Problems · by component
2019 Ford Expedition air bags problems
25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2019 Ford Expedition cite air bags, 5% of all 529 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
25
5% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Driving to pick up my son from school (in a school zone under 20 mph) while my daughter was in the back seat, we hear a loud noise sounded like a gun shot, I immediately pull over somewhere safe got out and checked the outside of my car, didnt notice anything so i opened the passenger side front door to find the plastic covering piece near the seat belt had broke off, finding the airbag had exploded, the seat belt is no longer usable, This is my only vehicle as a family of 4 with two children. I also reached out to several local dealerships neither are able to help with a loaner for the time being. in fact I was instructed by ford headquarters to keep driving the vehicle even though it does not have operating seatbelt and throwing codes on my dash.”
“My vehicles warning lamp came on 9/10/2026 and I'm honestly nervous to drive with that recall because it affects my driver seatbelt and airbags. At first, it was just a known recall but when it personally affected my vehicle being that my warning lamp came on, I called a ford dealership near me and they all stated that I had to wait because the inspection can't be completed yet until they get the parts from ford which won't be for a couple weeks to a month. I am wondering if I can get a loaner vehicle until this is fixed because this is a very serious issue if I were to get in a car accident and not be protected. That is a huge lawsuit waiting to happen. I just don't feel safe driving it with that issue because those are my main sources of protection when a car accident occurs.”
“On XXX, I experienced a serious safety incident involving my 2019 Ford Expedition, VIN [XXX]. My family and I were parked at a Lowe’s with the vehicle running but completely stationary. I was in the driver’s seat wearing my seat belt. Without any collision or impact, there was a sudden loud pop and the driver’s seat belt forcefully tightened around my chest. It was violent enough that I initially thought another vehicle had struck us from behind. Immediately afterward, smoke/haze appeared inside the cabin and moved toward the windows, accompanied by a strong chemical/burnt odor. My family and I immediately exited the vehicle and remained outside for approximately 30–40 minutes before entering again. Lowe’s may have surveillance footage confirming that the vehicle was stationary, no collision occurred, and we exited immediately afterward. The driver’s seat belt has not functioned normally since the incident. The vehicle had also displayed an airbag/SRS warning light prior to this event. I have photographs documenting the condition of the seat belt immediately afterward. I contacted Ford Customer Relations. The first representative requested my Social Security…”
“While driving my 2019 Ford Expedition the passenger airbag deployed unexpectedly. This resulted in the seat belt not retracting or extending. There were no warnings, messages or problems prior to this occurring. Yes, safety was put at risk by the airbag deploying unexpectedly and the seat belt quickly retracting , it was very startling. This also caused damage to my passenger seat”
“I started by 2019 Ford Expedition and was driving through a parking lot at a low speed when there was an explosion sound (comparable to a gun shot over my left shoulder as the driver). My seatbelt pulled in and locked down. My car smelled like a firework had been set off and there was a white-grey powder across my lefts. I immediately stopped and parked my vehicle. I had my passenger move to the back of the car as a safety precaution. It took effort to get the belt to unlatch and off. We moved the vehicle to a safer parking spot and had it towed to David McDavid - FtW. I have a seatbelt burn on my neck. My left shoulder, across my chest, and right hip are very sore today. We received the recall notice the day prior. However, the letter states that: Ford has not issued instructions to stop driving your vehicle…. Had this happened while driving at a faster speed, the incident could have very easily been catastrophic. My concern now is that the dealership is trying to say this is an interior trim concern, and Ford’s customer service could do nothing other than repeat their script that there is no remedy at this time. Their advice lent the consumer to saving…”
“The passenger-side seat-belt retractor pretensioner, which is part of the supplemental restraint/airbag system, malfunctioned. The pretensioner apparently deployed without a collision, and the passenger seat belt became permanently locked and unable to retract or extend. The vehicle and failed component remain available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of my passengers were put at risk because the pretensioner activated unexpectedly with a loud explosion-like bang, a burning or chemical smell, and movement of the passenger-side interior panel. The passenger seat belt is now unusable, leaving that seating position without a functional restraint. The unexpected deployment could also have startled the driver and caused a crash, and I am concerned that other restraint components may deploy unexpectedly or fail during an actual collision. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership. Before the failure, the airbag warning light illuminated. I took the vehicle to the Ford dealership, where personnel looked it over and scheduled an appointment for August 28, 2026. At that appointment, the dealership performed diagnostic testing and…”
Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.