RoadVitals

2009 Ford Escape Airbags Problems

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.
14
Latest Apr 16, 2024
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.
<1%
of 1,691 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.
5
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
5

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 2009 Ford Escape submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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

AirbagsBrakesSteering
Filed Apr 16, 2024

My power steering just went out a sensor, a recall i have read.My ABS just went to the floor for no reason, a part that was not made, also a recall I have read. My ignition is faulty, put another in but it isn't fixed. I have a button to start it. Mechanic fixed this contraception up. Air bags faulty passenger side.The car tells me to check it. All of these are recalls on the 2009 Ford Escape xlt, but they say no recalls. I wanted to get this all fixed. But it looks like this may be my death car. I am not of very much income fixed income so I can't afford to take to dealership to fix. But I have had certified mechanic look at it. I think it's terrible Ford doesn't acknowledge this and send me to a dealership it 80 miles from me. But they would tag this a "Lemon" and it is dangerous for my safety and others on the roads if everything goes out completely. I will be dead. I have 74,000 original miles on this Ford Escape. Not many miles for the troubles I have and am experiencing. Thanks for letting me share my opinion and maybe something can be done about this.

NHTSA ID
11583422
Incident
Oct 10, 2021
AirbagsBrakesSteering
Filed Mar 26, 2024
Crash reported2 injuries reported

Unknown. Steering and brakes locked so i lost all control of the vehicle doing about 60 mph down the highway. Which resulted in being drove off the side of the highway through a fence hitting 2 trees before rolling twice. The airbags never deployed and both my passenger and i were taken to the hospital by ambulance. They sustained deep bruising and i suffered a closed wedge compression fracture of the L2 Vertebrae and some lacerations

NHTSA ID
11579592
Incident
Mar 22, 2024
AirbagsElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 2, 2021

STEERING HAS TENSION WITHOUT WARNING HAVE TO STOP KILL THE CAR WAIT. RESTART. TO RESET...ANY SUDDEN TURNS ARE A SAFETY HAZARD.!!!!!!!! THERE SHOULD. NOT BE AN EXPIRATION ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL

NHTSA ID
11398683
Incident
Mar 2, 2021
AirbagsBody & structureSteering
Filed Jun 20, 2018
Crash reported2 injuries reported

'TAKATA RECALL' I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT JUNE 8TH 2018 WHERE MY SUV WAS TOTALED OUT. MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY SO I'M TRYING TO SEE WHAT HELP CAN I GET. I WAS MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE SUV. I HIT MY HEAD BAD NOW I SUFFER HEAD ISSUES THAT I'M GETTING TREATED FOR ALSO I HAD A PASSENGER WHO WAS HURT.

NHTSA ID
11102896
Incident
Jun 8, 2018
Airbags
Filed Jan 10, 2017
Crash reported

WE WERE IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. BRIDGE WAS ICY, AND TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED. WE SLID ON THE ICE AND REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. WE WERE THEN REAR-ENDED AND DRIVEN MUCH HARDER IN TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. NO AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN OUR CAR.

NHTSA ID
10944201
Incident
Dec 18, 2016
Mileage
150,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 25, 2016

JUNTA COVER VLVULA

NHTSA ID
10838211
Incident
Feb 25, 2016
Mileage
57,810 mi
AirbagsElectricalOther / unspecified
Filed Sep 4, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE TRACTION CONTROL, ABS, AIR BAG, AND EAS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CLOCK SPRING WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

NHTSA ID
10761476
Incident
Jul 15, 2015
Mileage
99,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Sep 4, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY BELT FAILED TO RETRACT CAUSING THE CONTACT TO HIT HER CHEST AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFT INTO THE PARK POSITION AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO PUT WOODEN BLOCKS AROUND THE TIRES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND CONTUSIONS TO THE SPINE, NECK, SHOULDER AND KNEES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10630622
Incident
Sep 3, 2014
Airbags
Filed May 17, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN BOTH SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT HE NEEDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

