Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||||
| 18352 | 12/01/2004 | 10014622 | Air bag light in with all or any combination of dtc b1881 b2434 b2438 and or c1947. *eh | 05/05/2005 | |
| 16978 | 07/01/2003 | 10003850 | Airbag lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) b1932 (air bag driver circuit open) or b2232 (air bag driver circuit open - loop #2). *tt | 11/04/2003 | |
| 16739 | 04/01/2003 | 10002646 | Airbag lamp illuminated condition with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) b1881, b2434, b2438, and c1947. *tt | 09/09/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 11/09/2010 | |||
| 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. | |||
| 05/10/2010 | |||
| 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 totalled, and the airbad did not deploiy. the airbag light flickers on and off when you start the vehicle. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 7 | ||
| 2002 ford focus se station wagon. consumer states problem with automatic transmission. engine has strong noise. the consumer stated it took three times to fix the transmission. the window regulators were replaced four times, the thermostat housing failed twice which caused coolant leak. also, there was a problem with the air bag system and the cover on the passenger side. *jb | |||
| 07/19/2008 | 1 | 07/12/2008 | |
| 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 | |||
| 08/30/2006 | 100000 | 9 | 07/15/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 09/01/2005 | 60000 | 1 | 02/24/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| 08/28/2003 | 4000 | 1 | 06/13/2003 |
| 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. | |||
| 11/23/2004 | 38000 | 1 | 12/28/2001 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/14/2004 | 1 | 06/13/2002 | |
| 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 wifes statements. please advise.*ak | |||
| 08/28/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 08/31/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 08/03/2004 | 1 | 01/18/2003 | |
| 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 | |||
| 04/27/2004 | 11037 | 1 | 09/28/2002 |
| 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. | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| On november 23 2002 i was in a accident where i broke my nose and had numerous burises. the reason i got into an accident was because my wheel and suspension broke & seem to come apart. i had complained to ford that my wheel had been shaking and that there was something wrong with it. i had taken it back 4 times to get fixed but everytime i got it back and it would shake just as bad. also when i got into the accident my airbags didnt deploy at all i received a broken nose from hitting my head on the steering wheel. the car was shaking really bad and it seem to pull me off the road then all of a sudden it was like a snap and it went the other direction. i flew sideways up in the air and hit two oak trees luckly i didn't die from this accident if you would see the pictures you would think how did she survive. if the car would have hit the oak trees two feet closer to my door i wouldn't be here to tell you this. the car split in half & was totaled. | |||
| 09/13/2003 | 23820 | 2 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/22/2002 | 34285 | 1 | 12/28/2002 |
| Got in accident, air bag did not deploy. got fixed??? ford let me go back out on the road with a brand new safety device and it was not working properly. the time between the accident and the time i got it fixed ford was very unconcerned and did not answer any of my concerns or questions. my safety was at risk and they did nothing about it.*ak | |||
| 06/04/2003 | 26500 | 2 | 06/22/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 09/23/2002 | 5000 | 20 | 06/27/2002 |
| The airbag light flashes on and off at random occasions. it is now at the dealership. *nlm | |||
| 04/12/2003 | 85000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle was involved in an accident,the air bags deployed, but didn't inflate. *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| The air bags failed to deploy in a crash. scc *jb | |||
| 01/16/2003 | 06/17/2002 | ||
| When hit at 40mph in the front center of the vehicle the air bag did not deploy causing minor injuries to the consumer. dealer notified. air bag monitor had to be replaced. ts | |||
| 03/01/2002 | |||
| In the short time that i've owned my focus i've had to return it to the dealership on 3 occasions because the air bag light comes on. the first time i brought it in they had to replace a module to the air bag component. the second and third time i brought it in they found nothing wrong. the third time i brought it back they gave me a recording device that i had to use to record the air bag light because the air bag light was not registering that it ever came on. i had to record the light a total of 3-4 times and then bring it back to the dealership. i did so and returned my car only to find out that this device told them nothing. so not knowing the exact problem they went ahead and replaced the entire airbag. all of these attempts occured late september through mid october. as of 11/8/2002 the light has not come back on. i feel know that i'm left with a false sense of security and the question of if i get into an accident is this air bag going to protect me. i was told that this is an isolated case but i'm not to sure about that. i think this is a major safety issue and should be taken into serious consideration. dt | |||
| 4 | 02/01/2002 | ||
| We are having problems with our airbag system. we have had componets replaced on 4 occasions. and the problem is still not repaired. this problems is causing the airbag system to be non fuctional. we feel this is a serious safety issue, since if a collision occured they would not work. we have been told that this is a problem that is limited to our model of car and only those that is a 4 door and 5 speed. ford has been contacted and cannot come up with a fix. i would like to know what has to happen before a recall can be issued so that this problem can be corrected before someone is hurt or killed. mr | |||
| 10/14/2002 | 3000 | 1 | |
| While stopped at a stop sign the drivers side air bag deployed without warning, as a result the driver sustained bruises to his body. the dealer has been contacted. *ts *nlm | |||
| 08/06/2002 | 3 | 07/31/2002 | |
| Air bag light stays illuminated. *ak after several attempts of repairing the air bag/air bag sensors, the problem was still occuring as of august 15th 2002 and at that time they were waiting on parts. (repairs made at the dealer) *scc | |||
| 05/01/2002 | 1 | 03/08/2002 | |
