Problems with 2001 Ford Focus AIR BAGS

The front passenger side airbag malfunctioned in that it deployed without reason. i was driving (in motion) straight down a city road. it made an extremely loud noise that affected my hearing, expelled a lot of white powder that smelled bad, and tore up the side of the passenger seat. the airbag warning light went on.

Takata airbag deployed after the car had come to a stop. ali stopped to avoid hitting a car that had suddenly braked in front of her. there was no damage to the car in front her as ali was able to stop in time, but there was major damage to her car. when the takata airbag deployed it burnt her left forearm/hand and incurred $107.00 in medical expenses. caliber collision says that to repair the car it would cost ali $7,639.37.

On 5/2/15 during a collision where my client stuck another driver that failed to yield and ran a stop sign, the airbag inside my client's 2001 ford focus deployed. during its deployment it burned the right volar (inside) forearm of my client, causing a full thickness burn. she had to undergo surgical tangential excision of the burn and skin grafting, where they harvested the skin from her right thigh to her right volar forearm. the airbag is dangerous as it caused full thickness burn to her skin, for which she is still recovering.

Stopped in traffic for redlight, traffic started to move car in front of me stopped and i rear ended him causing airbags to deploy and smash windshield. when i exited the vehicle to my surprise there was no front end damage only a scuff mark on front bumper where my car went under the 1991 mercury grand marquis that i hit. received a powder burn to my left hand from airbag deployment. car that i hit had no damage. insurance company thinks the vehicle will have to be totaled because air bags deployed. at he time of impact i was traveling between 5 and 10mph. *tr

My 16-year old daughter was pulling out of a parking stall and moving forward to exit the parking area. she was traveling about 10 mph when the air bags deployed without warning. she was injured mostly on her right side from the seat belt and also burns from the air bag on her upper torso and neck. bruises on her legs and very, very sore. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph into a parking space the air bags deployed without warning, causing the windshield to shatter. the contact was able to maintain control of the vehicle during the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 150,000.

I was driving my 2001 ford focus and for no reason the passenger seat side air bag went off. the loud noise scared me and i almost wreck the vehicle. my ears are still ringing from the loud blast from the air bag went off. i checked and found there are some pending law suites for this same occurrence in other 2001 ford focus. i feel the ford motor co. needs to look into this problem before someone get seriously hurt or killed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph the air bags deployed without prior warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was not able to diagnosed the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, however they did not offered any assistance because the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 125,000 and the current mileage was 129,000.

I own a 2001 ford focus. i was in stop and go traffic on a road near my house when i accidentally bumped the person in front of me. both my passenger and my driver's side airbags deployed, smashing my windshield! the officer that reported to the scene said that there was no way i was going fast enough for them to deploy because i had been sitting in the traffic for a while and we were merely rolling. there was no damage to the front of my car or to the back of the other person's car so i feel that the airbags probably should not have gone off. is it possible that this is a defect?? *tr

In july of 2010 i was driving my 2001 ford focus in stop and go traffic. the lady infront of me stopped, i had turned for a second, when i turned back i saw the airbags blow in my face. i was traveling a maximum of 10mph there was no damage to the other vehicle or mine (from the accident). the driver airbag burned my arm, the passenger shattered the windshield, gun powder covered the roof lining. the parts manager at the local dealership said that the airbags where rated 25-30mph. i contacted ford in august of 2010, in january of 2011 they finally replied by saying that "all equipment functioned properly." *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving 16 mph the air bag deployed. as a consequence, the glass from the window shattered on the occupants in the front seat; which caused minor injuries. the vehicle was in the process of being inspected to determine the cause of the failure. the failure and current mileages were 116,000.

My daughter was driving 2001 ford focus se wagon approximately 45mph when she described steering locked up in turn then she heard tires squealing and vehicle jerked hard left causing her to go off the road, hit a rock wall and flipped the car end over end. the air bags did not deploy. she landed upside down but was able to exit vehicle through broken window. she received cuts and bruises and was taken to emergency room for x-rays where they said she had no serious injuries and was released. on scene investigation by police and tow truck operated suggested ball joint failure or other steering/suspension failure. car was totaled. *tr

We were at a complete stop at a stop light and the air bag deployed and has caused some injury to my face and may have cause some loss of vision in my right eye. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving 20 mph with the brake pedal depressed, the front air bags deployed. the passenger side air bag cracked the windshield. the passenger side seat belt failed. the passenger seat was unoccupied. there was no impact or warning indicators prior to the failure. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the air bags deployed due to a crash. no repairs were made. a police report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 78,871. updated 3/11/08 *cn the consumer stated there was no damage done to the front end of the vehicle. updated 03/11/08 *tr