NHTSA ID
10458771
Incident
May 16, 2012
Mileage
63,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 13, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY WHETHER A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT SEAT OR NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT NO CODES INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED REPEATEDLY BUT THEY NEVER RETURNED THE CALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

NHTSA ID
10349155
Incident
Jan 20, 2010
Mileage
10,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 21, 2010
Crash reported

ON 7/14/2010 OUR 2009 FORD ESCAPE WAS INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN WHICH IT WAS HIT IN THE FRONT END BY A FUGITIVE BEING CHASED BY LOCAL POLICE. THE CAR WAS HIT IN THE FRONT END. THE ESCAPE WAS AT A STOPLIGHT AND NOT MOVING, THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS EST. TO BE GOING 70MPH? THE CAR HAS IN EXCESS OF $16,000 IN DAMAGE, THE FRAME RAILS BENT, AXLES BROKE AND THE FRONT END SHIFTED TO ONE SIDE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. NO FRONT OR SIDE BAGS. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR BAGS AND IF THEY WILL EVER WORK? THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 23KMILES ON IT. SERVICED REGULARLY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10344439
Incident
Jul 14, 2010
Mileage
23,435 mi
AirbagsOther / unspecified
Filed Sep 15, 2009

WARNING LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD APPEAR INTERMITTENTLY. THE LIGHTS THAT COME ON ARE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT AND THE ADVANCE TRACTION CONTROL. ALSO THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE MIDDLE OF THE DASHBOARD FLASHES OFF AND ON. ONLY HAPPENS MAYBE 20% OF THE TIME. HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER TWICE, THE CODES THAT COME UP THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE SO CAN'T DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I DO TAKE IT IN MOST OF THE TIMES THE LIGHTS DON'T COME ON SO THEY ASK WHETS THE PROBLEM? I DON'T KNOW IF THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE OR NOT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10284014
Incident
Sep 13, 2009
Mileage
13,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 19, 2009

STARTED FROM A STOPPED POSITION, LESS THAN 10 MPH. SIDE AIRBAGS WENT OFF. NOTING HIT THE CAR AND WE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING AND NOTHING FELL ON THE CAR. WE WERE ON AN EVEN SMOOTH PAVEMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10281025
Incident
Jul 30, 2009
Mileage
9,987 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 9, 2009

ON JUNE 2ND 2009 I WAS DRIVING MY NEW FORD ESCAPE ON HIGHWAY 101 HEADING WEST WHEN BOTH SIDE AIRBAGS INSTANTLY DEPLOYED. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING OR GET IN AN ACCIDENT. THE SEATBELT LOCKED ME INTO THE SEAT, I PULLED OFF THE NEXT EXIT WHICH WAS TOPANGA CANYON. I DROVE AROUND THE CORNER TO VISTA FORD AND THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT OTHER THAN THE AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED. FORD HAS BEEN SHIPPED THE RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE AND SAYS IT WILL TAKE 3 MONTHS TO ANALYZE. FORD WILL NOT WARRANTY THIS UNTIL THEY DETERMINE IT WAS A DEFECT. IN THE MEAN TIME MY INSURANCE IS HAVING VISTA FORD REPLACE THE MODULE AND AIRBAGS. I WILL GET THE VEHICLE BACK AND HAVE TO DRIVE IT. I CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE UNSAFE AND DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE IT. UNFORTUNATELY MY JOB REQUIRES ME TO DRIVE 2500 MILE A MONTH ALL AROUND SOUTHERN CA. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR 3 MONTHS, I'VE ALREADY INCURRED $650.00 OF RENTAL CAR EXPENSES SINCE JUNE 2ND SO THAT I CAN CONTINUE WORKING. I AM BEING FORCED TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR BY FORD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10276281
Incident
Jun 2, 2009
Mileage
3,300 mi

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

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .