NHTSA Complaint #10185136 — 2000 FORD WINDSTAR

ON MY 2000 FORD WINDSTAR MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND FLASHING A CODE. I ASKED A FRIEND THAT WORKS AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHAT THIS CODE MEANT AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS A SHORT IN MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I SAID SOMETHING TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT AT A CONFERENCE HE ATTENDED THEY WERE TOLD THAT ON SAFETY EQUIPMENT LIKE AIRBAGS THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND ASKED THE SHOP MANAGER ABOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON AIRBAGS AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO SUCH THING AND THEY ARE COVERED THE SAME AS THE VEHICLE WARRANTY WHICH IS 60,000 MILES. AS OF TODAY MY VAN HAS ABOUT 118,000 MILES ON IT SO I AM WELL BEYOND THE WARRANTY. IS THERE AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY ON SAFETY EQUIPMENT? I WAS ALSO WONDERING SINCE THIS IS A SHORT IN MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG CAN THAT AIRBAG DEPLOY WITHOUT BEING IN A CRASH. I ASK THIS BECAUSE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTERS SIT UP FRONT WITH ME ALL THE TIME AND I WOULD HATE FOR IT TO EXPLODE IN THEIR FACE WITHOUT ANY WARNING, JUST BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO GET THE SHORT FIXED. *JB