Problems with 2002 Ford Focus AIR BAGS

Husband was driving approx. 35 mph with his mother in the passenger seat down a country road. driver side and passenger side airbags deployed with no accident. passenger side airbag or cover broke windshield. husband hit brakes.

I have a 2002 ford focus zx5, my driver's side air bag deployed while driving down the street at a speed of 35 mph with absolutely no impact to the car. due to it deploying and going off it had hit my left shoulder and caused me to swerve to the right, if it wasn't for the fact that i was already in the right hand lane i would've crashed into another vehicle and caused a serious accident as this also happened in the middle of "rush hour traffic". i have read on other websites where 2004 and 2006's same air bags have deployed for no reason w/o any kind of impact. the noise was so loud in my left ear that i could not hear out of it for over 45mins, i can only imagine what that would've done to my infant if they would've been in the car at that time. i feel this is a serious matter as i am 5months pregnant and if the front air bag would've gone off it could've caused much more injury to me and my unborn child. please investigate and consider having this model put on the recall list.

I simply want to know if my car is included in the current massive air bag recall. i already checked by vin number. however, i am not sure if i went through the current source of information regarding the current big airbag recall. thank you for your help. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. the contact stated that after starting the ignition the air bag light illuminated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Air bag light comes on blinks then stays on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, another vehicle made u-turn and crashed into the contact's vehicle. the air bags did not deploy and the seat belt did not properly restrain the driver of the vehicle. the contact was taken to a nearby emergency room to be treated with back, shoulder and neck injures. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 30,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle from the front end. the air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt failed to provide restraint to the driver. the driver sustained unknown injuries which required medical attention. a police report was filed of the incident. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contact's residence. the vehicle was not inspected to determine the cause of the air bag failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

I was driving on baker street in west roxbury, ma. i had the right of way when another driver in a 2010 lincoln mkx ran a stop sign and hit me. i was hit on the driver's side. the speed and force of the impact took out the entire front end of my car. my vehicle was dragged off baker street and into the intersection of baker and capital. the driver who hit me was driving at such a speed, that before stopping, they continued on, hitting a stop sign, taking it down and hitting another car, pushing it up onto the sidewalk into a telephone pole. this was an accident that totaled 3 vehicles - and - my airbags did not go off! i am writing because weeks after the accident my lower back and shoulders are still causing me a great deal of pain. and i called to report this incident to ford after reading this has happened many times to drivers/owners in 2002 ford focus's! ford told me their regional customer service manager ([xxx]) would be in touch in 1 day - and they would want to look at the vehicle . . . [xxx] has not been in touch and i have not heard a word from ford. i appreciate the problems of airbags going off when the should not, or going off unexpectedly - but if airbags do not go off when there is an impact there is a problem! if it happens once or twice it may be a fluke - this is not the case! airbag failure in the 2002 for focus is a reported problem by many - reported to you over and over - let there not be a death because you and ford did not do the right thing - check these vehicles - all of them! one life is too precious not to do what is clearly the right thing - do a recall! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus ztw. the contact was driving 25 mph and crashed into another vehicle when the air bags failed to deploy.the driver side seat belt extended outward and failed to secure properly. the crashed caused one injury and a police report was filed. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 59,000.

Two cars collided. one was heading east the other heading north. the car heading north's airbags did not deploy. it was not hit head on, however, the front does have substantial damage and the airbags should have deployed. as a consequence, the driver experienced unnecessary internal damages and injuries. *tr

Driving my 2002 ford focus zx5. it was early in the morning and i live near many woods - i hit a deer going about 45 miles per hour. the front of the car was completely totaled, and the airbag did not deploy. the airbag light flickers on and off when you start the vehicle. *tr

I was driving down california 130 when my driver side air bag that is located in the seat deployed i did not hit anything it just went off for no reason. *tr

Driving 45 mph ran over small piece of rubber in road and side impact air bag deployed when there was no impact. *tr