| At 60 mph consumer turned steering wheel, no response, vehicle hit a concrete wall head on. passenger suffered knee and chest injuries. the vehicle was totaled.*ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 02/11/2008 | 2 | 05/03/2007 | |
| 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 | |||
| 06/30/2007 | 1 | 09/01/2002 | |
| 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 | |||
| 09/08/2006 | 2 | 02/01/2002 | |
| 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. | |||
| 11/21/2005 | 1 | 10/07/2004 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 30000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 46910 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/23/2005 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 02/14/2005 | 37000 | 1 | 03/15/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 08/25/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 08/11/2004 | 28000 | 1 | |
| During a 40 mph vehicle frontal collision front air bags did not deploy. the consumer sustained minor injuries. the vehicle was towed. *ak | |||
| 08/26/2004 | 32000 | 1 | 01/25/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| 08/07/2003 | 25000 | 10 | 03/19/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 08/03/2004 | 30000 | 1 | |
| While driving vehicle was involved in a front end crash, and the airbags did not deploy. driver sustained minor injuries. *ak | |||
| 03/22/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 02/05/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 10/21/2003 | 20000 | 3 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/09/2004 | 15000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 09/04/2003 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 10/07/2002 | 12000 | 1 | 06/07/2002 |
| I bought a 2002 ford focus for my 18 year old daughter, and last year the car wrecked into a wall on i75. none of the airbags opened, even though it was a head on collision. i was the opinion of the body shop that every sensor that there was to hit for the air bags was hit. i tried to contact ford and they kept telling me how much they cared but would not return my call. i hired a lawyer, who said that ford would tell him to talk to the dealership that we bought the car from, which was kerry ford in tri county, and they would tell him that its ford corporation that should deal with it. my daughters lawyer resigned from the case because he wanted us to put out the money for a professional to evaluate the car. right now my insurance company is hold the car but wants me to let them release it from storage. i bought the car with my daughters safety in mind and feel let down, and lied to and pushed around by corporate ford. if theres any way you could help it would be much appreciated. thank you. rick kaiser. *ak | |||
| 06/14/2003 | 3 | 07/19/2002 | |
| 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 | |||
| 06/03/2003 | 32000 | 05/15/2002 | |
| 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 | |||
| 1 | |||
| The vehicle hit a concrete divider and the air bags did not deploy. *jb | |||
| 02/15/2003 | 12000 | 0 | 03/15/2002 |
| Air bags failed to deploy during collision at 35 mph. collision resulted in severe front end damage to vehicle and passenger head injury, neither passenger nor driver air bag deployed. *jb | |||
| 01/02/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states while driving the vehicle in a parking lot,the vehicle hit the curb on the right side of the bumper resulting in both air bags deploying, the vehicle was traveling approximately 23 mph. *nlm | |||
| 10/05/2002 | |||
| Consumer states while traveling at highway speeds, consumer swerved to avoid being hit by an 18 wheeler truck that was changing lanes. consumer states in the process of avoiding truck, consumer rear ended another car and went into a spin and hit the car again. consumer states none of the vehicles airbags deployed. consumer states the frame that protects engine was bent. please provide any further information. mr | |||
| 07/11/2002 | |||
| At 65 mph vehicle hit a retaining wall, then rolled a couple of times, and neither airbag deployed. consumer hit head on windshield, vehicle was totalled.*ak | |||
| 07/11/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2002 | |
| On 7/11/2002 my wife was involved in a near head-on accident. she was driving down the road when another car suddenly turned left in to her path. the other driver was cited for failure to yield right of way. my wife hit the other car in the front right side. the ford focus zx5 sustained major damage and with a cost of over $12,000 to repair it was declared a total loss. the air bags never deployed even though it was a frontal collision and the bumper was totally destroyed. when i contacted ford motor co. today at their customer service center (1-866-693-6738) i was informed by steve that if i wanted to find out why the air bags didn't deploy that i could pay to have them tested. when i questioned as to why i had to pay to have ford to possibly fix a major problem with the air bags he said that that is what the computer pop up stated. ford should be more receptive to wanting to find out if there is a problem. if there is a problem then ford should compensate me and my wife.*ak | |||
| 05/01/2002 | 1 | 03/08/2002 | |
| The vehicle experienced loss of steering ability, as a result the vehicle hit a concrete jersey wall head on at 60 mph, neither airbag deployed, passenger suffered knee and chest injuries, the vehicle was totaled. * mj | |||
| 03/16/2002 | 12/01/2001 | ||
| 1) air bags did not deploy in frontal crash. 2) frame of front passenger seat broke during accident. *ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - DRIVER SIDE INFLATOR MODULE | |||
| 07/15/2005 | 74000 | 1 | 06/21/2002 |
| I was in a front-end collision travelling about 25 - 30 miles per hour and my airbags did not deploy. | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 09/09/2006 | 50000 | 1 | 09/18/2002 |
| 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. | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 02/16/2010 | 65450 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/08/2010 | 120000 | 1 | |
| Driving 45 mph ran over small piece of rubber in road and side impact air bag deployed when there was no impact. *tr | |||
| 10/15/2005 | 51000 | 1 | 07/27/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 11/21/2005 | 1 | 10/07/2004 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/14/2004 | 1 | 06/13/2002 | |
| 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 wifes statements. please advise.*ak | |||
| 11/02/2002 | |||
| Consumer was driving approximately 30-35mph and ran over a pothole. there was no collision. the left side air bag deployed without warning. ts | |||