NHTSA Complaint #10467986 — 2004 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR

WHILE DRIVING NORTH ON AR HWY 9 A FEW MILES SOUTH OF MALVERN, ARKANSAS WITH MY WIFE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND MY SON IN THE SECOND ROW DIRECTLY BEHIND ME, A LOUD BANG OCCURRED. IN THE NEXT MOMENTS I REALIZED THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE, A SMELL LIKE FIREWORKS BECAME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR WAS DESTROYED AND HANGING DOWN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AT AN ANGLE. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND STAY IN MY LANE OF THE TWO-LANE HIGHWAY AND SLOWED DOWN. AFTER SHORTLY REALIZING WHAT HAPPENED, I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO PULL OVER, DID SO, AND TOOK MY POCKET KNIFE AND CUT AWAY THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE SIDE WINDOWS AND CONTINUE OUR TRIP NORTH. I FOUND THE DRIVER'S VISOR VANITY MIRROR HAD SHATTERED IN PIECES IN MY LAP AND ON THE FLOOR, ALONG WITH OTHER PARTS FROM THE VISOR WHICH NOW HUNG DOWN AT A STEEP ANGLE. BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELTS WERE DAMAGED, AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT UPPER ANCHOR WOULD NO LONGER STAY LOCKED IN POSITION, SAGGING TO ITS LOWEST POSITION BY GRAVITY. LATER THAT DAY I DISCOVERED THAT THE MAP LIGHTS AND PASSENGER SIDE VISOR VANITY MIRROR LIGHT NO LONGER WORKED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER NEAR WHERE I WAS STAYING, WHO TOLD ME THAT IT (AIR BAG SYSTEM) WAS NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY. I THEN MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY HOMETOWN DEALER TO FURTHER RESOLVE THE ISSUE, AND ALSO INSTIGATED A CASE WITH THE LINCOLN CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER TO SEE IF THEY WOULD HELP. *TR