Air Bag Light / Seat Belt Warning

[srearoyl]

Thanks for the help Cory.

As a follow-up on the problem in my '11 XLT, they replaced the "pretensioner-seat" twice (no change in error code, so they ordered a second one & tried it), did end-to-end testing on the cabling, used dielectric grease, and eventually had to replace the "sensor assembly - air bag". It has been over a week since I've had it, and the light has stayed off.

Hope no other issues arise....

 

[FordService]

Thanks for the help Cory...

You’re very welcome, srearoyl; I appreciate you posting the follow-up.

Cory

 

[srearoyl]

Problem is back. Evidently, when the seat is moved, it will come on & go off. Cabling is currently suspected, but who knows. I haven't had my Exp for almost a month now due to the air bag issue. Too bad I don't have a little extra money right now, I'd dump that one and get a 2013 model (hoping all the bugs have been worked out)

 

[jzielins]

Follow up to Air Bag Light issue

as my previous post said, I had the pretensioner replaced and the module. neither worked. replacing/securing the connection point and adding connection grease has seemed to do the trick, it's been 5+ weeks an I havent seen the light back... I think that making sure the connection is good seemed to be the trick. I'd ask your dealer to add the electrical connection grease and hope you get the result that I've seen these past few weeks.

So it's been a while now. Have you resolved your Airbag Light Issues? I have a 2011 Explorer Limited exhibiting the same issue. I don't want to re-live the same nightmares as you or the others did. I would like to have this as ammunition when I go to the dealer.

Thanks!

 

[SterlingGrayXLT]

So it's been a while now. Have you resolved your Airbag Light Issues? I have a 2011 Explorer Limited exhibiting the same issue. I don't want to re-live the same nightmares as you or the others did. I would like to have this as ammunition when I go to the dealer.

Thanks!

Yep, all is well since the connections were replaced and secured tightly (and greased). I haven't seen the light since. Good luck!

 

[FordService]

So it's been a while now. Have you resolved your Airbag Light Issues? I have a 2011 Explorer Limited exhibiting the same issue. I don't want to re-live the same nightmares as you or the others did. I would like to have this as ammunition when I go to the dealer.

Thanks!

Hey jzielins,

I'm happy to assist by getting your case escalated to your regional customer service manager; just send me a PM with your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name. Your CSM will coordinate efforts with your dealership to get this resolved for you.

Yep, all is well since the connections were replaced and secured tightly (and greased). I haven't seen the light since. Good luck!

Thanks for the update, SterlingGrayXLT! I'm happy to see that everything worked out for you.

Crystal

 

[jzielins]

Remote Start

Hey jzielins,

I'm happy to assist by getting your case escalated to your regional customer service manager; just send me a PM with your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name. Your CSM will coordinate efforts with your dealership to get this resolved for you.



Thanks for the update, SterlingGrayXLT! I'm happy to see that everything worked out for you.

Crystal

Crystal,

I will do that. Thanks. While I have you can you tell me the proper sequence of button hits I would use to start my 2011 Ford Explorer Limited with MYKEY? I recently purchased it and cannot figure out the proper sequence repeatably to get the truck to start. it has a 2X button on it, a Lock button, a Unlock button, a 2X button for the Power Liftgate and a panic button. I thought you hit the 2X button twice and then the Lock button but it's not working and I can't find anything online that's helping. Thanks!

 

[blwnsmoke]

Hit the lock button then the 2x twice to start. The vehicle requires you to lock the doors first (safety from theft)

 

[FordService]

Crystal,

I will do that. Thanks. While I have you can you tell me the proper sequence of button hits I would use to start my 2011 Ford Explorer Limited with MYKEY? I recently purchased it and cannot figure out the proper sequence repeatably to get the truck to start. it has a 2X button on it, a Lock button, a Unlock button, a 2X button for the Power Liftgate and a panic button. I thought you hit the 2X button twice and then the Lock button but it's not working and I can't find anything online that's helping. Thanks!

Hi jzielins,

blwnsmoke is exactly right: First press the lock button, followed by pressing the 2x button twice. Check out page 147 of the fourth printing of your Owner's Manual, available for download here: https://owner.ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Owner/Page/OwnerGuidePage

Hit the lock button then the 2x twice to start. The vehicle requires you to lock the doors first (safety from theft)

You hit the nail on the head, blwnsmoke! Thanks!

