59 complaints reported

2016 Ford Explorer Air Bags

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
59
Crashes
5
Fires
0
Injuries
3

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Aug 2025

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2025
Feb 2025

The rear seats in my 2016 ford explorer platinum have a know air bag issue that ford said is not a safety issue when addressed. It is a know issue by ford and they refuse to fix it because it is not under recall. The air bag light illuminate due to a worn or damaged connection to the rear inflatable seat belt connector which in turn will cause the rear airbags to not deploy during an accident.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2022
Dec 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure was related to the front passenger's side seat and the second-row rear passenger's side seat. The mechanic plugged an unknown wiring; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Dec 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently, however, the failure had occurred three times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Sep 2024

Air Bag light on. Per Dealer service center diagnostics, driver side air bag module FB5Z*78043B13*AA defective. Module replaced, however air bag light on persists. Additional diagnostic determined that air bag clockspring component defective.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2024
Mar 2024

As I was driving the vehicle the airbags deployed without a collision. I was in the car with my wife and 2 month old son. Had we been going full speed it could've been much worse than it was. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The car has not been inspected in any way. The insurance company is currently attempting to deny the claim based on pictures alone. There were no warning lamps prior to the airbag deployment regarding the airbags. We did not hit another car. I was able to stop the car in the middle of the onramp.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2024
Mar 2024 Crash

The passenger side knee airbag went off in an accident causing my dad to have severe lacerations to both legs and a sprained ankle. Those were his only injuries from the accident. All caused by one airbag. There is a good chance he will need a skin graft on one of his legs. The emt and firefighters all said that they have never seen an airbag down there and loon like that. What it did to his legs is horrible. And should have never of happened.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Jan 2024

2016 Ford Explorer. the air bag warning light was illuminated it was coming off and on and now stays on. took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall for the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Nov 2023 Crash Injury

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while crossing an intersection at 35 MPH, another driver crashed on the driver's side of the vehicle resulting in a T-bone collision. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Both driver-side doors failed to open after the accident and special equipment was used by the authorities to extract the contact from the vehicle. The contact was taken to the hospital and was treated for minor scrapes, bruises, and soreness. The other driver sustained lacerations to the abdomen from the seat belt and also sought medical treatment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2023
Sep 2023

In July 2023 my airbag light appeared on my instrument panel. I checked seat belts but all was good. I had the ford dealer diagnose and they said that the rear seat belt airbag was out of compliance. I am the original owner of the vehicle and asked if this was under any recall or TSB. They checked and said that it was no longer under any repair order and that it would cost me approx. $1100 to fix. They also said that no air bags would work in my vehicle and that they could not just turn the light off on the instrument panel. My vehicle is available for inspection and repair. I no longer feel safe for myself, my wife or my grandchildren riding in the vehicle. The airbags are critical safety feature and should last the life of the vehicle. My vehicle sits in the garage mostly and only has approx. 67000 miles.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2023
Aug 2023

Recently noticed a yellow airbag light appearing on the instrument panel. Took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that there was previously a recall for this issue, and that a repair was performed. However, the issue has now resurfaced. We are afraid to continue driving the vehicle in this condition, as we feel that it would put us at risk. Dealer refuses to pay for the repair, claiming that the recall 'expired' in January 2023. Hoping that the NHTSA can assist me in resolving this issue, since there is nothing that I as a consumer could have done differently to prevent this, yet the dealer is demanding that I pay to fix it. Thank you.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2023
Jul 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel, causing the deactivation of all the other air bags. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the seat belt wiring harness and seat belt pretensioner on the second row. The vehicle was repaired three times for the same failure, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2022
May 2023

Air bag warning light illuminated with diagnostic trouble code B141B and/or B141C as listed in Ford TSB 15-0113. Independent service center identified the problem and confirmed that the circuit / wires had been severed and the airbag would not have deployed. The independent service center let me know that our safety was at risk and that we should definitely have the repair completed prior to putting the vehicle back on the road. They also are the ones that made us aware of the Ford technical service bulletin and that the problem had never been made into a company recall. The component has not been inspected by Ford, however the independent service center followed Fords recommendation for repair. I have been working with the Ford Corporation who told me that the service center would reimburse me for the repair. However, the Ford service center said that the repair was done outside the dates of the released Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) 21B11. In addition they notified me that my vehicle was outside the "build-date" that was covered under the CSP. However, it is obvious through research that the problem still exists. The CSP was in effect from January 21, 2021 to January 21, 2023 . The repair we had done by the independent service center was performed on January 30, 2023. This only days after the program ended. I explained to the Ford service center that this was an ongoing problem even in some newer models of Ford vehicles. It is documented all over the internet that this problem has persisted since 2015 and Ford has still not made it into an official recall. In addition, I told them an emergency repair is defined as when a vehicle needs a repair to ensure no one gets injured during use of the vehicle, and an emergency part is defined as a component or part that is essential to ensure no one gets injured during the use of the vehicle. They still refused to reimburse me for the repair. Ford corporation recommended I file this complaint.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Apr 2023

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Mar 2023

Courtesy Ford in Rome Georgia refused to resolve the 2nd row airbag issue covered under CSP 21B11 during a known air bag light issue while in their service department in 12/22. Dealer has been non responsive, Ford Customer Relations has placed negative feedback against the dealership, however there currently is no resolve.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2022
Feb 2023

The contact owns 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the passenger’s side air bag wiring harness was faulty. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2023
Jan 2023

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2020
Nov 2022

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2022
Oct 2022

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2022
Sep 2022

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2022
Jul 2022

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?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2022
Jun 2022

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2022
May 2022

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2021
Apr 2022

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2022
Mar 2022

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2021

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2016 Ford Explorer has 59 Air Bags complaints on file. 5 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.