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 Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 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.
The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HIT A RETAINER WALL. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED ,AND IS CURRENTLY AT A SALVAGE YARD. THERE HAS BEEN NO INSPECTION TO SEE WHY THE AIRBAGS MALFUNCTIONED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE.*AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED THE AIR BIG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT BLINKED FOUR TIMES AND THEN WENT OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE OR FOUR SECONDS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING THIS PATTERN WAS REPEATED OVER AND OVER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
AIR BAG LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
I WAS INVOLVED IN A ONE CAR ACCIDENT WITH SOME STONE GUARD RAILS ON ROUTE 18 NORTH IN EATONTOWN, NEW JERSEY. MY SEAT BELT RELEASE ON IMPACT AND SENT ME FLYING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR ON TOP OF MY BOYFRIEND. ALSO THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. AND WE HIT THE GURAD RAILS AT 65 MPH. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SOMETHING BACK FROM SOMEONE AT THE FORD HEADQUARTERS. BECAUSE MY BOYFRIEND AND I COULD HAV LOST OURS LIVES DUE TO THE DEFECTS OF THIS CAR. THE CAR IS TOTALED OUT. ANDMY BOYFRIEND ONLY WALKED AWAY WITH A BRUISED SHOULDER AND WHIPLASH, WHILE I ON THE OTHER HAND HAD A CONCUSSION, WHIPLASH AND VARIOUS MUSCLE STRAINS. I THANK MY GOD . *AK
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT A TELEPHONE POLE. *MR *SC *JB
WHILE PULLING FORWARD BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THIS CAUSED DRIVER TO BURN HIS HAND, AND THE WINDSHIELD TO BREAK. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *SC *JB
THE VEHICLE HYDRO PLANED WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 40 MPH ON A WET ROAD. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND IMPACTED A GUARD RAIL HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED SERIOUS THUMB INJURIES WHEN IT CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL, AND REQUIRED SURGERY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK *SC
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER. POLICE INFORMED THE CONSUMER IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING APROX 30 MILES AN HOUR WITHOUT ANY COLLISION OR IMPAC BOTH OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED..*AK
WHILE PARKING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLES AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM
MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT CAUSING MY WINDSHIELD TO SMASH AND PASSENGER WINDOW TO BLOW OFF THE TRACK. MY INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER IT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT EVEN THOUGH IT IS VERY EVIDENT THAT IT WAS A MALFUNCTION. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN THEY WERE HIT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. BEFORE THE CRASH A COMPLETE REPAIR KIT WAS PLACED IN THE VEHICLE BUT THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *SCC
NAR 3-10-03 INFORMATION REQUEST ON BEHALF OF FORD MOTOR COMPANIES ABOUT A COMPLAINT SENT TO THEM FROM THE CONSUMER ABOUT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS COVERAGE. FORD REQUESTED A WRITTEN EXPLANATION TO RESOLVE MATTERS. *CB THE CONSUMER STATED AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A POLE TRAVELING AT 2- 25 MPH. DURING THE PROCESS OF REPAIRING THE AIR BAG, THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB
ICE LANDED ON TOP OF THE VEHICLE'S ROOF, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. *JB
THE CONSUMER INTERIOR LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD AND WILL NOT GO OFF THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS
WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE ON IT'S FRONT SIDE YET NONE OF VEHICLES AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *TS *NLM
VEHICLE RAN OVER A POTHOLE AT 20-25 MPH ON A WET ROAD AND DRIVER'S AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED, AND PASSEGER'S AIR BAG BURNED OUT. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFROMATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY ,CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO PASSENGER. DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 50-55 MPH, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT NEAR THE FENDER HEAD LIGHT. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE AIR BAGS CONTAINED CHEMICALS THAT BURNED BOTH PASSENGER/AND OWNER ON THE FACE, AND THE OTHERS ON THEIR UPPER CHEST AREA. *AK *SCC
CONSUME R WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY. WHILE DRIVING ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. APPLIED BRAKES, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T GO OFF. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 10MPH REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND AIRBAGS DIDNOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS INJURED. DEALER CONTACTED. FRONTAL IMPACT. *AK
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY, AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, ANOTHER MOTORIST STRUCK CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
FOOT HAD SLIPPED OFF ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND VEHCLE HIT A TRAILER. UPON IMPACT WITH TRAILER, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT AIR BAGS WERE FAULTY. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 25MPH. PASSENGER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT BROKE FRONT AND REAR WINDOWS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *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 .