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 | |||
| 08/07/2012 | 129200 | 1 | |
| While driving on the interstate at approx 70mph, i signaled my left turn signal. as i changed into the left lane, my driver's side airbag deployed for no reason. the driver's side window was open so some seat foam and smoke exited the vehicle and made contact with the vehicle behind me. i pulled over and the other driver stopped to see what happened and checked to see if i was okay. i was able to continue home. *tr | |||
| 08/07/2012 | 129200 | ||
| While driving on the interstate at approx 70mph, i signaled my left turn signal. as i changed into the left lane, my driver's side side airbag deployed for no reason. the driver's side window was open so some seat foam and smoke exited the vehicle and made contact with the vehicle behind me. i pulled over and the other driver stopped to see what happened and checked to see if i was okay. i was able to continue home. | |||
| 11/21/2011 | 80000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side and the contact | |||
| 11/21/2011 | 80000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owned a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side and the contact | |||
| 09/05/2011 | 58400 | ||
| Was traveling at 65mph on the highway when driver side side airbag deployed for no reason. there was no impact. dealership has been contacted. at this time there has been no resolution. | |||
| 08/06/2006 | 50000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact noticed that the air bag warning light illuminated and as a result the horn was inoperable. the dealer informed the contact that the clockspring was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer had not been notified nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was approximately 76,000. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000. bw | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 180000 | ||
| On 8/1/2011, going 40mph i hit a deer. the whole hood of my car is pushed in,my radiator is pushed in, i cannot open the hood, the deer is dead and both of the airbags failed to deploy. however my airbag deployment light did come on. what a defect. at 10 mph i could possible understand but at 40 mph, i bought the car brand new in 2003 for safety, now even if it were fixed i would be scared to drive it. | |||
| 08/06/2006 | 50000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact noticed that the air bag warning light illuminated and as a result the horn was inoperable. the dealer informed the contact that the clockspring was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer had not been notified nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was approximately 76,000. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000. bw | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 180000 | ||
| On 8/1/2011, going 40mph i hit a deer. the whole hood of my car is pushed in,my radiator is pushed in, i cannot open the hood, the deer is dead and both of the airbags failed to deploy. however my airbag deployment light did come on. what a defect. at 10 mph i could possible understand but at 40 mph, i bought the car brand new in 2003 for safety, now even if it were fixed i would be scared to drive it. | |||
| 08/06/2006 | 50000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact noticed that the air bag warning light illuminated and as a result the horn was inoperable. the dealer informed the contact that the clockspring was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer had not been notified nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was approximately 76,000. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000. bw | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 180000 | ||
| On 8/1/2011, going 40mph i hit a deer. the whole hood of my car is pushed in,my radiator is pushed in, i cannot open the hood, the deer is dead and both of the airbags failed to deploy. however my airbag deployment light did come on. what a defect. at 10 mph i could possible understand but at 40 mph, i bought the car brand new in 2003 for safety, now even if it were fixed i would be scared to drive it. | |||
| 12/23/2009 | 147000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns 2003 ford focus. the vehicle slid on an ice patch , which caused her to loose vehicle control. the vehicle spun around several times and then collided on an embankment. none of the air bags deployed. she received injuries to her neck, feet, and ribs, the passenger received injuries to the spine. the insurance company concluded that the vehicle was completely destroyed. also the ignition switch had to be replaced at an expense of $450.00. she also paid $300.00 to repair the door locks. the transmission needs to be replaced. the sheriff report number was 09004117. the failure and current mileages were 94,000. | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 172000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle involved in serious frontal crash and airbags failed to deploy. *tr | |||
| 02/22/2006 | 3 | ||
| I was on my way to tahoe in february 2006. it was rainy and the roads were a little wet. we hit a puddle and he car spun out hit both front and back ends from spinning out of control and smashed into the side walls. we were traveling about 45-50 mph. the air bag did not go off. from smashing in to the walls the passenger seat completely broke backwards. almost in a laying down position and the seat belt was completely extended and wouldn't retract. car was totaled. at the time there were no serious injuries. but 8 months after the accident i started having grand mall seizures. *ak | |||
