2002 Lincoln Town Car Air Bags & Restraints Problems

ON 01/12/2019 I WAS TRAVELING STRAIGHT DOWN A LEVEL COUNTRY ROAD WITH 1 PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AT ABOUT 45 MPH WHEN FOR NO REASON THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. AFTER REGAINING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO CALM DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED AND CLEAR ALL THE SMOKE FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE AIR BAG. MY FRIEND IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS SORE BUT NOT INJURED AND BOTH OUR EARS WERE RINGING. IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN FIRED IN THE CAR. I CALL LINCOLN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOT ANY RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND DUE TO ITS AGE THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE TO GET IT REPAIRED. THE SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT IS ALL TORE APART.

TAKATA RECALL ? MY WIFE AND FRIEND DRIVING 30 MPH IN NO TRAFFIC, AND THE DRIVERS SEAT AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE. SHE SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT AND THE YELLOW BAG CAME OUT OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A COUNTRY ROAD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000. UPDATED 12/30/14*LJ UPDATED 05/27/2015 *JS

THE DRIVER SIDE SAFETY BELT ON MY 2002 LINCOLN TOWN CAR NO LONGER LATCHES AND APPEARS TO BE LOCKED PREVENTING THE SEAT BELT FROM BEING CONNECTED/LATCHED. THE DASH BOARD SEAT BELT INDICATOR (NORMALLY LIT UP WHEN A SEAT BELT IS NOT ATTACHED) DOES NOT LIGHT UP. THIS PROBLEM STARTED ONLY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND CONTINUES. THIS CAR HAVE LESS THAN 48,000 MILES AND IS USED TO DRIVE TO WORK AND BACK. BECAUSE I AM UNABLE TO LATCH MY DRIVER SEAT BELT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND I WANTED TO REPORT IT TO YOUR AGENCY. AS OF THIS WRITING I HAVE NOT HAD A FORD SERVICE REP LOOK AT THIS, BUT INTEND TO SHORTLY. BECAUSE I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN MY CAR INTO A FORD SERVICE CENTER FOR EXAMINATION I AM UNABLE TO REPORT WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE OR PARTS NEEDED/REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A POTHOLE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 154,000. UPDATED 5/27/09 *CN

ON THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2007, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY LINCOLN TOWN CAR APPROXIMATELY 55 MILES PER HOUR. FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE PASSENGER RIGHT SIDE AIRBAG INFLATED. ALSO CAUSING INJURIES TO MY DAUGHTER, INJURIES INCLUDES A BRUISED EAR DRUM AND AN ASTHMA ATTACK. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR THE 2ND TIME. ON EACH INCIDENT, THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40-45 MPH ON A DRY COUNTRY ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT GRAVEL CAUSED THE DEPLOYMENT. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO SAID THERE WAS A DING ON THE BELLY PAN OF THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE ARE NO MARKS ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO EITHER INCIDENT. THE PASSENGER WAS INJURED WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. UPDATED 09/05/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON A DRY HIGHWAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HEAD ON CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. NEITHER THE PASSENGER NOR DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES SUSTAINED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. SEAT BELTS WERE WORN DURING THE INCIDENT AND FUNCTIONED PROPERLY.

TRAVELING AT 65 OR 70 MPH ON A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY LAST SUMMER, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED (CAUSING PAIN, BRUISING, ETC. BUT NOTHING APPARENTLY PERMANENT - NO PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM HAS EVER BEEN CONTEMPLATED). IT WAS SHOCKING IN THAT THERE WAS NO CRASH OF ANY KIND. THE PASSENGER THOUGHT THE BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THE DRIVER, NOT BEING CERTAIN, HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT SOME OBJECT (E.G., A SMALL PIECE OF TIRE RUBBER) WAS KICKED UP AGAINST THE CAR FROM THE ROADWAY. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF ANY IMPACT WITH ANYTHING. THE BAG TORE PART OF THE LEATHER SEAT (BEYOND THE SEAM). THIS OCCURRED NEAR THE 5 YEAR POINT RE: WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, SEEMED RESPONSIVE AT FIRST AND ASKED THAT WE TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. I DID SO, AND WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT FORD INFORMED THEM IT WAS REFERRED TO THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND, THUS, THEY COULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT, LET ALONE REPAIR IT. THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TOOK SEVERAL WEEKS TO ULTIMATELY SEND A LETTER STATING THEY HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY. OUR INSURANCE CARRIER IS UNCERTAIN AS TO HOW TO HANDLE THE CLAIM. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN THIS LINCOLN TOWN CAR IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. IS THIS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THIS MODEL, ETC.? WHAT RECOURSE DO WE HAVE AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY FOR FAILURE TO FULFILL ITS MORAL AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE THE AIR BAG AND REPAIR THE SEAT? IS THERE NOT A FEDERAL AGENCY THAT CAN BE HELPFUL IN SUCH MATTERS? NOTE: THE DAMAGE OCCURRED IN EARLY JUNE, 2006 (ENTERED 1ST BELOW TO ALLOW FOR TRANSMISSION OF CLAIM). *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING LEFT, THE VEHICLE WAS HIT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE DOOR HOWEVER THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION BEFORE THE CRASH THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY OTHER THAN THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY FOR SOME TIME. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED HOWEVER; NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO WHY THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR CAUSING IT TO HIT A METAL FENCE. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THE CONTACT TO NOTIFY FORD MOTOR COMPANY, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE. THE VEHICLE HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE, HOWEVER INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AND THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED.

