NHTSA Complaint #10384158 — 2003 FORD EXPEDITION

THIS EVENT OCCURRED DECEMBER 2008. WE WERE HEADING TO A DINNER, PULLED ONTO GEORGE BUSH TURNPIKE FROM HWY 114 IN IRVING, TX. THE ROADWAY IS FLAT, OUR SPEED WAS ACCELERATING TO GET ONTO THE FREEWAY FROM AN ENTRANCE RAMP. AS WE WERE MERGING ONTO GB TURNPIKE WE HEARD A LOUD BANG, OUR SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED....FOR NO REASON. WE WERE SHOCKED. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT MAYBE SOMEONE HIT US. WE EVEN THOUGHT MAYBE SOMEONE SHOT AT OUR VEHICLE, THEN WE REALIZED THE AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED. FORTUNATELY, NEITHER OF US WERE SITTING WITH OUR HEADS OR ARMS NEAR THE WINDOWS TO BE INJURED BY THE DEPLOYMENT. WE CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, HOWEVER THEY TOLD US THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR US. WE CONTACTED OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING, SO WE SET UP AN APPOINTMENT FOR THEM TO LOOK AT OUR VEHICLE. THEY CALLED A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FORD TO COME AND INSPECT IT. BASED ON THE READING BY THE "COMPUTER", IT INDICATED THAT OUR VEHICLE HAD ENCOUNTERED AN "IMPENDING ROLL-OVER". WE DISPUTED THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SUCH IMPENDING ROLLOVER, NOR WAS THERE ANY SWERVING, ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE EVEN BEEN CONSIDERED SOMETHING TO HAVE CAUSED THIS SITUATION. FORD WOULD DO NOTHING BECAUSE THE COMPUTER INDICATED THERE WAS AN IMPENDING ROLLOVER IT WAS DEEMED OUR FAULT, NOT A FAULTY COMPUTER. WE CONTACT FORD CORPORATE, THEY TREATED US AS THOUGH WE WERE JUST PEOPLE WANTING SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. WE WANTED OUR VEHICLE REPAIRED DUE TO THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. THEY WOULD NOT RELENT, THE COMPUTER INDICATED IT WAS OUR FAULT, THEREFORE AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED WAS. WE SENT OUR COMPLAINT TO YOUR ORGANIZATION THE FIRST PART OF 2009, THERE WAS NEVER ANY ACTION TAKEN. SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE WE HAVE HEARD OF THIS SAME ISSUE WITH OTHER VEHICLES. NOW, THE GOVERNMENT HAS STEPPED IN DUE TO THESE PROBLEMS, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR VEHICLE PLACED IN WITH THE RECALL WITH THE F150'S TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. *TR