| 03/15/2005 | 30300 | 1 | 03/03/2004 |
| I was in a car accident with my 2003 ford focus zts. my airbag did not deploy. the fire dept. and police dept. both expressed disbelief that the airbag did not deploy. my car sustained extensive damage to the front end. the whole front end has to be replaced including both the frame rails, as well some engine components. i will know more when the repairs start. the vehicle i was involved in the accident with had both of their airbags deploy. if i were not wearing my seatbelt, i would have had serious injuries. | |||
| 02/09/2005 | 22869 | 3 | 12/05/2003 |
| The vehicle hit a pot hole with the passenger side tire , causing the air bags to deploy on its own. the owner informed the manufacturer that the vehicle was involved in a side impact accident a year prior to this incident, and the air bags did not deploy. *ak another issue was that the left rear rotor had broken while the vehicle was in motion and the rear sensor assembly/abs was replaced. the root of this problem stemmed from the left rear wheel bearing which had fallen apart and damaged the rotor and the wheel sensor. the left rear knuckle was replaced along with the left rear rotor. *sc *jb | |||
| 12/17/2004 | 5414 | 2 | 05/10/2004 |
| Traveling east-bound on i-10. forced onto left shoulder by another vehicle. while attempting to move back onto the freeway was hit square on the drivers door by a pickup truck traveling in the same direction. vehicle rolled 3-4 times before coming to stop. none of the front or side airbags deployed in the 2003 ford focus. the car only had 5000 miles on it. *nm | |||
| 02/12/2004 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated that while traveling 60 mph vehicle was involved in a head on collision.upon impact, air bags did not deploy. consumer did not sustain any injuries, but was quite sore. *ak | |||
| 8500 | 1 | 05/12/2003 | |
| While traveling at 40 mph a dog ran into the street and consumer's vehicle hit the dog. upon impact, none of the bags deployed, and consumer sustained chest injuries. in addition, driver's side seat belt failed, it locked the driver in after the impact. however, passenger's side seat belt and rear seat belts functioned properly.*ak | |||
| 08/16/2003 | 08/16/2003 | ||
| I bought my first brand new car, 2003 ford focus! since it's a brand new car, i expected it to be flawless. however, i was so disappointed when we found rust on the muffler, then on the metal frame in the dashboard area. we talked to the asst. mgr (jay parker) on 8/24. i asked for the gm, but he said to call monday, 8/25 to see if he's in. he was in on monday, but they had me talk to another person, eddie suzui. he said to bring the car in and ask for him. as soon as we got there, we were told to bring the car to the service area, and robert enriques, the service advisor examined the car, and went through the list of problems about the car. he did say the rust on the muffler is just surface rust, but the other rust is more than surface rust. i asked him why ford sells cars with rust in it. he just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. i told him that i didn't want the car anymore, so i asked to see the gm. robert said he'll get the gm, but a few minutes later, the asst. mgr came to talk to us. basically, jay confirmed what robert already told us, and truly emphasized that the car does have serious rust on the frame, and that we're not just imagining it! it is not just surface rust!robert enriques took pictures of the rust and sent them to digital imaging. robert told me that manufacturer won't take the car back. he also said that the ford service rep will be here in hawaii on 9/8, and he'll show the pictures to him then and decision will be made. i finally got to talk to the gm (8/27), and told him all the problems with the car. he said he'll take care of the rust, and all the other things can be taken care of, but they're all minor problems. i don't think they are! not on a brand new car! jay parker told us on monday, 8/25 that this brand new car does have some serious rush, and if the manufacturer is not going to take back the car, i could go for arbitration. this car could be classified as a lemon car. thanks for your help. | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 1 | ||
| Representing jesus rosales/ requesting information on recalls in regards to seatbelts, air bags and or saftey restraint system for the for focus years 1990-2003.*mr *cb the vehicle was traveling about 45 mph at time of the offset frontal crash. the driver's seat broke from its seat bottom attachements to the floor pan causing fatal injuries. front seat passenger walked away from the crash. cw | |||
| 05/29/2003 | 2 | 04/15/2003 | |
| The accident that took place on 5/29/03 involved a 2003 ford focus station wagon driven by my son. there was impact where a parked car and a tree was involved,and the airbags did not deploy at all. i thought airbags were a safety feature that should help prevent bodily injuries. i wrot a letter to ford motor company yet i have received no response to this matter. i also spoke to one of their representatives by the name of mary who was suppose to be giving the information to the engineering staff that handles these types of problems,yet no response. when this car was purchased i didn't expect mechanical failure to occur. i'am not pleased at all that ford motor has not contacted me concerning this matter. the people that were injured in the accident are now suing my insurance company and myself due to the accident and airbags not deploying at the time of the accident. then when speaking to their representative she stated it was my responsibilty to get the car over to a ford dealer to have the airbags inspected,i dont't think so. i will never be able to drive this vehicle due to the nature of airbag mechanical failure. my car is still in the shop and i myself refuse to have it repaired until ford motor company sends someone to inspect this vehicle.*ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 03/24/2009 | 98000 | 1 | |