On my 2001 ford focus both airbags deployed during normal car movement. no any accidents happened before, no vehicles or curbs involved, just during movement, fortunately on very low speed. both bumpers has no any tracks of contact with something. (similar, like nhtsa action number : pe02026). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact struck a curb while driving at an unknown speed, and the air bags deployed. the insurance claim adjuster arrived at the scene and could not determine why the air bags deployed. as a result, the insurance agency labeled the vehicle as destroyed. ford motor company stated that this was normal if one would have an impact while driving 30-40 mph. the failure and current mileages were 94,000. updated 02/12/08. *lj

Defect reported by a professional tow company, the individual a certified ase automotive technician.(verifiable) seat-side airbag deployment while cranking vehicle. . first occurrence: cranking vehicle on roadside. driver's seat-side airbag deploys. second occurrence: following day, cranking vehicle with passenger seated in front. passenger seat-side airbag deploys while cranking motor.no collision or impact involved no injuries worthy of documenting. airbag faults are non-disputable unacceptable. any unwarranted airbag deployment can cost lives, and warrants a full investigation towards a recall for inspection, and/or replacement of the fault designed airbag system. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the driver side airbag deployed in an accident and caused burns to the contact driving the vehicle. the airbag warning light was not illuminated. a police report was taken. the vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance agency and was not taken to the service dealer. updated 11/30/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was in an accident with an air bag deployment. the airbag caught the contact's shirt on fire (investigation #ea02017) causing third degree burns. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer after the accident, however the insurance company decided the vehicle was a total loss and the dealer never made any comments or determinations. a police report was taken. updated 11/09/06. *jb

2001 ford focus passenger air bag deployed although seat was unoccupied. *ts ***nar*** the consumer was involved in a minor accident. the consumer is petitioning that all vehicles should be equipped with an on-off switch to deactivate the airbags from deploying if the seat is unoccupied. updated 07/20/11

Dt: the contact stated while driving in bumper to bumper traffic the air bags deployed without any impact to the vehicle. this incident caused the contact's vehicle to hit another vehicle. both bumpers cracked. a police report was taken at the scene. the manufacturer recommended that no other mechanic look at the vehicle until they determine what occurred. *ak

Dt: the contact's vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags did not deploy. the contact was driving at 40 mph when hitting another vehicle. the contact hit the steering wheel with her head, and when she did so, the air bags then deployed. the point of impact was the front end of vehicle. the contact sustained minor injuries since she was wearing seat belts. a police and insurance reports were taken. *ak.

My son was driving our 2001 ford focus wagon on 10/14/05 when he was involved in a frontal collision in which both airbags deployed. he sustained 2nd degree burns on his left arm, from wrist to elbow, due to the airbag chemicals venting in an improper way. he is being treated by a physician for his injuries. the vehicle is not being driven at present. *nm

(1) airbag warning light started flashing on for a little while then going out a few days before accident. (2) in stop and go traffic, airbags deployed without warning and without cause in turn causing me to release clutch and bump in to the car in front of me. additionally airbag caused 2nd degree burns on my left wrist and sprained knuckles on right hand. (3) car is currently at autoway ford for evaluation/repair. *jb

The airbag deployed and burned the driver. the car filled with smoke immediately. *jb

Accident happened at dept. store parking lot. hit concrete pole in parking lot causing airbags to deploy and causing airbag burns on wrist. car totaled.

Dt: 8-10 months ago consumer bought a 2001 ford focus. service dealer noticed air bag sensor was not working and went ahead and installed a new air bag. this weekend was involved in an accident and the airbag did not deploy. this past weekend consumer's vehicle was involved in a frontal impact involving another vehicle. no repairs as of yet were done. the airbags had not been checked out, no explanation was given as to why the airbags did not deploy. *ak

Focus driver hit rear of another vehicle at stop light - both focus air bags deployed. passanger air bag door hit windshield so hard it shattered windshield and shards of glass went every where inside the vehicle. luckly there was no passanger or injury could have resulted from fly glass. focus and other driver were not injured. complaint is the poor location of passanger airbag. when activated the winshield is destroyed because of the passanger airbag door. glass goes everywhere inside vehicle.

I was in a car accident where the driver side air bag deployed and caused a third degree burn on my right arm and stomach. it imploded and burned a 6-8 inch hole in my sweatshirt and jeans.

