RoadVitals

2007 Ford Explorer 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.
12
Latest Nov 29, 2023
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.
6%
of 208 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.
11

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 2007 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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

AirbagsSteeringSuspension
Filed Nov 29, 2023
Crash reported4 injuries reported1 death reported

The contact's brother-in-law owned a 2007 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her brother-in-law was driving 60-62 MPH, her husband was sitting in the front passenger's side seat, the contact was sitting in the rear passenger's side seat and her sister was sitting in the rear driver's side seat. The contact stated that the front passenger's side end of the vehicle collapsed and hit the ground inadvertently. The driver lost control of the steering wheel, and the vehicle rolled over three times and landed on its wheels. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was knocked unconscious temporarily. The contact's sister and brother-in-law were able to exit the vehicle. The contact was able to exit the vehicle and stood in front of the passenger's side door attempting to assist her husband out of the vehicle. The emergency units cut the front passenger's side seat belt and assisted the contact's husband out of the vehicle. The contact's husband was air lifted to the hospital, where it was diagnosed that he had sustained a broken neck and was paralyzed from the neck down. The contact's husband received medical assistance in the hospital for 5 months until he passed away. The contact, her sister and brother-in-law were transported to the hospital. The contact sustained a broken sternum and received medical assistance. The contact's sister sustained a fractured neck. Both the contact's sister and brother-in-law had undergone back surgery. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to tow yard, where it was totaled. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 07V181000 (Steering). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID
11557466
Incident
Sep 19, 2022
AirbagsInterior & seats
Filed Nov 14, 2018

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT WILL MOVE BY ITSELF. IT'S HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND IS VERY SCARY KNOWING I CANT REACH THE GAS OR BRAKE PEDAL WHILE DRIVING WHEN IT HAPPENS. MY HEATED SEAT DOESNT WORK PROPERLY EITHER I DONT KNOW IF THIS IS ALL PART OF THE PROBLEM OR NOT. THE SIDE AIRBAG ON MY DRIVER SEAT ALSO IS BULGED OUT MORE THEN IT SHOULD BE I BELIEVE.

NHTSA ID
11151456
Incident
Nov 14, 2018
Mileage
144,000 mi
AirbagsElectricalSteering
Filed Sep 24, 2018

AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON (NOT EVERY TIME) AND SEAT MOVES TO THE IGNITION OFF POSITION. TURN ENGINE OFF AND RESTART AND AIR BAG LIGHT AND SEAT POSITION MAY OPERATE CORRECTLY BUT NOT ALWAYS. IF IT OCCURS AGAIN, ONLY AFTER TURNING VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTING A NUMBER OF TIMES WILL THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND SEAT POSITION REMAIN IN THE CORRECT POSITIONS.

NHTSA ID
11131073
Incident
Aug 31, 2018
Airbags
Filed Aug 17, 2017
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND LOST CONSCIOUSNESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S UNBORN BABY WAS FATALLY WOUNDED. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID
11015928
Incident
Jul 8, 2017
Airbags
Filed Dec 13, 2016

ABS LIGHT STAY ON. I WAS TOLD IT WAS C-1095 CODE.

NHTSA ID
10935111
Incident
Sep 12, 2016
Mileage
78,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 19, 2015

AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON MY VEHICLE. AFTER BRINGING IT TO A DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED I NEED A NEW DRIVERS SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG AND ELECTRICAL HARNESS. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD CORRECT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. ALSO MY ABS WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WIRING WAS SEVERED BY SUSPENSION PARTS DUE TO PLACEMENT OF WIRING CAUSING LOSS AF ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL FUNCTION WITHOUT ANY FAULT OF MINE. I FEEL THAT THE SRS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE ABS SYSTEM ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES AND IF THEY SHOULD FAIL AS MINE DID I FEEL IT IS THE MANUFACTURERS RESPONSIBILITY REGARDLESS OF ANY WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10684233
Incident
Feb 26, 2013
Mileage
85,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 3, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO AN UNKNOWN OBJECT AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEG AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

NHTSA ID
10595821
Incident
Nov 13, 2013
Mileage
81,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 2, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN DRIVER SIDE IMPACT AND DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY RESULTING IN HEAD INJURIES TO DRIVER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10595697
Incident
May 30, 2014
Mileage
90,900 mi
Airbags
Filed Jan 28, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE DEFECT WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ID
10561911
Incident
Jan 27, 2014
Mileage
110,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 10, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

NHTSA ID
10399912
Incident
May 1, 2011
Mileage
80,000 mi
AirbagsEngine
Filed Nov 26, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ON A BUMPY ROAD APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE COMPUTER DETECTED VIA BLACK BOX THAT A CRASH HAD OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE TECHNICIANS WERE REPLACING THE AIR BAGS, THE LINING WHERE THE AIR BAGS WERE LOCATED, AND THE BLACK BOX. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000. UPDATED 01/19/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED PRIOR THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, THE ENGINE STALLED. UPDATED 04/15/11

NHTSA ID
10367883
Incident
Nov 13, 2010
Mileage
22,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 14, 2009
Crash reported2 injuries reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE IDLING AT A RED LIGHT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT AND HER CHILD BOTH EXPERIENCED PAIN IN THEIR BODIES DUE TO THE CRASH, BUT WAS UNAWARE IF THE OTHER DRIVERS WERE INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT INSPECT HER VEHICLE UNLESS THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,676. UPDATED 06/11/09. *LJ UPDATED 06/11/09.*JB

NHTSA ID
10268764
Incident
May 9, 2009
Mileage
27,676 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 .