NHTSA Complaint #10455553 — 2003 FORD ESCAPE

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT REPEATEDLY FLASHES WARNING CODE#47. LIC MECH CAN CLEAN CONNECTOR CONTACTS AND RESET COMPUTER CODE BUT IF WON'T RESET, BAG(S) MAY NOT DEPLOY. MECH ADVISES PROB IS WELL KNOWN OCCURRENCE W/ 1999-2005 FORD ESCAPES. CODES#46/47 (DRIVERS SEAT/RT FRT PASSENGER SEAT) APPEARING AS A RESULT OF ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESSES FOR AIRBAG/PRETENSIONER SEAT BELT SYSTEM. ONLY FIX IF LIGHT STAYS ON AND CAN'T BE RESET IS TO REPLACE WIRE HARNESSES; COST $550+ (MUST REMOVE SEATS, PULL UP CARPET TO GAIN ACCESS TO HARNESS AND REPLACE SAME) . NHTSA INVESTIGATED ISSUE IN 1999 (ACTION# SQ99026 NOV.'99-MAY.-2000) BUT CLOSED CASE WITH NO FURTHER ACTION. INTERNET INQUIRY INDICATES LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT ABOVE AND ALSO FAILURE OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IN ACCIDENTS. INTERNET INDICATES ISSUE INVOLVES MAZDA TRIBUTES ALSO AS FORD ASSOCIATED WITH MAZDA AND USES SAME HARNESS AND SYSTEM. FORD APPARENTLY HAS A REPLACEMENT HARNESS TO FIX PROBLEM BUT OWNERS MUST PAY FOR PART AND LABOR AS FORD DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE DEFECTIVE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. *JS