15 of the 297 complaints about the 1998 Ford Mustang are about the airbag system — 5% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 111,500 miles.
15
Complaints
11
Crashes
0
Fires
8
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
AIR BAGS
STIRRING-WHEEL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ON GETTING HIT HEAD-BUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DID DEPLOY BUT DUE TO THE DEFECT STIRRING WHEEL AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING THE DRIVER TO HIT THE WINDSHIELD
NHTSA complaint #11307406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, NEITHER FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED
NHTSA complaint #11035789 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
ON MAY 5, 2016, I WAS DRIVING ON HWY 395 (NEVADA). DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH DUE TO RAIN/HAIL. I FELT MY CAR BEGIN TO HYDROPLANE, AND THEN BEGAN TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL ACROSS THE HWY. AT LEAST 5 COMPLETE CIRCLES UNTIL I SLAMMED INTO A CONCRETE WALL WHERE THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVERS SEAT BOLTS BROKE UPON IMPACT AS WELL. NO OTHER CARS WERE INVOLVED, BUT I SUFFERED MULTIPLE BRUISES ON MY RT. ARM, AS WELL AS SEVERE WHIPLASH AND INTERNAL BRUISING FROM SEAT BREAKING FREE UPON IMPACT. MY BACK/SPINE ARE IN SERIOUS PAIN DUE TO BEING KNOCKED OUT OF ALIGNMENT WHEN THE SEAT BROKE, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I DID NOT FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY, AS I ONLY HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE, HOWEVER I DO HAVE AN ACCIDENT CASE NUMBER FROM THE NEVADA HIGHWAY PATROL: # 160500374 DATE: 05/05/2016 TIME: 9:56 AM
NHTSA complaint #10864389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM DISABLES MY IGNITION (IT SEEMS) SOMETIMES WHEN I PUT MY KEY IN TO START THE CAR. THE ALARM LIGHT BLINKS RAPIDLY AND IF I TAKE OUT MY KEY AND RE INSERT IT, I WILL HEAR A SMALL NOISE LIKE A MECHANISM RESETTING AND THEN MY CAR WILL START. 3 ATTEMPTS TO PUT ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE..FAILED TO DIAGNOSE.
NHTSA complaint #10019060 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE COLLIDED INTO A WOOD FENCE AT 30MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #8000764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED, AND RESTRAINTS RELEASED. ALSO, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULING IN MINOR INJURIES. FORD WILL BE NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #882092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT HITTING A BUMP, BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND HIT SEVERAL TREES. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN.
NHTSA complaint #855389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
NO SUMMARY.
NHTSA complaint #712509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
AIR BAG LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED.
NHTSA complaint #607709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
AIR BAG DID NOT INFLATE FULLY IN A FRONT END COLLISION.
NHTSA complaint #544919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHEN TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION(IMPACT SPEED BETWEEN 30-40 MPH), AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. DAMAGES TOTALLING $4,614. 51.
NHTSA complaint #828705 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED A DELAYED REACTION OF THE AIR BAGS. WHEN ACCIDENT WAS OVER AND WHILE CHECKING TO SEE IF EVERYONE IN THE VEHICLE WAS OKAY, THE BAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.
NHTSA complaint #835281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
I WENT TO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE CAR TO PLACE MY BRIEFCASE, AND MY GYM BAG INSIDE. I THEN PUT THE PASSENGER SEAT UP, I PLACED MY BRIEFCASE ON THE SEAT, AND I SHUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. AS I SHUT THE DOOR, I HEARD A LOUD SOUND OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ICE CRACKING OFF THE CAR. I WENT OVER TO THE DRIVERS SIDE AND FOUND THE WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED AND BLOWN OUT OF THE CAR. AT LEAST 80% OF THE GLASS FROM THE WINDOW WAS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR, ON THE GROUND. . I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE WINDOW SHATTERED IN SUCH A WAY BECAUSE I ASSUMED ALL OF THE WINDOWS IN MY CAR HAD SAFETY GLASS. THIS EVENTLY DISTURBED ME BECAUSE IF THERE HAD BEEN A CHILD OR A PASSENGER IN THAT BACK SEAT WHEN I HAD CLOSED THAT DOOR, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. WHEN I FIRST LEASED MY MUSTANG IN JULY OF 1998, I HAD PROBLEMS PUTTING THAT WINDOW UP AFTER HAVING MY CONVERTIBLE TOP DOWN. IT WOULD TAKE ME 2 OR 3 TRIES OF PRESSING THE ELECTRIC SWITCH UP AND DOWN UNTIL THAT WINDOW FINALLY SQUEALED ITS WAY ALL THE WAY UP THE TRACK. I NOW BELIEVE THAT THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WAS NOT PUT INTO THE TRACK PROPERLY, CAUSING SEVERE PRESSURE ON THE GLASS. THE COMBINATION OF EXTREME COLD WEATHER AND PRESSURE FINALLY CAUSED THE GLASS TO SHATTER WITH THE VIBRATIONS OF CLOSING THE DOOR. THIS CAUSED THE WINDOW TO BLOW OUTWARDS, AND ALL OVER THE GROUND. DUE TO THIS DEFECT, I FEEL THE EXPENSE TO REPAIR THIS WINDOW SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
NHTSA complaint #703066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS CONTINUED TO SMOKE APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AFTER DEPLOYMENT, DUE TO CRASH, AND FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO USE CO2 TO PREVENT FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #536369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
UPON IMPACT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AFTER THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE AIR BAG FINALLY DEPLOYED, IT CAUSED THE DRIVER'S HEAD TO GO INTO THE WINDSHIELD . THE DRIVE SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES TO THE HEAD. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #822383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.