Benoit Nissan in DeRidder, LA, was contracted to perform a critical safety repair/recall on my vehicle's airbag system. The dealership charged for the completed repair, but explicitly aborted the physical installation, leaving the vehicle's Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) incomplete, non-functional, and hazardous. They attempted to return the vehicle to me with the air bag safety system compromised, creating an immediate, severe physical risk to occupants in the event of a crash. This involves deliberate service manipulation of a federally mandated safety device. They have a proven record of deceitful operations of criminal negligence and felony theft
Ford Explorer airbag light comes on
473 of the 34,654 owner complaints about the Ford Explorer describe airbag warning light, most of them for the 2016 model year.
- owner complaints
- 473
- worst model year
- 2016
- typical repair cost reported
- $700
- typical mileage
- 61,480
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 20No deployment 19Seat belt 17ABS 8Wipers 7Door locks 7Loss of power 4Jerking 4
Trouble codes mentioned
B141B 21B141C 16C3134 2C3133 2B1212 2P2112 1C1B00 1B2292 1B140D 1B00A0 1
What owners say
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.
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.
Airbag light is activated and controls do not work.
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
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the wiring harness located on the passenger’s side of the vehicle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,737.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the second-row seat belt inflator sensor needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred approximately one year later. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test retrieved DTC: B141B-13. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The active recall for the trim only includes the front two trim pillars. There are trim pillars down each window on this vehicle, making that a total of 8 pieces of trim for the windows. Driving down the highway my drivers side window trim pillar (which includes a lock panel with wiring) blew off and almost hit another vehicle that was passing me, while with my children, causing me to have to pull over multiple times and even try to find a back road home. There are so many Ford Explorers missing various pieces of trim from the window areas. I’ve been told by Ford mechanics that they all have cracking on the rear window trim pillars due to brackets so I am assuming those will fly off soon as well. Now I can’t drive on the highway to doctor’s appointments due to the safety issues of this vehicle. I cannot afford to keep forking thousands into this vehicle nor should I have to. Overall the whole Ford Explorer model should be rechecked. We purchased this car due to safety awards only to be dealing with very unsafe conditions. From pieces of the vehicle flying off down the road to air bag lights, etc. Please if you’re able, look into these other trim pieces on the car. Also the front piece of plastic running under the windshield is lifting and not sealed appropriately to the window causing a loose windshield, in addition the rubber going around the inside of the windshield is not sealed causing the rubber to lift and slap around on the vehicle. I have notified Ford of these issues and they directed me here. Thank you for your time.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles. The active vent on the passenger side may not open as intended, preventing the air bag from deploying properly.
- Risk
- An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S65. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on September 14, 2026.
Recall number 26V581000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window: curtain
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The side air bag attachment weld studs could detach during the deployment of the side air bag, resulting in an improper deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214, "Side Impact Protection".
- Risk
- Improper deployment of a side air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the side air bag assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 10, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C19.
Recall number 21V652000 · Recall details
Air bags: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The side air bag and/or seat back module attachments may not have been properly tightened in the front seat backs.
- Risk
- If the side air bag or seat back fasteners were not properly tightened, the side air bag deployment could be affected, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove front seat back panels from one or both front seats (VIN-specific) and verify that the fasteners have been properly tightened, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S48.
Recall number 20V497000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: 4-door sport utility vehicles equipped with side air bags. The subject vehicles have a revised level side crash sensor that could deploy the side air bag if the ignition key is in the "run" position and the seatbelt webbing is forcibly extracted from a locked retractor with a jerking motion.
- Risk
- Inadvertent side air bag deployment could cause personal injury to the seat occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the side crash sensors with a revised design that will reduce the likelihood of an unexpected side air bag deployment.
Recall number 00V179000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Explorer airbag light
Why does the airbag light come on in the Ford Explorer?
Owners who report it most often also describe check engine light, airbags did not deploy in a crash and seat belt won't latch or retract, and the codes they mention most are B141B, B141C and C3134.
Which Ford Explorer years have airbag warning light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2016 (90 complaints), 2002 (74 complaints) and 2015 (68 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix airbag warning light on the Ford Explorer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 75 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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