2003 Ford Explorer air bags problems
50 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2003 Ford Explorer — 4% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Vehicle was in motion, moving through an intersection on a city street and involved in an accident. No air bags deployed at all.”
filed Feb 12, 2019
“All side airbags deployed without accident. Deployment happend while my wife and 4 year old son was in the vehicle driving approximately 30-40 miles per hour down a straight road in long valley new jersey. This road is smooth, level and free of pot holes etc. Unable to see because of the downed…”
filed Feb 25, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Air Bags problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% |
| 2023 Explorer | 4 | 4% |
| 2022 Explorer | 7 | 3% |
| 2021 Explorer | 6 | 1% |
| 2020 Explorer | 4 | 0% |
| 2019 Explorer | 2 | 1% |
| 2018 Explorer | 10 | 1% |
| 2017 Explorer | 32 | 2% |
| 2016 Explorer | 99 | 4% |
| 2015 Explorer | 84 | 5% |
| 2014 Explorer | 47 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2003 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.