Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
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 Ranger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 22 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TAKATA RECALL -- I BELIEVE ALL AIRBAGS ARE DEFECTIVE AND MORE DANGEROUS THAN RIDING WITH SEAT BELTS ALONE. I RECOMMEND 100% DISABLING OF AIRBAGS AND THE REMOVAL OF ALL AIRBAGS AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE FROM FUTURE VEHICLES.
AIR BAGS.. DEFLATING, UNSERVICEABLE, DEMAND USELESS, ONLY ON PASSENGER SIDE, DRIVERS SIDE DISLODGED HORN FUEL/PROPULSION.. WITH FUEL TANK FILLED, FIRST HALF(1/2) TANK HAVING EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMED. SECOND (1/2) OF FUEL CONSUMED AT OWNERS MANUAL SPECIFICATIONS OF CITY AND HIGHWAY MILES PER GALLON. THROTTLE PEDAL STIFF, STICKS, AFTER NORMAL DAILY WARM UP, EXTRA FOOT PRESSURE NEEDED TO DISLODGE PEDAL AND CABLE, REAL SLUGGISH AS IF NOT RECEIVING ENOUGH FUEL TO INJECTORS, EVEN AFTER REGULAR MAINTENANCE COMPLETED.. SEAT BELTS.. DRIVERS SIDE HOOKUP RETAINING LATCH MALFUNCTIONS AND " WILL NOT REMAIN LATCHED", SEVERAL ATTEMPTS NEED TO BE MADE BEFORE GETTING A STRONG SEATBELT CLIP TO LATCH LOCKED ON
WE WERE DOING 30MPH AND WE HIT A SHEET OF BLACK ICE. THEN WE HIT THE GUARDRAIL. WHEN WE HIT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF UNTIL THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF. *TR
THERE WAS A THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT AT 50 MPH. THE CONSUMER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *SC *TC *JB
I HAD JUST PUT MY TRUCK INTO DRIVE WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOID BY ITSELF WHICH CAUSED INJURY TO MY HAND
VEHICLE WAS IN A VERY SEVERE FRONT/SIDE COLLISION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT.*AK
1997 FORD RANGER XLT EXTENDED CAB. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES, INSTEAD OF STOPPING AT THIS "T" HWY INTERSECTION, I RAN PAST IT, AND HIT A 12" DIAMETER TREE HEAD ON. ICE ON THE ROAD. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT. NEITHER THE DRIVER'S SIDE NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE INDENTATION ON THE FRONT BUMPER WAS OVER TWO FEET DEEP. MY HEAD AND RIGHT SIDE OF MY BODY SMASHED AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL, AND MY I BROKE MY LEFT COLLAR BONE, FRACTURED AND BRUISED SEVERAL RIBS ON MY RIGHT SIDE, BROKE MY RIGHT FOOT HEEL BONE, CUT MY NOSE, PLUS NUMEROUS OTHER MINOR CUTS, BRUISES AND ABRASIONS. AFTER ABOUT 45 SECONDS, A HUGE BALL OF FIRE ERUPTED FROM UNDER THE CRUMPLED HOOD. I FELT THE SUDDEN HEAT ON MY FACE, SINCE THE WINDSHIELD WAS GONE AND THERE WAS A HUGE GAP BETWEEN THE HOOD AND THE TRUCKS BODY. A LADY, AN ANGEL OF GOD REALLY, HELPED ME OUT OF THE TRUCK AND INTO THE BACK SEAT OF HER CAR. SHE DROVE ABOUT 100 YARDS TO WAIT FOR THE AMBULANCE TO ARRIVE. BEFORE WE CAME TO A STOP, I HEARD THE TWO FRONT TIRES OF MY TRUCK BLOW UP. ALL I COULD SEE WAS A BALL OF FIRE BURNING ABOUT 20 FEET HIGH. TWO THINGS SEEM TECHNICALLY WRONG: THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY, AND THE FUEL PUMP MUST HAVE KEPT PUMPING FUEL, FOR THE FIRE TO SPREAD SO RAPIDLY AND BURN THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK SO VERY COMPLETELY. THIS WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THE POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG CRASH SENSORS AND THE FUEL PUMP SAFETY CUTOFF SWITCH. MY TIRES WERE ONE MONTH OLD MICHELINS, SO THEY WEREN'T A FACTOR. THE TRUCK WAS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AND IT WAS CAREFULLY MAINTAINED AND GARAGED. EVERYTHING WORKED ON IT AND NO MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHTS OF ANY KIND WERE ON PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. I HAVE VERY GOOD MAINTENANCE RECORDS ON IT. I CONTACTED FORD BY TELEPHONE AND VIA E-MAIL, TO LET THEM KNOW OF WHAT I THOUGHT COULD BE A POTENTIAL COMPONENT DEFECT AFFECTING OTHERS ALSO. I ALSO CONTACTED THEIR LEGAL OFFICE VIA PHONE, AND THEY NEVER RETURNED MY CALL. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WAS T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, THE DRIVER WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. NLM *YH
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 TO 60 MPH VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE CHANGING LANES AND TRAVELING IN SAME DIRECTION. THIS IMPACT CAUSED DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. DRIVER RECEIVED SEVERE FACIAL INJURIES AND BURNS. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHY THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED DURING A NON-FRONTAL CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. BOTH, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES, INCLUDING BROKEN RIBS/ NECK INJURIES/ CUTS AND BRUISES. DRIVER HIT STEERING WHEEL WHILE PASSENGER HIT WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK
DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WHERE THE DRIVER SIDE BAG OPENED. PASSENGER WAS HURT.*AK
AT 35 MPH VEHICLE RAN INTO THE BACK OF A TRACTOR HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER PASSENGER'S SIDE OR DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE IN AN HEAD-ON ACCIDENT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT INDICATION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 55 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT 35 MPH CONSUMER HAD A TRAILER CONNECTED TO VEHICLE, TRAILER HIT A POTHOLE IN THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED THE TRUCK TO FLIP OVER THREE TIMES. DRIVER'S SIDE/ PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG DURING A COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURIES. ALSO VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK
VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH DEER, AIR BAG BURNED ARM OF OCCUPANT AND FILLED VEHICLE WITH SMOKE.
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER RIGHT FRONT CORNER. IMPACT 20 MPH, AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER ALSO STATED THERE IS OVER 5000 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. *AK
VEHICLE WAS IN A COLLISION, IT WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHICH MADE IT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR; AND THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH HE HIT POTHOLE, CAUSING BOTH AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY, OWNER NOTES SOME DAMAGE TO FRONT SPOILER. *AK
VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND REARENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, DRIVER'S SEAT WENT BACKWARDS, HIT DAUGHTER, KNOCKED HER FACE INTO BACK WINDOW; PASSENGER'S SEAT BROKE &PASSENGER WAS SWUNG INTO BACK WINDOW; SEATS STUCK IN RECLINING POSITION. ALSO, NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .