2016 Ford Explorer Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2016 Ford Explorer, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 51,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (45% of reports).
- 99air bags complaints
- 51,500median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 48%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 45 of 99 complaints (45%)
- Wiring harness: mentioned in 15 of 99 complaints (15%)
- 2ND row: mentioned in 12 of 99 complaints (12%)
- B141B B141C: mentioned in 8 of 99 complaints (8%)
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 2016 Ford Explorer at $1,200, and half of them between $860 and $1,450.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2019–2025), 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 62 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 99 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 5 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 2016 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.
Description of Incident: The driver, [XXX] , was idling on a road near Lake Murray when her vehicle was rear-ended. Despite the force of the impact requiring Ms. [XXX] to be rushed to the hospital, the vehicleâs airbags failed to deploy. Post-Accident Concerns: Following the collision, the CEO of…
I have an airbag light on as well as the 2nd row inflatable seatbelt has stopped working. I took it into the dealership and they said it was generating codes B141B and B141C. Ford issued a Customer satisfaction program 21B11 specifically to fix this problem in 2022 but it expired less than a year…
air bag light illumination on occasion, ford confirmed and suggested $1000 repair. seems like a safety issue that is a manufacturer defect. vehicle has been maintained and rear seat rarely used.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Ford Explorers have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 99 owner complaints about air bags for the 2016 Ford Explorer (4% of the 2,461 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 2016 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 51,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2016 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,200 (half paid between $860 and $1,450), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2016 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 45 of 99 complaints, followed by “wiring harness” (15).
Other 2016 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2016 Ford Explorer problems or air bags problems across all Explorer years.