Black ice was hit and the car slid over a thirty-foot embankment. air bags did not deploy and the car was considered totaled. the second accident took place with the same car, which had been salvaged after the first accident. hit black ice again, flipped on its side, and rolled. again, the air bags did not deploy. the entire side and roof were demolished and the car was not salvageable this time. this is the second 2002 ford focus we have had--both were in accidents, and in all three accidents, both cars were totaled and no airbags were deployed. wondering if these cars should be recalled? after doing some research on ford focuses, i found that the 2001 ford focuses had a problem with the airbags. they would deploy at the slightest impact. can't help if ford didn't overcompensate for the problem in the next year's model? *tr

The car rear-ended a truck, slid under the truck, and crushed the whole front end. the hood was shoved into the windshield and none of the air bags deployed. the car was deemed totaled. this is the second 2002 ford focus we have owned. both were in accidents (our other was in an accident, salvaged, and in an accident again) and all three times none of the air bags deployed. after doing some research, i found that the 2001 ford focuses had problems with early deployment from the air bags. perhaps ford overcompensated for the next year's model? wonder if the 2002 ford focuses should be recalled? *tr

2002 ford focus side airbag deployed while driving. consumer states that the airbag deployed with a loud bang. stated that it was kind of an explosion. *kb the consumers son experienced ringing in his ears, reduced hearing and a severe headache from the explosive force of the air bag. *jb

I was in a car accident, monday feb 11th at 7:15 am. my seatbelt was broken during the impact and my air bags did not deploy. my car is considered a "total loss", therefore i can not fix the damages to it. if my seatbelt broke due to the impact, then why didn't my air bags deploy? *tr

I was involved in an accident where my car hit the center divider, spun out of control, flipped over onto its hood, and slid down the freeway upside down before hitting the center divider on the driver side once again. my air bag did not deploy at all causing my head hit the steering wheel, the front windshield, and a few other places in the car. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on normal road conditions, the front driver's air bag deployed without warning. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the air bag sensor/control module needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was also notified.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was involved in two separate front end collisions and both times, the front driver side airbags did not deploy. on the first occasion, the vehicle was traveling 40 mph on normal road conditions, and 30 mph on the second incident. both times the contact was wearing the seatbelt; there was no prior warning lights to indicate there was a problem with the airbag. the contact sustained moderate injuries and a police report was taken. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer after the first accident, who determined that the airbags needed to be repaired and performed the repair. after the second accident, the vehicle was taken to another dealer who could not duplicate the problem with the airbag. the vehicle was currently at the dealer for further examination. the contact encountered similar complaints on the nhtsa website.

I have a 2002 ford focus zx5 that is well maintained. within the first 2-3 years, i have had to replace the front brakes and rotors. in 2004 i had to replace the battery. in 2005 i had to replace the right rear window motor. presently the left rear window motor isn't working; the window will not go up. the rear front window is not working properly and the air bag light comes on each time the car is started and stays on. the cd player had to be replaced in 2005. in 2006 all four tires had to be replaced because of factory dry rot. i regularly service and maintain the car, and have approximately 28,000 miles on it. i take excellent care of my vehicle and feel this car is not made with quality parts and that it is not safe. although i drive at normal speeds, it does not get the mileage stated on the sticker. *jb

Dt: contact stated while stopping at a stop light the vehicle was rear ended. it was pushed into the guard rail. upon impact, the front air bags or side air bags did not deploy. all of the occupants where wearing their seat belts. injuries were sustained. police report was taken. *ak

My niece's 2002 ford focus passenger side airbag went off with no apparent cause. ford says 'sensor' indicates an accident, but there was none, and charged $95 for this. ford refuses to analyze this further, and remaining airbags no longer function. we believe that airbag sensors/systems are defective. *nm

Dt: 2002 ford focus. the consumer stated the diagnostic test found the thermal fuse in the control module for the air bag blew out, this was caused by the consumer hitting a deer on september 1, 2005. the airbags did not deploy when this occurred, the deer hit the front of the vehicle. the consumer stated the air bags did not deploy, but there was a white smoke that came from the driver's area, around the dashboard. the vehicle was then taken to the body shop, and they found the air bag light was on ,and the vehicle was then taken to the dealership. there was no one injured when this happened. a police report was taken over the phone with the sheriff's department. the dealership did not tell the consumer what the smoke was that came out of the vehicle. the consumer stated the vehicle had not been in any accident prior to this.*ak

I was in a front-end collision travelling about 25 - 30 miles per hour and my airbags did not deploy.

