YearToAvoid

2017 Ford Explorer Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 34 airbag complaints for the 2017 Ford Explorer, 2% of that year's 1,691 total complaints. Nine crashes and 11 injuries were reported in this category, with a median failure mileage of 45,000. No related recalls are listed.

Airbags complaints
34
2% of 1,691
Crashes reported
9
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
11
Median mileage
45,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy during moderate to high-speed collisions, including T-bone, head-on, and rear-end crashes.
  • Some drivers describe the airbag warning light cycling on and off shortly after purchase, later traced to a driver seat belt tensioner issue.
  • Passenger-side airbag status is reported to switch on and off unexpectedly even with someone seated and belted.
  • Second-row seat belt airbags reportedly trigger false sensor warnings that dealer technicians could not resolve.
  • Several complaints describe crashes with visible vehicle damage, including a bent steering wheel, where no airbags fired at all.

When 2017 Ford Explorer airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Mar 4, 2017, latest Sep 3, 2026.

2017 Ford Explorer airbags complaints: complaints filed per month2Mar 2017Apr 2018Jan 2020Apr 2021Oct 2022Jun 2024Apr 2025Jan 2026
34 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2017 to Sep 2026; peak Jan 2018 (2).

Airbags recalls for the 2017 Ford Explorer

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Airbags complaints by Explorer model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200515 (3%)
  2. 20068 (1%)
  3. 200712 (6%)
  4. 20084 (3%)
  5. 20092 (6%)
  6. 20106 (5%)
  7. 201144 (4%)
  8. 201227 (3%)
  9. 201318 (1%)
  10. 201447 (3%)
  11. 201584 (5%)
  12. 201699 (4%)
  13. 201734 (2%)
  14. 201811 (2%)
  15. 20192 (1%)
  16. 20205 (0%)
  17. 20216 (1%)
  18. 20227 (3%)
  19. 20234 (4%)
  20. 20242 (10%)
  21. 20254 (4%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2017 Ford Explorer have an airbag recall?
No related recalls are listed in the NHTSA data for airbags on the 2017 Ford Explorer.
How many airbag complaints does the 2017 Ford Explorer have?
NHTSA lists 34 airbag complaints for the 2017 Explorer, which is 2% of the 1,691 total complaints filed for that model year.
Are the airbag complaints serious?
Yes. Owners reported 9 crashes and 11 injuries tied to airbag complaints, mostly involving airbags that failed to deploy in a collision.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure for airbag-related complaints on the 2017 Explorer is 45,000 miles.
Is the 2017 Explorer worse for airbag issues than other years?
Complaint share for this component ranges from 0% to 10% across Explorer model years; the 2017 sits at 2%, in the middle of that range.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.