2000 Ford Explorer Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2000 Ford Explorer, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 58,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (48% of reports).
- 62air bags complaints
- 58,000median miles at failure
- 28mention a crash
- 16mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 27%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 30 of 62 complaints (48%)
- Bags deployed: mentioned in 7 of 62 complaints (11%)
- Consumer involved: mentioned in 5 of 62 complaints (8%)
- Failed deploy: mentioned in 5 of 62 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 19 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 62 complaints, 28 mention a crash, 16 an injury.
Ford Explorer air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 5 | 5% | 23,977 |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | 40,000 |
| 2023 Explorer | 4 | 4% | 43,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 7 | 3% | 36,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 6,500 |
| 2020 Explorer | 5 | 0% | — |
| 2019 Explorer | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2018 Explorer | 11 | 2% | 1,200 |
| 2017 Explorer | 34 | 2% | 45,000 |
| 2016 Explorer | 99 | 4% | 51,500 |
| 2015 Explorer | 84 | 5% | 65,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 65,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 18 | 1% | 46,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 27 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 44 | 4% | 66,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 6 | 5% | 32,800 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 50,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 118,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 12 | 6% | 81,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 8 | 1% | 101,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 15 | 3% | 63,500 |
| 2004 Explorer | 39 | 3% | 109,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 50 | 4% | 102,517 |
| 2002 Explorer | 162 | 5% | 73,650 |
| 2001 Explorer | 28 | 7% | 58,740 |
| 2000 Explorer | 62 | 7% | 58,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 97 | 7% | 70,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 40 | 2% | 87,087 |
| 1997 Explorer | 27 | 2% | 105,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 41 | 3% | 139,928 |
| 1995 Explorer | 27 | 3% | 115,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Vehicle description: 4-door sport utility vehicles equipped with side air bags. The subject vehicles have a revised level side crash sensor that could deploy the side air bag if the ignition key is in the "run" position and the seatbelt webbing is forcibly extracted from a locked retractor with a jerking motion.
Risk: Inadvertent side air bag deployment could cause personal injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will replace the side crash sensors with a revised design that will reduce the likelihood of an unexpected side air bag deployment.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Driving at the correct speed limit swerved to avoid hitting deer that ran out into the road hit a covert had seatbelt on airbags came out before that something hit me in side of my right arm it hit my elbow so hard and fast my arm was flung outwards and upwards which broke out the passenger side…
I was driving slowly (35mph), regular speed limit on that road is 60. Roads were snowy and icy, another vehicle driving extremely fast for the road conditions, started to swerve head on in to my lane, I swerved to avoid a head on collision. In doing so, I hit ice, started doing a 360, the front end…
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. The contact stated that the warning indicator for the side air bags was illuminated for an extended period of time. The dealer was notified of the failure and indicated that the side crash sensor would need to be replaced with a revised designed part. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2000 Ford Explorers have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 62 owner complaints about air bags for the 2000 Ford Explorer (7% of the 952 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2000 Ford Explorer air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 58,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2000 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 30 of 62 complaints, followed by “bags deployed” (7).
Other 2000 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2000 Ford Explorer problems or air bags problems across all Explorer years.