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2016 Ford Explorer airbags problems

99 complaints (4% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 52,000. 7 crashes reported.

owner complaints
99
of this car's complaints
4%
typical mileage
52,000
crashes
7
recalls
0

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

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

19911995200020052010201520202026

Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 Ford Explorer airbags

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Airbag light 90No deployment 6

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2016 Ford Explorer owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed May 15, 2026 · Airbags · OK · crash · 2 injuries

Description of Incident: The driver, [XXX] , was idling on a road near Lake Murray when her vehicle was rear-ended. Despite the force of the impact requiring Ms. [XXX] to be rushed to the hospital, the vehicle’s airbags failed to deploy. Post-Accident Concerns: Following the collision, the CEO of RideCare had the vehicle moved immediately to avoid public scrutiny. I have reason to believe the company is intentionally withholding the vehicle from inspection to prevent the XXX Highway Patrol or safety investigators from accessing the "black box" (Event Data Recorder). The vehicle is currently being stored inside the garage at the RideCare facility off [XXX] . Given that this company is responsible for the safe transport of vulnerable mental health patients, the failure of critical safety equipment and the subsequent attempt to hide evidence is a matter of urgent public safety. I request a formal investigation into the maintenance standards of this fleet and the specific safety failure INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 23, 2026 · Airbags, Seat belts · TX

I have an airbag light on as well as the 2nd row inflatable seatbelt has stopped working. I took it into the dealership and they said it was generating codes B141B and B141C. Ford issued a Customer satisfaction program 21B11 specifically to fix this problem in 2022 but it expired less than a year later. Now my air bag and my seatbelt don't work. Ford knows about the safety defect and their dealers are charging people to fix it ($2400 in this case) rather than stand behind the safety of their product and do the right thing. This is clearly a safety issue that Ford should be addressing yet they are trying to slide by and get their customers to pay for it. The car only has 49,000 miles on it.

Filed Aug 22, 2025 · Airbags · NY

air bag light illumination on occasion, ford confirmed and suggested $1000 repair. seems like a safety issue that is a manufacturer defect. vehicle has been maintained and rear seat rarely used.

Filed Jun 2, 2025 · Airbags · TX

The rear seats in my 2016 ford explorer platinum have a know air bag issue that ford said is not a safety issue when addressed. It is a know issue by ford and they refuse to fix it because it is not under recall. The air bag light illuminate due to a worn or damaged connection to the rear inflatable seat belt connector which in turn will cause the rear airbags to not deploy during an accident.

Filed Jan 4, 2025 · Airbags, Electrical · 112,891 miles · KS

The problem remedied by TSB 21B11-s2 did not occur in my vehicle while the TSB was in effect. It has now surfaced

Filed Dec 3, 2024 · Airbags · KY

As I was driving the vehicle the airbags deployed without a collision. I was in the car with my wife and 2 month old son. Had we been going full speed it could've been much worse than it was. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The car has not been inspected in any way. The insurance company is currently attempting to deny the claim based on pictures alone. There were no warning lamps prior to the airbag deployment regarding the airbags. We did not hit another car. I was able to stop the car in the middle of the onramp.

Filed Oct 3, 2024 · Airbags · CA · crash

The passenger side knee airbag went off in an accident causing my dad to have severe lacerations to both legs and a sprained ankle. Those were his only injuries from the accident. All caused by one airbag. There is a good chance he will need a skin graft on one of his legs. The emt and firefighters all said that they have never seen an airbag down there and loon like that. What it did to his legs is horrible. And should have never of happened.

Filed Sep 28, 2024 · Airbags · HI

Air Bag light on. Per Dealer service center diagnostics, driver side air bag module FB5Z*78043B13*AA defective. Module replaced, however air bag light on persists. Additional diagnostic determined that air bag clockspring component defective.

Filed Aug 12, 2024 · Airbags · GA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure was related to the front passenger's side seat and the second-row rear passenger's side seat. The mechanic plugged an unknown wiring; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Apr 19, 2024 · Airbags, Seat belts · WI

Airbags notification is on

Questions about the 2016 Ford Explorer airbags

Does the 2016 Ford Explorer have airbags problems?

Owners have filed 99 complaints about the airbags of the 2016 Ford Explorer, 4% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2016 Ford Explorer airbags problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 52,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2016 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 2016 Ford Explorer problems

Body 594Steering 532Engine 483Transmission 215Electrical 130Fuel system 112Acceleration 76Suspension 73Visibility 68Wheels 50Seat belts 40Driver assistance 38Seats 32Brakes 19Tires 15Lights 6Locks 5

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