in a car accident on June 12, 2025, and my steering wheel airbag did not deploy correctly or function correctly. It was a front in straightforward collision. I did not have warning signs so my brakes could have been an issue because I was paying attention and unable to avoid an accident going under the speed limit. The rear cross traffic. Warning stays on pretty consistently because we live down a dirt road, and every time it rains, it again comes back on. I do not believe I heard the forward collision detection go off either. When I hit the back of a work convoy truck straight on, My steering wheel airbag did not deploy correctly. It did come out it never inflated. It did not protect me. I do not have any broken bones, but I do have a hematoma right beside my under arm, and a great deal of bruising.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds during the snow, the vehicle slid on the icy road. The brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. Due to the failure, the vehicle crashed into the guardrail and came to a stop. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The contact was unsure if there was a warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact suffered injuries to her back and neck. However, medical attention was not received. A Police report was not filed. The contact also stated that the failure had occurred three years ago. The contact then received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V236000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) in 2025. The contact stated that on another occasion, the climate control front blower failed to function as intended. The contact stated the A/C was inoperable. The dealer picked up the vehicle, and the repairs were pending. The contact stated that recently, water had leaked into the front cabin of the vehicle from an unknown location and damaged the wires for the blower. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V648000 (VISIBILITY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
I was in an accident on December 9 at 2 pm it was slightly wet out & 51 degrees i was making a left turn out of a business went into the middle lane and gave some gas to merge into the lane and the back end of the vehicle locked up and swung into a tail spin to the right as I applied the brakes it locked up worse and the vehicle spun around twice. Went into oncoming traffic and was hit. Had to exite the vehicle on the passenger side because i could not open the drivers door. When the police and tow truck came the both could not believe the airbags did not deploy . The car was found to be totaled by my insurance Co. AAA The fact that not one of the airbags didn’t deploy is very disturbing to me!!! This was my first Ford and dont think i will ever own anther.
I was in a head on collision and my airbags did not deploy but my glove box separated from my dash by about 2 inches looking as if they tried to deploy
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Navigator and Expedition vehicles. The passenger side air bag may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag to deploy with excessive force during a crash.
- Risk
- An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the passenger side air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S51.
Recall number 25V439000 · Recall details
Air bags: sensor: side impact
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
- Risk
- An air bag that does not deploy properly during a crash increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver and passenger front door side impact sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C26.
Recall number 21V805000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This condition may prevent the driver air bag from properly deploying and reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
- 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.
Recall number 07V541000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles. The inflator canister in the driver air bag module may have an inadequate weld near the igniter.
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the driver air bag may not deploy as intended, potentially resulting in reduced occupant protection, or a burn injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a driver air bag module. Owner notification began march 19, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 01V082000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Expedition no deployment
Which Ford Expedition years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (19 complaints), 2004 (17 complaints) and 1997 (16 complaints).
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