Problems · by component
2017 Ford Explorer air bags problems
34 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Explorer cite air bags, 2% of all 1,713 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
34
2% of all complaints
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Head on collision occurred XXX. A man was traveling east on XXX and ran the light at the intersection of [XXX]. I was heading south on [XXX] and hit his white truck. My air bags did not deploy. Also, within the last year a seatbelt was not latching properly and I had to get it replaced. In addition to repairing the roof rack cover which flew off as I was driving one day.”
“Benoit Nissan in DeRidder, LA, was contracted to perform a critical safety repair/recall on my vehicle's airbag system. The dealership charged for the completed repair, but explicitly aborted the physical installation, leaving the vehicle's Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) incomplete, non-functional, and hazardous. They attempted to return the vehicle to me with the air bag safety system compromised, creating an immediate, severe physical risk to occupants in the event of a crash. This involves deliberate service manipulation of a federally mandated safety device. They have a proven record of deceitful operations of criminal negligence and felony theft”
“The contact owned a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 15 MPH traveling southbound, the occupant of a Chevrolet Impala driving at approximately 55 MPH allegedly fell asleep, veered into her lane, and crashed into the driver's front end. There were no warning lights illuminated. The steering wheel was bent three inches toward the dashboard. The transmission was fractured during impact. The contact mentioned that the airbag deployed late and may have been too powerful. The impact forced the vehicle back about 40 feet. The driver sustained injuries resulting in broken rib bones, a broken sternum bone, and four herniated discs, and medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to the auction lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage is approximately 135,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The VIN was not available.”
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the wiring harness located on the passenger’s side of the vehicle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,737.”
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side air bag warning light was intermittently illuminated while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic, and the contact was informed that the air bag wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure,e and a case was filed. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.”
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag warning light intermittently illuminated while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with air bag light row #2 inflatable found on higher wire circuit installed, and the was fuse replaced. Additionally, row #2 buckle, rear center row passengers seat, rear driver seat would not buckle, and that the passenger seat buckle was internally fractured, and the buckle assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.”
Showing 6 of 34 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.