| 2003 focus se com. was involved in head on accident front end damaged both air bags did not deploy until after impact. *tr | |||
| 03/24/2008 | 98000 | 1 | |
| 2003 ford focus se com was involved in head on whole front end damaged air bags did not deploy until after impact. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 172000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle involved in serious frontal crash and airbags failed to deploy. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2008 | 55000 | 1 | |
| Until a week ago, i was the happy owner of an '03 zx3 focus. on 7/15, i had to swerve to avoid a car drifting into my lane and hit the concrete retaining wall at about 60 mph. the shock was enough to crush most of the front and engine block and break the axle. yet the airbags did not deploy. shame on you ford. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2006 | 56000 | 5 | 05/05/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while stopped at a red light both frontal airbags deployed without warning causing the vehicle to rear end the vehicle in front. a police report was filed at the scene and seat belts were in use; no injuries were sustained. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. the dealership was alerted. on a separate occasion, the hatch back failed to close, vehicle failed to start, the interior lighting failed and the motor made a knocking sound. this occurred intermittently. the manufacturer was alerted. | |||
| 02/27/2006 | 33765 | 1 | 09/03/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the air bags did not deploy during a frontal impact collision. while driving 35 mph, a vehicle ran a stop sign and the contact's vehicle hit the side of the other vehicle. there was braking before impact. a police report was taken at the scene. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. the entire front end was damaged and the insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. the seat belt was worn and there were no injuries. updated 3/20/2006 - *nm | |||
| 09/29/2005 | 14000 | 1 | 09/26/2003 |
| Dt: the contact's vehicle collided on 9-29-05 with an automobile that came across the medium at a stop sign. the automobile was going approximately 60 mph when it went through the stop sign. the contact's vehicle hit the other car while going between 48-50 mph. it hit the right side panel immediately in the middle of the car. upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. he did not notice any lights illuminating on the dash prior to this incident. the dealer told the contact that they would give him a statement in writing explaining why the air bags did not deploy. the contact wanted a statement from ford headquarters in dearborn, michigan , but ford refused. initially, told him to have the car towed to a dealership and the dealer would turn this incident into their legal department. the dealership has since then indicated that they could not turn over the accident case to their legal department. they would turn it over to the complaints department.*ak updated 11/15/05. *jb | |||
| 08/11/2005 | 14000 | 1 | 03/27/2003 |
| Dt: 2003 ford focus - august 11, 2005 the vehicle was involved in accident, the air bags did not deploy. the car was totaled. ford dealership requested that the manufacturer to investigate the accident. on september 6, 2005 the manufacturer said they would not investigate the accident. consumer called the ford manufacture five times with no results, could get the manufacturer to colloborate on this matter. while driving lost control of vehicle and went into the ditch, hit two rocks, a tre, and came to rest at the third rock. this was a frontal impact. there were no indicator lights on before the accident indicating the airbags were not working. the dealership could not tell the consumer why the airbags did not deploy. a police report was taken. there was one injury.*ak | |||
| 09/15/2005 | 1 | 09/01/2003 | |
| I had a car accident on 9-15-2005 my airbag did not deploy and i believe it should have. *nm | |||
| 08/07/2005 | 1 | 03/01/2005 | |
| Dt: consumer has a 2003 ford focus which was involved in a head on collision on august 7, 2005 while traveling 10 mph. upon impact, the airbags did not deploy. vehicle was totaled. consumer's son was driving and applied brakes before impact, when the other vehicle hit the front end vehicle went out of gear and was knocked backwards. road was dry and clear of debris. consumer, son and , daughter sustained injuries. . consumer sustained lower back and neck injuries, . son and daughter sustained neck injuries. police at scene were shocked that the airbags did not deploy. all occupants were wearing seat belts. *ak | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 2 | 09/06/2003 | |
