2003 Ford Explorer Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 102,517 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (36% of reports).
- 50air bags complaints
- 102,517median miles at failure
- 28mention a crash
- 19mention an injury
- 0related 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 18 of 50 complaints (36%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 11 of 50 complaints (22%)
- Went off: mentioned in 6 of 50 complaints (12%)
- Required medical attention: mentioned in 5 of 50 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 34 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 50 complaints, 28 mention a crash, 19 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 (0)
No safety recall lists air bags for the 2003 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Vehicle was in motion, moving through an intersection on a city street and involved in an accident. No air bags deployed at all.
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…
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford explorer. While driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and the passenger side air bag immediately deployed without warning. The contact stated that the powdery dust from the deployed air bag clouded his vision and caused the vehicle to rear…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Explorers have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about air bags for the 2003 Ford Explorer (4% of the 1,131 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 2003 Ford Explorer air bags?
No recall currently lists air bags for this vehicle.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 102,517 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 18 of 50 complaints, followed by “bags deploy” (11).
Other 2003 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2003 Ford Explorer problems or air bags problems across all Explorer years.