I was driving down the road and my airbag instantly deployed in my face without cause or notice. I became completely disoriented as it hit my hand and face with severe force and was extremely loud and shocking. I thank God that I had just let off the gas and didn't hurt anyone else. If I had panicked or was going through an intersection, experiencing a turn, coming to a stop, or someone in front of me stopped I could have struck another vehicle or object and caused death or injuries. I have not brought the vehicle anywhere to be checked out yet. My insurance refuses to cover it. There were no warning signs of this airbag deployment.
2002 Ford Explorer airbags problems
162 complaints (5% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 73,000. 63 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 162
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 73,000
- crashes
- 63
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Frontal34
- Frontal: sensor/control module18
- Side/window13
- On-off switch assembly1
- Frontal: driver side: inflator module1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Explorer airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Ford Explorer airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Mis-assembled airbag clockspring
In july 2001, ford issued a special service message announcing that some air bagclockspring devices may produce noise when the steering wheel is turned full left or right.ford was aware that some clocksprings may have been improperly installed.the improper installation may also cause an open circuit and the air bag warning light to illuminate.starting with vehicles produced in september 2001, ford adding length to the clockspring wire to reduce the likelihood of damage from improper installation.odi's investigation revealed 32 comlaints (vehicle built prior to sept. 2001) of warning light but no crashes, injuries, lawsuits or claims.a safety defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached summary report.
EA02010
Inoperative air bag system
SQ01015
What 2002 Ford Explorer owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving 45 MPH, the driver’s side and passenger’s side air bags inadvertently deployed without an impact or a crash, causing the contact’s fiancé to swerve and drive down into a ditch. No warning lights were illuminated. The front bumper, windshield, and passenger’s side taillight were cracked. No injuries were sustained. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,583.
The light form air bad juts got on when I was driving
I was on motion when the air bag light turn on but I went to check and they say I have to take to the dealer to repair
I was driving on a city street and got into a accident. Totaled my vehicle and my air bags did not deploy
Tl* the contact complained about a fatal crash which involved a 2002 ford explorer and stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated that the victim's vehicle was found three hours after the crash and the vehicle had flipped upside down. The victim was found, wearing the seatbelt but no air bags had deployed. A police report was filed (case number: 19-11405). The contact stated that the city observed a curfew whereby the coroner's report stated that 'death was caused by a multiple blunt force injury to the head". The street lights were turned off from 12 midnight to 5 am. The contact stated that the crash might have occurred at about 3am. The vehicle was totaled and was towed to the apd (anchorage police department) impound. The failure mileage was not provided.
On january 21, 2019 I was hit head-on by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. Totalled my 2002 ford explorer! My airbags did not deploy during the accident! I was going approximately 35 MPH and the other driver was driving approximately 40 MPH on a city street.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving 24 MPH, a vehicle on the opposite side of the road crashed into the driver's door of the contact's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained lower and upper back injuries, which required medical attention. The fire department arrived and had to pry the driver's door off the vehicle after the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed, but it was not determined whether the vehicle was destroyed. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 176,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a median, spun around, and landed in a ravine. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to garners towing in miami, ok. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 215,000.
"takata recall" I only want to know whether a recall was issued.
Questions about the 2002 Ford Explorer airbags
Does the 2002 Ford Explorer have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 162 complaints about the airbags of the 2002 Ford Explorer, 5% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Explorer airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 73,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Explorer airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Explorer have bad airbags?
The Ford Explorer model years with the most airbags complaints are 2002 (162 complaints), 2016 (99 complaints) and 1999 (97 complaints).
Other 2002 Ford Explorer problems
Transmission 1,502Body 486Suspension 422Engine 213Steering 155Acceleration 152Electrical 148Visibility 138Brakes 132Wheels 78Fuel system 72Locks 50Tires 38Seat belts 34Seats 30Lights 25Driver assistance 4
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