While traveling at 50 mph consumer's vehicle went into oncoming traffic and collided with another vehicle. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. both drivers sustained injuries. *ak *bf *nm

On the morning of 14 february 2005 my son was involved in a head on crash in an intersection. our 2002 ford focus was totaled (it has 37,000 miles on it, and i bought it brand new from a ford lot.) the air bags did not go off! both my son and his passnger sustained neck and back injuries.*ak

I had a front end collision hit a ditch hard. air bags never deployed. slick tires sharp curve and bad weather caused the accident.*ak

While driving at 47 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a frontal collision in which they t-boned another vehicle. upon impact, none of the frontal air bags deployed. vehicle was totaled. both driver and passenger were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained.*ak

A deer was struck with relatively minor damage to the hood and grill. gun powder smelled in vehicle after collision. suspect it was airbag propellant. airbags did not deploy. *ak

My wife was driving our 2002 ford focus on expressway at about 40-45 mph when the driver's side, side impact air bag went off for no apparent reason. the vehicle was filled with smoke, but my wife was able to maintain control of the vehicle. my wife sustained minor injuries to her left arm and had ringing in her left ear for two days. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and inspected. the dealer could only find a small dent on the under carriage (located at the rear of the vehicle) of the vehicle. the dent appeared to be old damage. a check of the computer revealed the code for proper air bag deployment. ford stated they would not cover the expense to fix the problem because the computer chip indicating the correct deployment of the airbag. ford refused to listen that there was no damage to indicate the proper deployment of the air bag, nor would they believe my wife_x0019_s statements. please advise.*ak

While driving 55 mph, the driver side air bag deployed unexpectedly. the consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for inspection. please provide further details.

I was in a car crash about a month ago. it was a 2002 ford focus. the other auto slammed into my car on the passenger side near the front whee. my car was totaled. i had to go to the emergency room because my side hit the steering wheel; my knees also hit under the wheel. no airbag deployed. why? does a car have to be hit head on for the airbag to deploy? what is oem on your form? i left the no as it was on the form without knowing what it meant. *ak

When driving 40 mph, the consumer swerved to miss a dog on the road, causing the consumer to hit an object on the road. this caused damage to the vehicle. upon impact, the front air bags did not deploy. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *sc

While driving 37 mph, the consumer rear ended another motorist. the air bags failed to deploy. this caused the passenger to sustain minor injuries. the vehicle was taken to a garage for inspection. please provide further details. *jb

During a 40 mph vehicle frontal collision front air bags did not deploy. the consumer sustained minor injuries. the vehicle was towed. *ak

Front wheel bearings, ball joint area on my ford focus 2002 came loose and wheel fell off while i was traveling on highway. when car hit wall the airbag did not open and seatbelt did not tighten. there was no warning before accident. thought i was going to die. lucky to be alive.*ak

While driving vehicle was involved in a front end crash, and the airbags did not deploy. driver sustained minor injuries. *ak

Tread separation on a 2002 ford focus. radial tubeless tire. brand firehawk gta 02 p195/g0r15 87t m45 this occurred yesterday with my 17 year old daughter driving. i am concerned that the other 3 tires are also defective. could have resulted in her death. fortunately, she was able to get control of vehicle.