Crystal

 

[SaintMike]

Airbag light + seat belt light [SOS!!]

I bought a 13' Explorer XLT in October and it has less than 4,000 miles on it. Within the last month or so the airbag light has come on. When it first started the light came on and then went off several times. Now, the light is constantly on. On top of that the seat belt light is also on and the annoying 'you are not wearing your seat belt' dinging noise goes off about every 20-30 second for the first 10 minutes of every car ride. This happens regardless if the seat belt is buckled or not...

I brought it into my local Ford dealership in early March. As logic would have it, when Ford had it for [1 week] the light never came on. I got the: "Sorry, we can't fix it if we can't replicate the problem." I picked it up on a Friday and less than a mile away from the dealership the light was back on. Ugh!

I brought it in the next week when I had time. The light was on when I get there but when Ford pulled it to their garage the light went off. They told me they pulled a generic "high voltage / low voltage" code off the onboard computer. Again, they stressed even with this code they couldn't do anything unless the light was on. Wouldn't you start checking connections (like the little yellow connector I've been reading about) or at least do something?!

Forward to the next week. The light was now constantly on. I brought it back into Ford. Again, they pulled the codes off the on board computer and sent me packing within 15 minutes. I was told to set up a service appointment for the following week. Good to know that I keep getting sent on my way in a vehicle that Ford know the airbags won't deploy...

Week 4: I brought my ride in during the morning and got a call in the afternoon. I was told an inspection was done and that the battery failed (why it didn't fail the first 3 times who knows..). I was told they would replace the battery and would be keeping it overnight to see if the airbag light would finally be off. I'm still waiting for that phone call with results but with the way this has been going, I'm guessing it's still going to be on..

Has anyone heard of similar problems? Or does anyone have any idea on what might be causing the issues? ..because apparently Ford feels like they are flying a plane blind on an empty tank of fuel. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[CajunFordEx]

Welcome to the forum SaintMike.

Why not try a different dealership? You keep saying "Ford" but the fact is that these dealerships are independently owned.
There is a Ford representative named Crystal on this forum that can get your case escalated to your regional manager. She goes by FordCustSrvc. Send her a PM and she will do what she can to help you.

 

[rmp301]

Had the light on for a terrain management fault and no light on the terrain management knob. Dealership kept it for three weeks and spoke to Ford on their hot line. Unable to figure out the problem, Ford advised the dealership "Release the vehicle back to owner"!

 

[peterk9]

I bought a 13' Explorer XLT in October and it has less than 4,000 miles on it. Within the last month or so the airbag light has come on. When it first started the light came on and then went off several times. Now, the light is constantly on. On top of that the seat belt light is also on and the annoying 'you are not wearing your seat belt' dinging noise goes off about every 20-30 second for the first 10 minutes of every car ride. This happens regardless if the seat belt is buckled or not...

I brought it into my local Ford dealership in early March. As logic would have it, when Ford had it for [1 week] the light never came on. I got the: "Sorry, we can't fix it if we can't replicate the problem." I picked it up on a Friday and less than a mile away from the dealership the light was back on. Ugh!

I brought it in the next week when I had time. The light was on when I get there but when Ford pulled it to their garage the light went off. They told me they pulled a generic "high voltage / low voltage" code off the onboard computer. Again, they stressed even with this code they couldn't do anything unless the light was on. Wouldn't you start checking connections (like the little yellow connector I've been reading about) or at least do something?!

Forward to the next week. The light was now constantly on. I brought it back into Ford. Again, they pulled the codes off the on board computer and sent me packing within 15 minutes. I was told to set up a service appointment for the following week. Good to know that I keep getting sent on my way in a vehicle that Ford know the airbags won't deploy...

Week 4: I brought my ride in during the morning and got a call in the afternoon. I was told an inspection was done and that the battery failed (why it didn't fail the first 3 times who knows..). I was told they would replace the battery and would be keeping it overnight to see if the airbag light would finally be off. I'm still waiting for that phone call with results but with the way this has been going, I'm guessing it's still going to be on..

