NHTSA Complaint #10081173 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT IN MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF US. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH PRIOR TO SLAMMING ON MY BRAKES. THE EMS DRIVER ESTIMATED IMPACT AT 40 MPH. MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED $6600+ IN DAMAGES TO THE FRONT END. NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE EMS DRIVER AND THE WRECKER SAID GIVEN THE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE EMS DRIVER ALSO SAID IT WAS TYPICAL OF A FORD TO HAVE THE AIR BAGS MALFUNCTION. I SUSTAINED NECK AND LOW BACK INJURIES INCLUDING DAMAGE TO 4 DISC IN MY SPINE ACCORDING TO THE MRI REPORT. MY DAUGHTER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HER RIGHT SHOULDER, RADIOLOGICAL TESTING IS SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS MONTH TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF HER PAIN AND LOSS OF MOTION. SHE HAS ALSO SUFFERED WITH LOW BACK PAIN. I ASKED THE MECHANIC RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS ON MY VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE ABOUT THE AIR BAGS AND WAS NOT GIVEN MUCH OF AN ANSWER. HE BASICALLY SAID THE DAMAGE DID NOT GO FAR ENOUGH INTO THE ENGINE AREA FOR THE SENSORS TO PICK UP THE CRASH. GIVEN THE DAMAGE TO MY FRONT END AND THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT OF MULTIPLE PARTS UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR AND THE INJURIES SUSTAINED I DID NOT FIND THIS TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER.*AK