While driving 35 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a rear end crash. upon impact, both frontal air bags did not deploy. consumer had the vehicle towed to dealer.*ak

While driving 15 mph in a parking lot the consumer lost control of the vehicle and hit a building head on. the consumer stated that neither of the frontal air bags deployed. *nm

While traveling at 25 mph vehicle was involved in a collision. the driver's air bag didn't deploy. *ak the vehicle was declared demolished by the insurance adjuster. *nm

While driving at any speed vehicle hesitated and took a dip forward and down to the ground. then, it accelerated as if nothing happened. consumer's daughter experienced the same thing while driving and lost control of the vehicle which landed in a ditch. consumer's daughter sustained back injuries. consumer wore seat belts. however, air bags failed to deploy. *ak

While slowing down due to intense traffic on a highway we were violently hit by a car driving behind us. the impact was so great that the car was demolished - the bottom rear of the car and tires were totally crushed, the roof was bent in the middle, all windows burst, and doors were jambed shut. we were pushed into the car ahead of us. the airbags did not inflate. passenger sustained facial injuries and driver sustained injuries to chest. we do not believe the seat belts constrained us in this crash. *ak

While driving about 70mph on highway and without prior warning another vehicle collided with consumer's vehicle, causing a collision. driver swung around, hitting the guardrail. upon impact, driver's side air bag didn't deploy. *ak

While driving at 55 mph, a car swerved into my lane, causing me to swerve to avoid him. i lost control of the car and struck a concrete divider with the passenger front bumber, causing the car to climb up the divider, back down, and end up facing the other way on the highway. the airbags did not deploy, at that time, but 10-15 minutes later when i re-entered the vehicle, i noticed that the passenger side airbag had deployed partially. the car was totalled.

Transmission went out 2 times in 1 year. driver airbag shifted on its own. rear passenger door does not unlock/open. front ball joint cracked. gas cover/door fell off. the smell of gas inside car at all times. blinker would not turn off by itself. key chime goes off when the key is out. *jb

I bought my 19 year old daughter a new focus because i felt new cars were safer and more reliable. today, she was involved in an accident. she has had ongoing problems with the brakes making noise and not being responsive. on her way to have them looked at again, she made a left onto a major road and the traffic in front of her was at a dead stop. it was the rav 4 in front of her, not her brakes, that stopped her car dead. thankfully, no one was hurt. to add insult to injury, the airbag i felt would protect her did not deploy. how many complaints have to be submitted before things get addressed by a manufacturer? to think i bought my only daughter a car with unreliable brakes and airbags that don't work. unfortunately, like a lot of other consumers, we found this out the hard way. *nlm

My 2002 ford focus was involved in a collision. the impact of the crash was all on the front end of the vehicle. the motor was shoved back and the vehicle had so much damage it couldn't be repaired. the car was considered a total loss by my insurance provider. my car was traveling at about 40 mph on impact and the air bags didn't deploy. my daughter hit her chest against the steering wheel and is still having some lasting effects of the crash. please! please! look into this. she could have been killed if she had been on the highway or going any faster. please respond to this letter.*ak

I was driving down the pa turnpike going 60 mph in my 2002 ford focus. i had just passed a cop and have witnesses that i was not speeding or driving erratically. it was 8:30 in the morning and my car suddenly lost all power. my rpm's dropped and i was loosing my speed. (this happened one month prior and i took it to ford. they replaced the fuel pump and two other parts on warranty) i had to get to the right shoulder, which had a wall right after it, because i was in the left lane where there was a wall directly to my left. in trying to cross the car lost traction on the road and shot me head first into the wall. head first at 55 mph and my airbags did not deploy. the car has been deemed a total loss and for the past ten days i have been in unbelievable pain, to the er 3 times. now i have physical therapy for about a month before hopefully everything is better. i am a 19 year old female and i don't want to see anybody else hurt in this sort of accident. i have an attorney and i suggest anyone with a focus have one on hand. i want everyone to read this before they buy one! my next step is to contact magazines and television shows. i had a guardian angel with me, someone may not be so lucky! *nlm