| On december 20, 2004 i was driving home from work in my ford focus zts. the roads were very icy, and near my home, i slid on a patch of ice, went over a small bank, and hit 2 trees in someone's yard. while i was sliding i was headed to hit one tree head on, but i was able to steer away to where i hit both trees at exactly the same time, but only from the side. however, neither my front nor side air bags deployed. the impact of the crash was enough to total my car, even though i was only going 25 m.p.h. it was brand new, only 20,000 miles. my mechanic said that the air bags should definitely have deployed.*ak | |||
| 03/04/2005 | 49500 | 1 | 03/01/2003 |
| While driving 60 mph the consumer was involved in a frontal collision. upon impact, both frontal air bags failed to deploy. the driver sustained minor injuries, and was transported to a hospital. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection. the cause of the collision had not been determined. *ak the vehicle was totaled. *sc *jb | |||
| 01/22/2005 | 28000 | 1 | |
| While driving 35 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a head on collision. upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy. driver sustained broken ribs and a concussion. also, passenger sustained a concussion. vehicle was considered a total loss.*ak | |||
| 12/28/2004 | 35000 | 1 | |
| After colliding with another vehicle consumer's vehicle struck a tree head on. upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. vehicle was totaled.*ak | |||
| 12/10/2004 | 1 | 07/23/2003 | |
| While driving 40 mph consumer lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into a guard rail. upon impact, both frontal air bags failed to deploy. driver sustained minor injuries, and was transported to a hospital. vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. *ak.....*ak | |||
| 09/05/2004 | 14000 | 1 | |
| While driving approximately 35 mph consumer was involved in a collision, and the frontal air bags did not deploy.*ak | |||
| 07/21/2004 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle was parked and not running. then, the vehicle jumped out of gear without warning and collided into a building. both front air bags failed to deploy. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the problem could not be duplicated. please fill in additional information. *la | |||
| 11/24/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated while driving, the passenger side air bag deployed. she stated she was the only one in the vehicle, so no one was injured. she stated there was no warning. *jb | |||
| 11/10/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 25 mph, the side air bags inadvertently deployed. the driver sustained injuries as a result. the vehicle was towed to the dealership for investigation. please provide any further information. *ph | |||
| 8000 | |||
| Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision while driving at 25/30 mph. upon impact, neither passenger's side nor driver's side air bags deployed. passenger sustained injures. *ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - DRIVER SIDE INFLATOR MODULE | |||
| 04/19/2008 | 40000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2003 ford focus ex. on the date of the incident, i was stopped at a red light, and i looked in the rear view mirror and saw a ford mustang barreling down on me. with no time to react, i was hit from behind at 50 miles an hour. what bothers me is that the airbags did not deploy, even though i came deathly close to smashing my face against the steering wheel. *tr | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 06/21/2006 | 53000 | 1 | 08/09/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 mph on normal road conditions the driver side air bag deployed. there was no impact, potholes nor bumps in the road. there were no injuries, however the driver seat was damaged. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the sensor was too sensitive. when the manufacturer was alerted the dealers determination was confirmed. the manufacturer was not willing to take responsibility. updated 07/26/06. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 2 | 09/06/2003 | |
| On december 20, 2004 i was driving home from work in my ford focus zts. the roads were very icy, and near my home, i slid on a patch of ice, went over a small bank, and hit 2 trees in someone's yard. while i was sliding i was headed to hit one tree head on, but i was able to steer away to where i hit both trees at exactly the same time, but only from the side. however, neither my front nor side air bags deployed. the impact of the crash was enough to total my car, even though i was only going 25 m.p.h. it was brand new, only 20,000 miles. my mechanic said that the air bags should definitely have deployed.*ak | |||
| 04/13/2005 | 1 | ||
| The right side door air bag deployed inadvertently while driving. no injuries reported. vehicle was towed to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the problem could not be duplicated. *ak | |||
| 03/13/2005 | 1 | ||
| While my 2003 ford focus was being vacuum at the carwash, the side passenger airbag of my 2003 ford focus deployed. my car was parked and there was no impact. i had my car towed from the carwash to the dealership where i purchased my car. their service department has not given me a solid reason as to why the airbag deployed. their theories have ranged from damage to the undercarriage, the force of the vacuum at the carwash, to the possibility that i ran over a tire. *ak | |||
| 06/23/2004 | 8500 | 1 | |
| While driving at 65 mph consumer heard a loud bang after a tractor trailer passed on the left side. vehicle began to fill with smoke, and the consumer felt a sharp pain in the shoulder. driver's side air bag deployed. consumer claimed that the vehicle never made contact with the tractor trailer. *ak | |||