Seventh Bonehead Design Award

This is a double whammy for Ford airbag systems.
First case is:



The above is a deployed passenger side airbag on a 1997 Ford Econoline. The airbag is very good for the occupant, no arguments there. But why does the flap that covers the airbag have to flip up and smash the windshield. The occupant did not hit the windshield. I have seen it a number of times.

Cost to your pocket book?  A minimum of $650.00...Great huh?

Second case is:

1997 Ford Taurus passenger side airbag deployment.

Good feature yes...bad design though. Again the flap over the airbag breaks the windshield upon deployment. Second great feature is that the force of deployment cracks the entire dashboard which requires it to be replaced.

Guess who pays the $1500.00 more...you do!

Hear's a comment from one of our visitors:
I had the same problem with my '95 Ford Aspire.  A low-speed collision
set off the air bags which deployed and broke my windshield and cracked
my dash in doing so --- the cost of the airbag deployment caused the
insurance company to total my car.
The actual damage from the crash, a broken bumper and dented hood, was
marginal and cosmetic only, costing about $1,000 to repair.  But the air
bag and it's damage were well over $2,000.
To make it worse, the impact was so slight that the seatbelt restraints
held me back from physical injury and the deployed airbag NEVER TOUCHED ME.
Not a good system.
Signed:
G.O. from Grantsburg, WI

Ford, you get the  Seventh Bonehead Design Award

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