2018 Ford Explorer airbags problems

Filed Aug 26, 2026 · Acceleration, Airbags · PA · crash

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a message displayed on several occasions instructing the driver to pull over and shut off the vehicle because the battery would shut off. Upon pulling over and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart and required towing on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where a wiring failure was determined. The dealer attempted to repair the vehicle, but the failure persisted. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the infotainment screen turned blank, and a large wrench warning light illuminated. The vehicle independently accelerated, became uncontrollable, and drifted out of the intended lane. The contact regained partial control as the vehicle continued accelerating toward an embankment. The front driver's side wheel was caught in the gutter of the embankment, causing the driver's side of the vehicle to crash into the embankment. The contact's head struck the driver's side window, which was fractured, allowing branches to enter the cabin. The driver's side curtain air bags deployed for the second and third rows but failed to deploy properly for the front driver's side, causing the contact to hit her head a second time on a sail that had deployed. The contact became pinned between the driver's seat and the driver's side window area, with her hair caught and pulled in the seat belt pretensioner, causing significant pain. EMT personnel cut the contact's hair to free the contact from the vehicle. The contact was assisted from the vehicle, fitted with a neck brace, placed on a stretcher, and transported to the hospital. The contact sustained head and neck injuries, as well as a concussion. Additionally, the contact suffered from pre-existing auto-immune lumbar stenosis L1–L5, osteoarthritis L5–S1 with bone-on-bone contact, and sacroiliac joint disease, and experienced increased pain after missing a scheduled appointment for sacroiliac joint injections due to the crash. A Police report was filed but

Filed Jun 11, 2026 · Airbags · CO

The airbag light shown in the attached photo came on at an unknown period of time. We did not know when this came on that it was not a normal light. This is a safety issue as there are many causes for this light to come on, and with this light being on the airbag may not deploy properly or at all during a collision. We did take the vehicle to the Ford dealership for warranty work and they did not say anything about the light on the dash. Which adds to the reason why we did not know that the light meant there was a problem. There are other airbag lights that come on in the sinners console for the passenger side airbags that are orange as well.

Filed Mar 12, 2026 · Airbags · MS

Horn stopped working. Airbag indicator will not reset. Took to local dealership but their service department doesn’t seem to find an active recall for this, even though I can see them listed, just not for my particular VIN number

Filed Sep 5, 2025 · Airbags, Visibility · MD

The vinyl on the top part of the dash has completely seperated which is causing a major white reflection on my window and rendering the car unsafe to drive. Ford refuses to address the issue. I also suspect if my air bags deployed this could impact how they deploy or cause additional vinyl shrapnel hitting an occupant in the face in the event of a crash.

Filed Nov 25, 2024 · Airbags, Body · 138,000 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that water was leaking in on both sides of the windshield. The contact stated that due to the failure, rainwater was leaking onto instrument panel, causing the instrument panel to become inoperable. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer confirmed the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

Filed Oct 19, 2023 · Airbags, Electrical · IN

I have owned this vehicle for a year and have gone through three batteries. It shows multiple coded for circuit shorts - Passenger mirror motor, tailgate/liftgate/trunk motor as well as the cinch striker motor, instrument panel which has lost communication with cruise control module, power steering module, battery voltage circuit below threshold, driver side curtain deployment control 1 circuit short to ground, switch illumination. When the vehicle is stopped or parked it constanly idles up to 1000 to 1500 rpms. These are all the codes that are showing on my vehicle. There has to be some sort of issue causing these problems. What happens if my airbag deploys without warning causing me to cause a major accident which can harm myself, my spouse, children and the people around me.

Filed Jun 12, 2022 · Acceleration, Airbags · VA · crash · 1 injury

When driving the car I corrected to move further to the left on the road. In doing so it felt like I ran over something and all of a sudden the car accelerated (initially I was driving around 20-25 mph) and I struck a tree. I sustained a T Spine fracture and was hospitalized for 5 days. I just have a case number with Ford but they seem disinterested. When the car accelerated I felt it was going a 2x the speed.

Filed Nov 28, 2019 · Airbags, Body · 12,000 miles · TX · crash

Both. Vehicles were moving. The explorer front hit the right rear panel of a 2011 ford ranger. Both vehicles were going approximately 30 MPH. No injuries sustained by either driver. My ford explorer air bags did not deploy. I was on a city street the other vehicle was just beginning to turn.

Filed Oct 11, 2018 · Airbags, Seat belts · 200 miles · CT

I recently purchased a 2018 ford explorer on august 30 from hammonasset ford in madison, ct. I paid several thousand dollars extra for a safety package which includes rear seat belt airbags. We were disappointed to discover an issue in the second row of seats that hinders us from using one of the seats because of the airbag configuration. The middle seat where there are seat belts for three only fits two people. The design of the seat belt latches is a flawed one. The seat belts overlap which is a safety concern not to mention a human body cannot fit in the space they allotted. This car is advertised for seven people but only can seat six. I have seven people in my family including a baby in a car seat and we all can't go in the car together at the same time because of it. I reached out to the dealership as soon as we got the car home and they told me to go to ford. The person I talkled to told me no need to talk to the owner or bother her. They would not help me because they said it is a design issue not anything they can repair. I reached out to ford who said the same thing. I continued to reach out to the dealership who had service reach out to ford to see if they can change the seat belts in the car but due to safety issues they were told they cannot and again they said it is a design issue not a manufacturing issue therefore I should go to the bbb.in addition to hammonasset ford, I also went to hoffman ford in east hartford to show the sales manager the car. He was shocked about the design of this car. We looked at the same exact car without the safety package and the seat belts were not flawed. The sales manager at hoffman ford said he cant help me because I didn't buy the car there but if ford reached out to him he could help. I contacted the bbb but they declined my application due for the same reason saying it is not an manufacturing issue.

Filed Apr 10, 2018 · Airbags, Brakes · 749 miles · TX

During startup on cold mornings (not always) I have received multiple failure warnings. When this happens the vehicle has no power steering, turn signals, or windshield wipers. The warnings are: 4wd off, check parking aid, see manual, service advancetrac, steering assist fault, ABS light, airbag light, parking brake light is on even though parking brake is not on. Also the climate control still sees the temperature as the last temperature from the previous drive. So if it was 80 out and now 40, the A/C blows cold air even though it is cold out. This happened twice, once at 749.3 miles (3/12/2018) and the second time at 1440 miles (4/2/2018). First time dealer did not find the problem. The dealer has had the vehicle for over a week and still can not locate the problem.