NHTSA Complaint #10669246 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

I PURCHASED A "CERTIFIED" USED 2011 EXPLORER BASE WITH 3500 MILES IN MARCH 2014 FROM FORD DEALER. AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN MAY AND STAYED ON STEADY...DEALER REPLACED MASTER MODULE (UNDER WARRANTY) AFTER A WEEK OF WORKING ON THE VEHICLE. AT THE TIME, THEY TOLD ME WHEN THE LIGHT WAS ON, IT INDICATED THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH AND THEY WOULD NOT LET ME HAVE THE VEHICLE BACK WHILE THEY WAITED FOR THE PART, A CLEAR INDICATION OF HOW SERIOUS THEY CONSIDERED THE PROBLEM. LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON THREE MORE TIMES SINCE (EVERY 6-8 WEEKS). EACH TIME SINCE, DEALER HAS "GREASED" ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS WHICH CAUSES THE LIGHT TO GO OFF ONLY TEMPORARILY. WHEN THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, WE ARE USUALLY DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOT PROTECTED BY THIS CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEM. ASIDE FROM THE EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION THIS POSES TO MY FAMILY, IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO BRING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER EVERY SEVERAL WEEKS TO HAVE THEM ONLY TEMPORARILY FIX THE ISSUE. BASED ON OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, I EXPECT THIS WILL CONTINUE FOR ME UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRES AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THE PROBLEM ANY LONGER. I APPROACHED THE DEALER'S GENERAL MANAGER AND MY REGIONAL FORD REP ABOUT BUYING THE VEHICLE BACK BUT THEY BOTH TOLD ME THEY WOULD ONLY GIVE ME WHAT THE VEHICLE WAS WORTH (WHICH WOULD PUT ME IN A LARGE FINANCIAL HOLE)... *JS