On the way to New York State from Florida, the side airbag on my 2007 Ford Focus SE, 2.0 / 4 cylinder spontaneously deployed while the car was traveling 60-65 mph on interstate 81.
Within a couple of hours, I had the car to a Ford dealership. Testing determined that the airbag had deployed "properly." According to the Ford Hotline's reply to the dealership, "We are not aware of any common trends or concerns for this issue. Based on the B1231, the RCM received crash data and reacted normally." Therefore, the cost of repairs were not covered under any warranty.
It seems to me that the RCM received erroneous information. It doesn't make sense that an airbag could be considered as having deployed "normally" when it deploys without an incident and while the vehicle is coasting at highway speeds.
Although the vehicle had never been in an accident, it did encounter a significant pothole on Interstate 81 South, a week prior to the airbag incident, on the way TO Florida. With the recent recalls involving airbags and cars in southern climates, I can't help but wonder if subjecting the vehicle to the heat and humidity of the trip south was a significant contributor to the airbag deploying spontaneously on the trip home.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
On the way to New York State from Florida, the side airbag on my 2007 Ford Focus SE, 2.0 / 4 cylinder spontaneously deployed while the car was traveling 60-65 mph on interstate 81.
Within a couple of hours, I had the car to a Ford dealership. Testing determined that the airbag had deployed "properly." According to the Ford Hotline's reply to the dealership, "We are not aware of any common trends or concerns for this issue. Based on the B1231, the RCM received crash data and reacted normally." Therefore, the cost of repairs were not covered under any warranty.
It seems to me that the RCM received erroneous information. It doesn't make sense that an airbag could be considered as having deployed "normally" when it deploys without an incident and while the vehicle is coasting at highway speeds.
Although the vehicle had never been in an accident, it did encounter a significant pothole on Interstate 81 South, a week prior to the airbag incident, on the way TO Florida. With the recent recalls involving airbags and cars in southern climates, I can't help but wonder if subjecting the vehicle to the heat and humidity of the trip south was a significant contributor to the airbag deploying spontaneously on the trip home.
- bridgetgny, Binghamton, NY, US