Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Nov 23, 2001
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 218 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2
What this page shows
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Contour submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming airbag
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Airbags
Filed Nov 23, 2001
AIRBAG LIGHT WAS FLASHING WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG. *AK CONSUMER STATES AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES, CONSUMER SHUT ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED VEHICLE TO FIND THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHING, DEALER DROVE VEHICLE OVER 100 MILES AND AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED BECAUSE SHE HAS TO SIT CLOSE TO THE STEERING WHEEL. *SLC
NHTSA ID
899392
Incident
Nov 17, 2001
Airbags
Filed Sep 5, 2001
AIRBAG LIGHT IS FLASHING, NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET.*AK
NHTSA ID
895736
Incident
Apr 1, 2001
Airbags
Filed Mar 26, 2001
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH HIT AN ENBANKMENT AND WENT UP RAILROAD TRACK , TEARING BUMPER., AND MADE A HOLE IN OIL PAN. ALSO ,ABOUT $3,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO FRONT END. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
NHTSA ID
884135
Incident
Nov 17, 2000
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Oct 7, 1999
Crash reported
DRIVER WAS IN AN FRONT END ACCIDENT THAT WAS CAUSED BY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES WHICH FAILED. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND HIT A GAURDRAIL HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
NHTSA ID
850180
Incident
Aug 23, 1999
AirbagsEngine
Filed Sep 29, 1999
SMELLS LIKE RAW GAS ALL THE TIME. HAD THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. TWO WEEKS AGO VEHICLE WENT TO THE SHOP FOR A FUEL PUMP. ON HIGHWAY WHILE TRYING TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER, SOMETHING HAD POPPED OUT AND STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD, HIT THE CONCRETE AND BOTH AIRBAGS CAME OUT. *AK
NHTSA ID
849264
Incident
Mar 5, 1999
Airbags
Filed Sep 8, 1999
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BUT BUSTED OPEN, CAUSING THE FUMES AND SMOKE TO ENTER INTO THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA ID
847091
Incident
Jul 1, 1999
Airbags
Filed Sep 1, 1999
PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG IS VISIBLE DUE TO A HALF IN CRACK WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO REPLACE PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NHTSA ID
846310
Airbags
Filed Jan 18, 1998
VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A LIGHT POLE WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO BREAK THE LAMP FROM THE POLE, HOWEVER THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLY AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A BROKEN NOSE.
NHTSA ID
529145
Incident
Nov 23, 1997
Airbags
Filed Jun 19, 1997
WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON ANF OFF. CONSUMER THINKS THAT THIS MEANS THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG SENSOR. THIS VEHICLE IS A 1998, BUT IT IS NOT LISTED IN THE COMPUTER YET SO HAD TO KEY IN 1997 FOR YEAR. *AK
NHTSA ID
813279
Incident
Jun 18, 1997
AirbagsExterior lighting
Filed May 28, 1997
Crash reported1 injury reported
AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS VIOLENT, CAUSING BURNS TO LEFT ARM/RIGHT HAND, AND ALSO ON LEFT SIDE OF STOMACH WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL CYST. DUP OF 516955, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98. *AK
NHTSA ID
517430
Incident
Apr 9, 1997
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own