What 2,423 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Explorer

My vehicle had a rear seat air bag recall. i brought the vehicle in for the recall and during a test of the airbag system the driver side air bag had a fault and the harness was replaced. Ford indicated that the vehicle airbag system is operational. I got a airbag light come on the dash and an appointment was made. They told me that the passenger side airbag harness is defective. They would not repair the issue because they said that the recall had been resolved and this is a new one? I feel that they did not resolve the issue since it is a electrical harness issue that needed a recall for the entire vehicle. since they said the fixed the driver side they will not honor the recall. I feel this is not fair for the consumer and the safety of the passengers. I feel that there should be another recall on all airbags electrical harness. I feel that they did not complete the job since it was the same issue that caused the recall for the rear seat should cover all airbags in the vehicel.

NHTSA ODI 11509739

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a rattling noise was heard underneath the vehicle. Additionally, water was entering the vehicle from the roof rack. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000 (Suspension), 21V537000 (Suspension), and 21V316000 (Structure). The contact stated that after taking the vehicle to a local dealer for the recall repairs, he was made aware that there was no mechanic available to complete the needed recall repairs. The contact stated that he was rescheduled on two other occasions. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11509003

Ford issued a customer satisfaction program 21B11 regarding the 2nd row seat belt worn or damaged electrical connection which results in the air bag light illuminating. My vehicle is doing this after arguing with the dealership because they did not want to fix it. Only to get my vehicle scheduled on 01/24/23, and this expired on 1/21/23 so Ford will not pay to fix the problem

NHTSA ODI 11503342

Airbag light came on. Took the vehicle to local Ford Dealer, we we told it was a failure of the second row seatbelt inflator connectors. Initially told this would not affect the front airbags, so repair was unnecessary. We were going to forgo repair. When my son noticed the light was not "off", he questioned it. Learned that repair was necessary because all air bags on a "loop". After spending over $1000.00 for repair, we learned there is a TSB alert specifically for the 2016 Explorer, apparently the way Ford configures the wires causes them to fail.

NHTSA ODI 11500195

My 2016 Ford Explorer air bag warning light come on with under 85,000 miles. I took it to the dealership and it was diagnosed with the code B141B/B141C as an issue with the wiring harness regarding the second row inflatable seat belt.

NHTSA ODI 11494716

My airbag light on the dash came on after starting the vehicle and will not go off. I took it to a Ford dealership and was told it was the wiring that goes to the 2nd row airbags and I would need to replace the wiring harness. The cost was estimated $1260.00. I purchased an extended warranty for the vehicle that covered electrical but was told it would not be covered because it went to the airbag and airbags are not covered. I have looked into this airbag problem and it seems this has been an issue for the vehicle for years. If the airbags do not work that is a safety issue and Ford is not doing anything about it. With as many complaints this has and for the safety concern something needs to be done. I can not afford $1200 to fix something that Ford has not bothered to fix for its customers.

NHTSA ODI 11491623

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 71 MPH, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 138,400.

NHTSA ODI 11485725

Air bag dashboard light turned in January 2022 until now part is back order. Secondly over heating problems at 60 mph on July 16, 2022 I was told it was the cooling fans and was fixed and didn’t fixed the problem now I was told is the active grilled shutters malfunctioning

NHTSA ODI 11483394

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved a fault code for the second-row seat air bag sensor. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477422

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall for the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000.

NHTSA ODI 11469743

Airbag light on dash came on right after 100k mile warranty. I had Ford repair it and paid out of pocket, because I have a family and I would like to be safe. The issue has come back less than 4 months later and based on multiple online complaints, it seems to be never ending. How is Ford getting away with this? Is it going to take losing loved ones or a big media/lawsuit scandal? This is unacceptable, how is our government entities protecting consumers in these cases?

NHTSA ODI 11467904

Front passenger seat safety and airbag system. Problem was diagnosed several times at the service Dept of my Ford Dealer. The final diagnosis indicated that a part in the seat called a bladder is not working properly and needs to be replaced for the PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG TO WORK. This issue deserves further review for several reasons. There is a dash light that indicates when the front passenger airbag is ON vs OFF. I rarely have a passenger except when we go on trips my wife occupies the seat. She happened to notice that the OFF light was lit. She weights 125 lbs. When I sit in the seat (150lbs) the ON light comes on. Obviously this is a safety issue that must be repaired. The repair estimate is $2527.20. Unfortunately the problem was not discovered during my warranty period. I reported the problem to FORD Motor Co. I found numerous posts on the internet from people complaining about this issue. I think this problem should come under the guides of a safety recall. In the event it is useful, following is my most recent FORD Motor Co. Customer Service case No. [XXX] My contact info: [XXX] emaddr: [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). Consumer recently had his Ford Explorer reported, had the safety problem repaired. The dealer gave the consumer failed component and explained what was found in the repair.

NHTSA ODI 11461431

The airbag light came on. We took it to a dealer to diagnose. They found that the fault was in the 2nd row seat inflator. The following is from the dealer repair invoice: "Checked DTC's: B141C is present for 2nd row inflator fault. Followed PPT. found needs C3133 & C3134 replaced both due to pin fittment. Will require to replace both. Removed and replaced connector and eight air bag wires. Spliced in new harnesses. Re-route harness on seat bottom." Everything seemed fine after that but you can't really 'test' whether the airbags will go off or not. Is this related to all of the other airbag problems? The car is not that old (2016) with only 67931 miles at the time so seems strange that this type of issue should occur. I felt that it was worth reporting.

NHTSA ODI 11457099

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon the start of her vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where they linked her failure to a customer satisfaction program; however, her vehicle was not included. The program stated that due to a faulty wiring connection in the rear second-row seat, the air bag warning light may illuminate. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer but received no assistance; the manufacturer then referred her to NHTSA. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 11453584

Air bag warning light fluctuates on/off at times. Connection pins under rear passenger seat appears to be the cause. No contact of pins

NHTSA ODI 11448816

The airbag light comes on due to the connectors in the wiring harness used for the airbag and seatbelt restraint system. When the light is on the airbags will not deploy, making this a safety related issue. Ford has a technical service bulletin Ford TSB 16-0001 showing the issue. This is not covered for repair and the cost is $900.00 to $1100.00 per side (there are two sides) to replace the wire harness and connectors. https://www.tsbsearch.com/Ford/16-0001

NHTSA ODI 11447116

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that starting the vehicle, he noticed the airbag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact called the local dealer to schedule an appointment to have the vehicle inspected however, the dealer would not be able to inspect the vehicle for several weeks due to a staffing shortage. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of an error message with the driver’s side rear airbags. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11446366

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that previously the air bag warning light was illuminated however, the warning light disappeared independently. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the diagnostic trouble code: B141B was retrieved. The contact was informed that the connector for the second-row seats needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11441597

Air bag light came on and I took it to Vancouver Auto Group. Finding from diagnose electrical system include: RCM: B141B:13, checked oasis, TSB 16-0001 applies, checked behind second row seat and inspected connectors C3133 and C3133 and C3134, connectors have not yet been rerouted and replaced, recommended wire in new pigtails and reroute wiring harness in both seats and retest. Estimated cost is $1500. I researched and found over 50 other complaints of Ford Explorer owners with the same complaint. This should be recalled as it is not the vehicle owners fault that the connectors have failed and car needs rewired. This is not covered by extended warranty. This is a safety concern and is not being addressed by Ford.

NHTSA ODI 11435569

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the 2nd row seating air bag warning light was illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 39,000.

NHTSA ODI 11430431

Vehicle has a known airbag malfunction that is covered by a manufacturer published service bulletin. Ford and their Dealerships refuse to perform published safety service bulletin without charging for parts and labor. Ford and dealerships response to issue is that without the at owner cost repair of the faulty safety restraint, the entire safety system may not function. Bulletin is TSB 16-0001 Owners have no operable safety system unless paying to repair a known safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11429463

Vehicle displays airbag warning light. Dealership diagnostic test determined there is a faulty connection to the 2nd-row inflatable seatbelt sensor. Ford issued a service bulletin to replace the wire harness pigtail connection. When the airbag light is illuminated due to this faulty connection, all of the airbags in the vehicle are deactivated. Directly from site: Https://Ford.oemdtc.com/1203/air-bag-warning-light-illuminated-with-dtc-B141B-B141C-2014-2016-Ford-Explorer tsb 16-0001 airbag warning light illuminated with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) B141B and/or B141C. This is not normal wear and tear but a safety item design by Ford that has failed in the vehicle. Ford dealership claims that this is not warranty failure. Cost to repair $1085 plus $230 diagnostic test charge.

NHTSA ODI 11427827

My airbags light comes on and stays on someone's and I looked it up in my owners manual and it says to get it checked immediately due to a malfunction with the [XXX] bags. My problem is when I called them the light had went back out. Everytime it comes on and stays on I'm nowhere near my dealer. So it hasn't been checked out by them yet. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11423928

Air bag light came on randomly one day, diagnostics indicated it was an issue with the wiring harness under the rear passenger second-row seating. This area is inaccessible so accidental disconnection is unlikely. I was told that the airbags will not deploy in the event of an accident when the airbag light is on. This certainly was the case for me as the airbag light was on at the time I was in an accident with contact to my driver's side front bumper and the airbag did not deploy. My grievance is that this is a common issue that Ford is aware of and no recall has been put in place to fix it. It is unacceptable for a manufacturer to be aware of a problem and not fix it especially as it is costly to the consumer. Quoted $1,000+ for repair. Most importantly, it is a safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11421004

VEHICLE DISPLAYS AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT. DEALERSHIP STATED IT IS DUE TO ELECTRICAL CONNECTION UNDER REAR SEAT. COST TO REPAIR $700-1000. WHILE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. A INTERNET SEARCH YIELDED OVER 250 REPORTED CASES OF THIS EXACT ISSUE. DUE TO THE AIR BAGS NOT FUNCTIONING, THE COST OF THE REPAIR, AND THE FREQUENCY OF THIS VERY SPECIFIC BREAK, AND THE QUANTITY OF REPORTS,I QUESTION WHY FORD HAS NOT RECALLED THIS SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11415602