Hand badly burnt by airbag. *jb

Slow speed accident. accident resulted in no damage to vechicle hit and no damage to our vehicle. passenger and driver side airbags deployed. pasenger side air bag broke windshield and sent fragments of glass from the visor mirror throughout the car. *ak

Driver's seat belt broke and did not secure the consumer. also, the air bags deployed, breaking the windshield after consumer's vehicle was rear ended. *ak

While driving at approximately 40 mph vehicle was in a head on collision. upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. driver sustained face injuries and received 23 stitches in the face. *ak *ak

The air bags on a 2001 for focus deployed when there was no impact. ford will not take responsibility for this problem because the black box says the air bags deployed for a reason. there was no physical damage was done to the car except from the air bags. there was no accident report to file by the police because there was no impact, with another vehicle or without. she was driving 10 mph in traffic and used her brakes. *ak *sc *jb

While applying the brake pedal driver's air bag deployed inadvertently. this caused the driver to sustain minor injuries. vehicle was towed to a garage for inspection. the cause has not been determined at this time. *ak

Driver side airbag deployed at low speed,2001 ford focus. *ak

While stopped at a light the frontal air bags deployed inadvertently. the driver sustained third degree burns to her face, lip, and neck area. the cause has yet to be determined. *jb *sc *jb

Steering wheel locks when key is put in the ignition. the ignition switch and clock spring were replaced twice before. vehicle will be taken to dealer for repairs again.*ak

Consumer was driving less than 10 mph and suddenly there was a soft bumper to bumper collision. consumer's vehicle hit the vehicle that was idle in front. upon impact, the air bags deployed, shattering the winshield. no injuries were reported, but was driver was taken to hospital for evaluation since being seven months pregnant. *ak

Both front air bags deployed inadvertently while driving 35-40 mph. dealer was notified.*ak

While driving, the frontal air bags deployed inadvertently without warning. the driver was not hur,t but seeked medical attention the next day. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. please fill in additional information.

I was driving my 2001 ford focus when my air bag light came on. i wasn't in an accident nor had my car been bumped hard. i took it in and they said my drivers seat belt pretensioner needs to be replace and that ford only replaces them for free up to 50000 miles. i just bought this car pre-owned 4 months ago and they say my warranty is no good. this part is going to cost about $200 plus labor. if i don't get this fix my air bag could go off just from me putting my seat belt on. *nm

I was driving in stop-and-go traffic on the highway and the car in front of me braked hard. i saw it too late and hit my brakes, locking them up. i hit the car and the air bags deployed, burning my left arm (though not severely) and breaking the wind shield. the car i hit sustain virtually no damage, except two marks on its rear bumper from the bolts that hold my license plate. my car sustained minimal front end damage. it is likely i was traveling under 10 mph when my car impacted the other car. overall, it is my opinion that the air bag deployment was completely unnecessary. it burnt my arm and caused thousands of dollars of unnecessary damage: both air bag replacements, dash, windshield, seat belts and towing costs. *nm

I rear-ended a vehicle in front of me at a stop light. mph was less than 10. both airbags deployed giving me 2nd degree burns to my hand and arm resulting in loss of work for several days and scarring. my windshield also shattered. the vehicle that was hit had no damage. my was very minimal. my airbags and windshield were replaced, but my steering wheel was never fixed. with the many numerous recalls on this vehicle plus this incident, my wife and i feel unsafe in this car.

While driving at 72 mph c onsumer lost consciousness and vehicle took a nose dive off the inner state, rolling over, and landing on another road up side down. upon impact air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt failed to retract. driver sustained 11 staples to the back of head, stitches and cuts to the left eye and left arm and other upper, and lower bodily injuries. the vehicle is totaled.*ak

Time/place: 11pm, friday jul 16 2004, 25 miles before midway service exit pa turnpike events leading to failure: none failure and consequences: with no provocation, drivers side airbag inflated. seat was torn apart, pillar near seat belt was cracked, driver was violently jolted forcing car to swerve slightly. luckily no accident, but driver sprained neck. dealership has agreed to replace airbag and resulting damage b/c still under warranty. *jb

While driving 50-55 mph consumer applied force to brakes to avoid a collision. driver's side brakes locked up, causing vehicle to sway off the road into a ditch, and vehicle struck a tree head on. upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. *ak

During a 5 mph rear end collision, the driver's side air bag deployed. the particles inside the air bag caused 3rd degree burns to the consumer upper body. please provide more information. *jb

While driving 55 mph vehicle was involved in a head on collision. upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy. no injuries reported. *ak

While driving over ice at 25 mph the consumer was unable to stop the vehicle, consequently the vehicle rear ended another vehicle. the front air bags deployed, however the force of the passenger side air bag caused the windshield to shatter. please provide any additional information. *nlm *jb