Has anyone heard of similar problems? Or does anyone have any idea on what might be causing the issues? ..because apparently Ford feels like they are flying a plane blind on an empty tank of fuel. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the Forum SaintMike. :wavey:
Electrical problems can be very difficult to track down, especially when they go away on their own at times. As for the battery replacement, it seems that the batteries being used don't have the best track record. There have been many instances where owners have had them replaced, with some batteries only being a few months old. I had mine replaced last week after having to charge it a few times since last November in order to bring it up to full charge.
As mentioned, dealership are independently owned. The one I go to, Dupuis Ford/Lincoln, has been family owned since 1949 and so far they have provided excellent service.
Good luck.

Peter

 

[FordService]

I bought a 13' Explorer XLT in October and it has less than 4,000 miles on it. Within the last month or so the airbag light has come on. When it first started the light came on and then went off several times. Now, the light is constantly on...

Hi SaintMike,

I want to get this into the hands of your regional customer service manager so they can help. Send me a private message (PM) with your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name. I'll send your concern up the line and make sure you're contacted.

...There is a Ford representative named Crystal on this forum that can get your case escalated to your regional manager. She goes by FordCustSrvc. Send her a PM and she will do what she can to help you.

Thanks for the recommendation, CajunFordEx!

Crystal

 

[SaintMike]

***Update***

Received a call from the service manager yesterday. I was told the battery was replaced but the airbag light was still on. The dealership decided to keep the vehicle overnight as the 'Ford hotline' wanted the techs to test a few more things. I got another call today stating that all the test they did today failed to diagnose the problems...and I quote, "We're stumped."

Seeing that this is going to drag on for the foreseeable future, when do I start looking into going the 'lemon law' route? I'm at the point already where I feel the vehicle is a "product that repeatedly fail to meet standards of quality and performance." While the vehicle has only been in the shop for 8+ cumulative days, I have had it in 4 different times to get fixed with no results.

Per the MN lemon law, "if the manufacturer or its authorized dealer has been unable to repair a car’s problem after a “reasonable number of attempts,” the buyer or lessee may go through a manufacturer’s arbitration program, or to court, to seek a full refund of the car’s purchase price (minus a deduction for use of the vehicle). The law considers a “reasonable number of attempts” to be any one of the following:

Four or more unsuccessful attempts to repair the same defect; or,

One unsuccessful attempt to repair a defect which has caused the complete failure of the steering or braking system and which is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; or,

A car which has been out of service due to warranty repairs for 30 or more cumulative business days."

I love my Explorer and want to keep it. However I feel the vehicle is very defective. I could live with the vehicle if there was a faulty low tire pressure sensor or something similar but this is the airbag system we are taking about. Working as a police officer and seeing several gruesome crashes I know the importance of having a properly working airbag system... Plus, there is a reason the government has mandated vehicles to have airbags: safety.

On a side note, despite my frustrations, I have no hard feelings towards the dealership. I know they are trying to fix the issue but for whatever reason can't. At what point does Ford (manufacturer, not dealership) have to admit that maybe the vehicle is faulty and look at other options?

 

[FordService]

***Update***

Received a call from the service manager yesterday. I was told the battery was replaced but the airbag light was still on. The dealership decided to keep the vehicle overnight as the 'Ford hotline' wanted the techs to test a few more things. I got another call today stating that all the test they did today failed to diagnose the problems...

Hi SaintMike,

Your regional customer service manager will be following up with you on Wednesday with an update. I know she'll do all she can to get this resolved for you. Please continue to keep us posted on your Explorer.

Crystal

 

[SaintMike]

No end in sight...

I received another update from the dealership on Tuesday; on Wednesday the regional customer service rep called me and I provided her with an update (of all things). She told me she was going to talk to the dealership to inform them that they have all the available resources they need. Ok, I appreciate it I guess, but it didn't do anything a week ago so why would it now?

Per the dealership they switched up some wiring, changed out some connectors and threw on some dielectric grease, etc. Apparently the airbag light went off on Monday but came back on Tuesday morning. The dealership, again, told me they are stumped and that they are frustrated by my Explorer. Again, they are not sure what or where the problem is. You're frustrated? Umm, yes, me too.

Apparently there is a Ford engineer in the Twin Cities metro area that works with the dealerships. It sounds like my dealership is trying to get this engineer out but that the engineer's schedule is busy and it's hard to schedule him.

Two things I found I love dearly about this situation:

1. Paying for a vehicle you can't drive (both loan and insurance)
2. Driving a 20K loaner vehicle when I paid 38K for my Explorer (Yes, this was sarcastic) (How about an eye for an eye?).

