Diagsheet

2014 Ford Focus · symptom sheet

Airbag warning light or recall

  • 28owner reports
  • 22,000median miles
  • 18involved a crash

Newest report Oct 6, 2023 · checked Sep 9, 2026

28 of the 2,448 complaints on this car describe airbag.

Tick what matches of 28 reports

7
2
10
3

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (6 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the airbags covers the 2014 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Focus

EA02-017opened Aug 16, 2002
Airbags · model years 2000 to 2001

Burn injuries due to air bag deployment. Closed aug 15, 2003.

NHTSA summary
ALL OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGE AN INCIDENT IN WHICH DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER FRONTAL AIR BAG CAUSED SOME TYPE OF BURN INJURY.MOST OF THESE INJURIES ARE DUE TO CONTACT AND/OR ABRASION WITH THE AIR BAG AND ARE OF RELATIVELY MINOR TO MODERATE SEVERITY.IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME DRIVERS MAY HAVE SUSTAINED BURN INJURIES TO THE SKIN AS A RESULT OF HOT GASES EXHAUSTING FROM THE VENTS OF THE AIR BAGS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, BUT THE NUMBER OF SUCH INCIDENTS APPEARS TO BE LOW.FURTHER DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTAINED IN SUBSEQUENT PAGES OF THIS REPORT.BASED ON THE ABOVE, FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY MAY TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE02-026opened Feb 28, 2002
Airbags · model years 2000 to 2001

Inappropriate air bag deployment. Closed sep 18, 2002.

NHTSA summary
There is no summary currently available
PE02-020opened Feb 11, 2002
Airbags · model years 2000 to 2001

Air bag burn injuries/vehicle fires. Closed aug 16, 2002.

NHTSA summary
INFORMATION DISCLOSED DURING THIS PE SHOWS ALLEGATIONS OF BURN INJURIES RESULTING FROM ABRASION AND/OR TERMAL CAUSES.ALLEGATIONS OF CHEMICAL BURNS ALSO EXIST.SEVERAL INCIDENTS ALLEGE VEHICLES FIRES RESULTING FROM DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS.THIS PE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA) TO FACILITATE A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE COMPLEX ISSUES IN THIS MATTER.

None of these investigations covers the 2014 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 13,000 and 63,000 miles, from the 19 reports that gave a mileage.

715
516
617
418
219
120
323

What owners wrote

“Unable to control vehicle in light rain conditions. Steering took me straight off the highway into a steel wire fence. Totalled the car with massive front end damage. Seat belt did not lock. Knocked window out with head during impact. The ONLY airbag to deploy was the knee airbag, shooting the hard plastic straight into my kneecap.”

Filed Oct 6, 2023

“mY TRANSMISSION SHUTTERS IN TRAFFIC AND FORD DEALERSHIP SAID THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE .WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK IT WAS DOING THE SAME THING. NOW THEY SAY IT IS UNDSER RECALL . THAT IT HAS BEEN FIXED.”

Filed Jul 19, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 18 of 28 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

Other problems on this car