Problems · by component

2001 Ford Focus air bags problems

147 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Focus cite air bags, 8% of all 1,790 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
147
8% of all complaints
Crashes
102
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
88
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The front dashboard and steering wheel airbags went off. if I was moving this could’ve ended even worse but luckily I was stopped. My hearing was affected. I was parked at a red light and my airbags went off. I did not hit anything nor was my car moving. Witnesses at a restaurant and auto repair shop say the same. My car had passed that years inspection and there was no signs of this happening. No lights, sounds, anything. It was very sudden.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 15, 2021Air bagsODI 11433112
“THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG MALFUNCTIONED IN THAT IT DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON. I WAS DRIVING (IN MOTION) STRAIGHT DOWN A CITY ROAD. IT MADE AN EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE THAT AFFECTED MY HEARING, EXPELLED A LOT OF WHITE POWDER THAT SMELLED BAD, AND TORE UP THE SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WENT ON.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 17, 2016Air bags, SeatsODI 10865523
“TAKATA AIRBAG DEPLOYED AFTER THE CAR HAD COME TO A STOP. ALI STOPPED TO AVOID HITTING A CAR THAT HAD SUDDENLY BRAKED IN FRONT OF HER. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR IN FRONT HER AS ALI WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME, BUT THERE WAS MAJOR DAMAGE TO HER CAR. WHEN THE TAKATA AIRBAG DEPLOYED IT BURNT HER LEFT FOREARM/HAND AND INCURRED $107.00 IN MEDICAL EXPENSES. CALIBER COLLISION SAYS THAT TO REPAIR THE CAR IT WOULD COST ALI $7,639.37.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2016Air bags, StructureCrash reportedODI 10822599
“DRIVING FORD FOCUS SLOWLY IN SNOW,A JEEP SPUN OUT OF CONTROL HIT THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT OF CAR SPUN AROUND AND HIT US AGAIN FROM THE REAR.AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND IT MY PASSENGER FULL IN FACE. DAMAGED HER FACE WITH CHEMICAL BURNS AND CREATED A COROIDITAL TEAR IN HER EYE THAT IS PERMANENT AND PERMANENT VISION LOSS IN ONE EYE. THE IMPACT OF THE AIRBAG JARRED HER BRAIN AND SHE NOW HAS A BRAIN INJURY CALLED CHIARI MALFORMATION,”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 30, 2015Air bags, Structure, EngineCrash reportedODI 10778907
“ON 5/2/15 DURING A COLLISION WHERE MY CLIENT STUCK ANOTHER DRIVER THAT FAILED TO YIELD AND RAN A STOP SIGN, THE AIRBAG INSIDE MY CLIENT'S 2001 FORD FOCUS DEPLOYED. DURING ITS DEPLOYMENT IT BURNED THE RIGHT VOLAR (INSIDE) FOREARM OF MY CLIENT, CAUSING A FULL THICKNESS BURN. SHE HAD TO UNDERGO SURGICAL TANGENTIAL EXCISION OF THE BURN AND SKIN GRAFTING, WHERE THEY HARVESTED THE SKIN FROM HER RIGHT THIGH TO HER RIGHT VOLAR FOREARM. THE AIRBAG IS DANGEROUS AS IT CAUSED FULL THICKNESS BURN TO HER SKIN, FOR WHICH SHE IS STILL RECOVERING.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2015Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10779719
“STOPPED IN TRAFFIC FOR REDLIGHT, TRAFFIC STARTED TO MOVE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED AND I REAR ENDED HIM CAUSING AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AND SMASH WINDSHIELD. WHEN I EXITED THE VEHICLE TO MY SURPRISE THERE WAS NO FRONT END DAMAGE ONLY A SCUFF MARK ON FRONT BUMPER WHERE MY CAR WENT UNDER THE 1991 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS THAT I HIT. RECEIVED A POWDER BURN TO MY LEFT HAND FROM AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. CAR THAT I HIT HAD NO DAMAGE. INSURANCE COMPANY THINKS THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE TO BE TOTALED BECAUSE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. AT HE TIME OF IMPACT I WAS TRAVELING BETWEEN 5 AND 10MPH. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 2, 2013Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10496150

Showing 6 of 147 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.