Again, I get vehicles are going to have problems from time to time. But why is a vehicle with 3,700 miles having this big of an issue. One can only wonder what will go wrong in the next 3,700 miles (assuming I actually DO get my vehicle back someday).

Until next time...

 

[SterlingGrayXLT]

I received another update from the dealership on Tuesday; on Wednesday the regional customer service rep called me and I provided her with an update (of all things). She told me she was going to talk to the dealership to inform them that they have all the available resources they need. Ok, I appreciate it I guess, but it didn't do anything a week ago so why would it now?

Per the dealership they switched up some wiring, changed out some connectors and threw on some dielectric grease, etc. Apparently the airbag light went off on Monday but came back on Tuesday morning. The dealership, again, told me they are stumped and that they are frustrated by my Explorer. Again, they are not sure what or where the problem is. You're frustrated? Umm, yes, me too.

Apparently there is a Ford engineer in the Twin Cities metro area that works with the dealerships. It sounds like my dealership is trying to get this engineer out but that the engineer's schedule is busy and it's hard to schedule him.

Two things I found I love dearly about this situation:

1. Paying for a vehicle you can't drive (both loan and insurance)
2. Driving a 20K loaner vehicle when I paid 38K for my Explorer (Yes, this was sarcastic) (How about an eye for an eye?).

Again, I get vehicles are going to have problems from time to time. But why is a vehicle with 3,700 miles having this big of an issue. One can only wonder what will go wrong in the next 3,700 miles (assuming I actually DO get my vehicle back someday).

Until next time...

sorry to hear about your bad luck. i had the same misfortune last year. biggest pain ever. the length of the issue and time it took to get fixed will forever be in my mind when im purchasing a new car (amongst the other experiences). and to your two points, 1.) i actually had a lawyer start pulling together lemon law information for how long it spent in the dealerships possession, and 2) my "loaner" was no better an $800 high school student beater car - i wouldn't let my own kid drive their loaners if he were old enough to drive...

on to the fix.... after hours, days, weeks, etc. on end - it was finally fixed by really making sure the connection under the seat was very secure and greased up. seats had been removed. connectors, buckles and seatbelt receptors were replaced to no avail. same story, we dont see the light, or the light is off, there's nothing we can do. sadly, months later they messed with the connection more and it did the trick, no issues ever since. beware, my dealership told me that it was no big deal that the light was on. but another dealership i took it to in the meantime (8 states away) said it was unethical for them to let me drive off the lot with the car ever (let alone half a dozen times) because the airbag was potentially deactivated and caused a risk if it were in a crash. (thanks to my dealership for telling me it was okay then taking the car on a 3,000 mile trip, at times with a pregnant wife driving the vehicle)

i'd suggest taking it back and having them replace the connection under the drivers seat, grease the hell out of it, and make sure that the connection is 110% as tight as it can be. sounds like they may have tried that, but might be worth another attempt.

 

[junzon]

Airbag warning light

Hi guys, I have a 2011 Explorer XLT w/ 36,000 miles and the airbag warning light just came on. I've seen previous issues w/ 2011 XLTs having this issue and was wondering if there's a bulletin or recall on this. This is my first Ford after having owned two Jettas and a Camry(172k miles w/out any issues still!) and this is just one of a few recent problems I'm having. It's worrisome that many owners having airbag warning light issues without any recall.
Thanks

 

[peterk9]

Hi guys, I have a 2011 Explorer XLT w/ 36,000 miles and the airbag warning light just came on. I've seen previous issues w/ 2011 XLTs having this issue and was wondering if there's a bulletin or recall on this. This is my first Ford after having owned two Jettas and a Camry(172k miles w/out any issues still!) and this is just one of a few recent problems I'm having. It's worrisome that many owners having airbag warning light issues without any recall.
Thanks

Welcome to the Forum junzon.:wavey:
I'm not sure if you were aware that there were already a couple of threads on this issue to which you could have added your post. The first one would have been the more likely one I think.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=349429&highlight=airbag
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=383013&highlight=airbag

There is also a thread that lists the TSB's for the 2011-2012 models at the beginning of this Forum. I did a quick look and there is nothing listed for Airbag Warnings. There have only been a few reports of this issue so the best thing is to have your dealer look into it.
Good luck.

Peter