NHTSA Complaint #10240355 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER THE SAME DAY AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE SIDE AIRBAG PROBLEM. THE TESTING CODE WAS 1998. THEY CHARGED ME $903.45 TO FIX IT ON AUGUST 30, 2007. ON AUGUST 23, 2008 THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED FLASHING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I CALLED THE FORD DEALER AND TOOK IT RIGHT IN. WAS TOLD THE PART THEY REPLACED HAD GONE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. OF COURSE THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART AND THAT TOOK THREE DAYS. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON THE AIRBAGS DON?T WORK. THIS HAPPENED SIX DAYS BEFORE THE ONE YEAR WARRANTY RAN OUT AND THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY BEEN 4,100 MILES SINCE THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE PART WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME ON AUGUST 27, 2008 UNDER THE ONE YEAR WARRANT PERIOD. THE WORK WAS PERFORMED SO POORLY THAT I HAVE NO FAITH THE AIRBAGS WILL WORK IF I EVER NEED THEM. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE FORD DEALER AND SHOWED THEM THAT THE WIRING FOR THE SIDE AIRBAG WAS POKING OUT THE BACK OF THE SEAT AND THE AIR BAG REALLY WASN'T ON THE SIDE IT WAS MORE OF A BACKSEAT AIRBAG NOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE TO LEAVE IT WITH THE DEALER AGAIN TO FIX IT. I HAVE SEEN THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE AIRBAGS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN FORD IS GOING TO STEP UP AND ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR