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Ford Taurus no deployment problems

367 of the 16,905 owner complaints about the Ford Taurus describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2002 model year.

owner complaints
367
worst model year
2002
typical repair cost reported
$5,000
typical mileage
70,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

What owners say

Filed Jan 30, 2026 · Acceleration, Airbags · 142,000 miles · NY · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt had failed to unbuckle and was previously repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously rear-ended on several occasions, and the air bags did not deploy. The contact had sustained severe back injuries that had become permanent. The contact had received medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven from the scene on each occasion. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle experienced sudden and unintended acceleration. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle responded as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

Filed Mar 28, 2025 · Brakes, Seat belts · NV · crash · 1 injury

Steering didn't work correctly which led to brakes not doing what I needed which led to slamming into a cement edge at a freeway exit or entrance. Seat belts locked up. Air bags did not deploy. Front passenger tire flat. Car towed next day. Ford dealership did NOTHING even when it was discovered Ford sold us a car with a FLAT spare tire (donut). Dealership said no recalls, but coverup or fixed but not correctly previously? Car purchased used. Ford dealership said to go to body shop. Body shop couldn't do anything unless we paid $6,000.00 to get the seat belts replaced. That's 1/3 the price financed for the car!!!! Safety put at risk: flat spare tire & seat belts locked up. The dealership SAID nothing wrong with brakes & steering according to their electronic diagnosis. Didn't even LOOK at brakes & steering. 2 incidents total so far with brakes & steering. Didn't think anything significant the first time. seat belts locked up confirmed by certified body shop. No it has NOT been inspected by anybody else. No warning lights appeared. I unhooked wife's seat belt so she could exit the car as needed & it slammed into her left breast. See attached picture. It took a week for the bruise to go away. Bruise got worse before it disappeared. Hurt a lot.

Filed Mar 11, 2025 · Airbags, Brakes · NY · crash

Airbags failed to deploy in a right front collision with a deer. Banged head off steering wheel. GEICO repaired over 8000 in damage. Took 19 days to repair.

Filed Mar 10, 2025 · Airbags, Brakes · NV · crash · 1 injury

Vehicle was involved in a collision with major front end damage and no airbags deployed. The brakes have been soft or spongy. I have not seen any leaks for the brake issue. I have bled the brakes several times the master was replaced by the original owner.

Filed Jul 15, 2024 · Airbags · CA · crash

On June 23, 2024 this 2004 Ford Taurus was in a front end collision at freeway speeds of 60 mph or higher. The driver airbag did not deploy and the driver died as a result of severe trauma to head and chest.

Filed Feb 17, 2023 · Airbags · OH · crash · 1 injury

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to his back and neck and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The insurance company deemed the vehicle totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Dec 20, 2022 · Transmission · 117,000 miles · GA · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the vehicle accelerated on its own at high speed without any warning, causing the vehicle to airborne and struck his neighbor's home. The contact desperately pressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop. The contact's wife had severe injuries and sought medical attention. The vehicle was towed but the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 117,000.

Filed Nov 25, 2022 · Airbags · IN · crash · 1 injury

Someone pulled out in front of me as I was slowing down to make a left turn. I T-boned their vehicle while going 35mph, resulting in a total loss for my 2000 Ford Taurus. (This was in 2018 so it was not a new car). My driver steering wheel airbag DID NOT deploy. I was wearing my seat belt. I still have chest pains when I sneeze and cough, even 4 years later (in November 2022, at time of writing), and in the last year (2021) received a cortisone shot in my left shoulder. I was offered a neck brace in the ambulance and was prescribed an arm sling in the hospital. I was diagnosed with whiplash. I believe I was given pain medication. Someone from the federal safety agency in Indiana contacted me and we spoke briefly about it that week, so this may have been previously reported to this agency. I only found out this week that the 2000 Ford Taurus had a history of airbag issues, which is why I bring this up now. I think the car has already been scrapped, so no chance of examination unfortunately. As above, my safety was in jeopardy. Had I been going faster, I could have died. (Apparently someone DID die from a faulty Taurus front airbag.) I, to this day, have chest pain down to my elbows when I sneeze or cough. My doctor says it's a musculoskeletal strain. Ford has not issued recalls for airbags. The vehicle was declared totaled on scene by the police officer and then towed by a towing service. The towing service said the undeployed airbag was "a ticking time bomb" and really unsafe to attempt to repair. I sent pictures to the at-fault driver's insurance, so it was also inspected by insurance. I do not remember any seeing warning messages. I would have checked any unfamiliar warnings or dash lights. Side note: For number of injured, I think I was the only one to take an ambulance. At-fault driver first hesitated to call 911, but eventually did. There were two people in his car, including himself: driver, and passenger in front seat.

Filed Nov 16, 2022 · Electrical, Transmission · 69,000 miles · NJ · crash

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the vehicle had independently surged forward without warning. In all three incidents, the contact either hit another vehicle or an object due to the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle would accelerate upon the depression of the brake pedal. The contact stated that all three accidents were minor; the air bags did not deploy and there were no injuries. A police report was filed when the contact hit another vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Mar 21, 2022 · Acceleration, Airbags · 14,000 miles · GA · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact indicated that the vehicle erroneously accelerated and crashed into a nearby building. During the incident, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the airbags did not deploy. The front passenger sustained a back injury that required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failures were not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 14,000.

Related recalls

Air bags: frontalReported April 26, 2016 · 695 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk
An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.

Recall number 16V247000 · Recall details

Questions about the Ford Taurus no deployment

Which Ford Taurus years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2002 (38 complaints), 2000 (37 complaints) and 2003 (29 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix airbags did not deploy in a crash on the Ford Taurus?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,000 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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