(1) 2002 LINCOLN TOWN CAR, VIN# [XXX] WITH APPROXIMATELY 76,000 MILES AND OUT ORIGINAL WARRANTY. NO PREVIOUS WARNINGS WERE GIVEN. (2) PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WITHOUT BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT OR IMPACT. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON A GRAVEL COUNTY ROAD IN COTTON COUNTY, OKLAHOMA. WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, IT FRIED THE SENSOR ASSEMBLY CONTROL AND THE SAB SENSOR. IT ALSO RIPPED THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BACK AND SIDE OF SEAT. ESTIMATE AT BODY SHOP CAME UP WITH $1,506.00 DAMAGES AND I HAD TO PAY THEM $ 73.98 TO RUN TEST ON AIR BAG SYSTEM. AT PRESENT, NONE OF THE OTHER AIR BAGS ARE WORKING NOW BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. THIS ACCORDING TO FORD DEALER SERVICE AND BODY SHOPS. (3) EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH DIFFERENT COMPANY THAN FORD. EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY SAID IT WOULD REPLACE IF FORD DEALER WOULD RUN TEST ON CAR AND FOUND FAULT WITH AIR BAG SYSTEM. BILLINGSLEY FORD OF LAWTON, OKLAHOMA RAN TEST ON THIS CAR AND CAME UP WITH CONCLUSION THAT AIR BAG WAS WORKING PROPERLY. EXTENDED WARRANTY ADVISED ME TO CALL MY CAR INSURANCE CARRIER. I HAVE DONE THIS AND I AM WAITING ON THEIR DECISION. CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. *JB UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

CONTACT STATES VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING DOWN A DIRT ROAD AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER.*AK THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE AIR BAG REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. *NM

AT APPROX. 8 PM ON SAT. OCT.9 MY WIFE AND I WERE RETURNING HOME, TRAVELING ON RT. 95 NORTHBOUND IN THE CENTER LANE OF 3, GOING AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH. WITHOUT WARNING THE SIDE AIR BAG ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DEPLOYED.LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS ON EITHER SIDE OF US,AND WE MANAGED TO GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL AND OFF THE HIGHWAY.WE INSPECTED THE CAR AND COULD NOT FIND ANY DAMAGE.ALTHOUGH WE WERE PRETTY SHOOK UP,WE WERE NOT INJURED(DUE TO THE LACK OF TRAFFIC).AFTER SEVERAL CALMING MINUTES WE CONTINUED TO OUR HOME.OUR CAR IS A 2002 LINCOLN TOWN CAR.WE TOOK THE CAR TO WHERE WE PURCHASED AND SERVICED THE CAR(WALLACE LINCOLN/MERCURY/VOLVO-3801 SE FEDERAL HIGHWAY,STUART FL 34997,772-283-6000)ON MONDAY(WE HAVE AN ORIGINAL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY CONTRACT).WALLACE GAVE US A RENTAL CAR AND SAID THEY WOULD CHECK IT OUT.THE NEXT DAY WALLACE SERVICE MGR.(RUSS ELLIS)REPORTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR EXCEPT FOR THE UNEXPLAINED DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG.SINCE THE WARRANTY WAS WITH FORD,A FORD ENGINEER HAD TO COME TO INSPECT THE CAR.FINALLY ON OCT. 20 HE CAME AND REPORTED A SMALL DENT ON THE CAR UNDERSIDE WAS THE RESULT OF RUNNING OVER SOMETHING WHICH CAUSED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG.WALLACE THEREFORE STATED THEY WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS BECAUSE OF FORD REPORT.WE VISITED WALLACE TO INSPECT "DENT",AND COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD RESULT IN DEPLOYMENT.COMPLAINED TO GM AND SERVICE ADVISOR WHO EXPRESSED SYMPATHY AND AGREED TO CONTACT FORD UPPER-LEVEL.NO REPLY AS YET,BUT WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE NEGATIVE.THIS IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY PROBLEM-DEPLOYMENT OF SIDE AIRBAGS WITHOUT A SIDE IMPACT IS DANGEROUS.UNDER CAR IMPACTS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS-EVEN DEATHS.*AK

FRONTAL COLLISION 50MPH, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON MY 2002 LINCOLN TOWNCAR. MY INSURANCE CO. SAID CAR IS TOTAL LOSS ACCIDENT & NOT REPAIRABLE, WHEN I CONTACTED TO MY LOCAL FORD/LINCOLN DEALER & THE COMPANY ITSELF, I ASK MY CAR IS TOTAL LOSS & NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THEY SAID SOMEONE WILL GET BACK TO YOU SOON, AFTER 6 MONTHS NO ONE GET BACK TO ME, BUT INSURANCE CO PAID THE CAR. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. THE FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND AS A RESULT THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A PAINFUL BRUISE OVER THE LEFT ANTERIOR RIB CAGE. THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FRONTAL IMPACT BUT THE DRIVER BELIEVES THE AIR BAG FAILURE MAY BE DUE TO THE POSITIONING OF THE AIR BAG SENSOR. *AK *SCC *NLM

WHILE DRIVING THE PASSENGER SIDE, SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS *DT

IN A FRONTAL COLLISON, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON IMPACT. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT FORD DID SEND SOMEONE TO CHECK OUT THE SYSTEM, AND THEY SAID THAT ALL THE SENSORS WERE WORKING. THERE'S OVER $10K WORTH OF DAMAGE IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE SAID IT WAS NOT HIT WITHIN 27 PERCENT RADIUS OF THE CENTER. BUT WITH THE IMPACT, THEY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. *SCC

WHILE DRIVING 30MPH INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK