Ford Escape Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 616 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Ford Escape across 26 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (79). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (35% of reports).
- 616air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 280mention a crash
- 205mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- $680typical repair cost reported by owners
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 215 of 616 complaints (35%)
- Seat belt: mentioned in 70 of 616 complaints (11%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 59 of 616 complaints (10%)
- Medical attention: mentioned in 43 of 616 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the Ford Escape at $680, and half of them between $480 and $920.
Based on 31 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2022), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 395 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 616 complaints, 280 mention a crash, 11 a fire, 205 an injury.
Ford Escape air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 6 | 8% | 118,000 |
| 2023 Escape | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2022 Escape | 4 | 2% | 34,000 |
| 2021 Escape | 2 | 1% | 3,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 13 | 1% | 12,700 |
| 2019 Escape | 11 | 2% | 40,500 |
| 2018 Escape | 9 | 0% | 59,381 |
| 2017 Escape | 21 | 1% | 47,634 |
| 2016 Escape | 24 | 2% | 46,617 |
| 2015 Escape | 17 | 2% | 60,500 |
| 2014 Escape | 32 | 2% | 45,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 54 | 2% | 30,705 |
| 2012 Escape | 25 | 4% | 43,492 |
| 2011 Escape | 26 | 2% | 65,000 |
| 2010 Escape | 14 | 1% | 65,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 14 | 1% | 23,435 |
| 2008 Escape | 31 | 2% | 68,119 |
| 2007 Escape | 12 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2006 Escape | 17 | 4% | 62,816 |
| 2005 Escape | 34 | 2% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Escape | 45 | 9% | 75,704 |
| 2003 Escape | 60 | 11% | 71,349 |
| 2002 Escape | 79 | 8% | 58,393 |
| 2001 Escape | 63 | 6% | 76,500 |
| 2000 Escape | 1 | 20% | 33,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (6)
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel; air bags:frontal
Model years: 2024, 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Escape vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel cover may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: During air bag deployment, the air bag cover may break and project fragments into the vehicle, or the air bag may deploy improperly, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger side instrument panel cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C38.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2020
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Escape and Transit vehicles. The affected vehicles may have an improperly crimped diffuser in the side curtain air bags which may result in the diffuser detaching from the inflator in the event of an air bag deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the diffuser detaches from the inflator during air bag deployment, the curtain air bag may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side curtain air bag modules, free of charge. An interim letter notifying owners of the safety risk was mailed August 3, 2020. The recall began January 11, 2021. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S35.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2018
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
Risk: If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S44.
Air bags:knee bolster
Model years: 2016
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Ford Escape vehicles. The driver's knee airbag modules installed in these vehicles were produced without the inflator gas generant material, and, as a result, the air bags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the driver's knee air bag does not inflate as intended, the driver has an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace driver's knee air bag, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C11.
Seat belts; air bags:side/window
Model years: 2013, 2014
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.
Risk: The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S21.
Air bags:side/window; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2013, 2014
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 C-MAX, and Escape vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the restraint control module (RCM) may have errors in the programming software which may result in a delayed deployment of the side-curtain rollover air bag.
Risk: If the side-curtain rollover air bag is delayed in deploying in certain rollover circumstances, the risk of injury to the passengers is increased.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RCM, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S04.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My air bag light is reporting - Your Air Bag Warning is on due to an issue with the front passenger air bag system. The front passenger airbag may not work properly. This light came on last week. This first appeared on 9/14. Also, I have another failure light reporting my seat belt is…
I was driving on US highway 221B I got a cramp pain in my left leg and I grabbed it and looked down. When I looked up I hit the guard rail on the right side of the road and then it bounced me to the left side and hit it . No air bags deployed !
The contact owned a 2012 Ford Escape. While driving in a parking lot at approximately 18-20 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, and the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle struck a fence and an apartment building. The air bags did not deploy. The contact…
When there is a seat belt fault, it disables the airbags from going off, even though the seat belts are all engaged
Got in a wreck so bad it be t the frame she hit head on a d had seatbelt on and smacked her head on the dash the other cars airbags deployed hers did not
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Escapes have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 616 owner complaints about air bags for the Ford Escape. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Escape air bags?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the Ford Escape?
Owners report a typical cost of $680 (half paid between $480 and $920), from 31 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 215 of 616 complaints, followed by “seat belt” (70).
Other Ford Escape problems
- Engine problems (7,208)
- Power Train problems (4,655)
- Steering problems (3,945)
- Electrical System problems (2,525)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (2,331)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (2,298)
- Structure problems (2,296)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (1,834)
See all Ford Escape problems.