Federal highway safety regulators are investigating airbags used in more than 1.2 million Ford Explorer SUVs after reports that side airbags caused severe burns when they deployed during crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Nov. 6 that the preliminary investigation covers an estimated 1,236,155 Ford Explorers from model years 2021 through 2026.
Side airbags deploy much faster than front airbags because there is very little space between the occupant and the striking object, be it another car, a pole, or a tree.
The agency said it counted 11 separate incidents and 10 injuries involving seat-mounted side airbags. No deaths have been reported.
The injuries were typically diagnosed as second- or third-degree burns and required medical treatment, according to the agency.
The victims included both drivers and front-seat passengers. Some incidents involved law enforcement officers driving Ford Explorer Police Interceptors, SUVs widely used by police departments in the United States.
In one complaint covering a September 2026 crash, the driver-side seat airbag on a 2024 Ford Explorer police vehicle allegedly vented hot gases toward the driver, melting parts of his police utility belt.
“If not for the police belt, there is a high probability that the driver would have suffered burns similar to one of our other officers,” it reads.
NHTSA has not yet identified an underlying cause of the reported burns or said whether the airbags deployed improperly.
Investigators will examine the scope and frequency of the reported problem.
NHTSA has not ordered a recall, although the review could eventually lead to one.
The investigation comes after several other safety actions related to Ford airbags.
In August 2025, Ford recalled about 100,900 Ranger pickups from model years 2024 through 2026 because their side-curtain airbags could tear during deployment.
Ford determined that the inflating airbag could come into contact with a metal reinforcement flange inside the vehicle’s B-pillar, creating a tear and allowing the airbag to lose pressure prematurely. The company said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries associated with the problem.
Ford also recalled 2,272 Bronco SUVs in June 2025 over a defective plastic component that could prevent an airbag vent from opening properly during a crash.
That same month, Ford recalled 171 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs after discovering that some passenger-airbag inflators contained filter mesh that did not meet specifications. The defect could increase the pressure or speed at which the airbag inflated.
Ford reported no crashes or injuries related to either of those recalls.
Regulators have given airbag issues heightened scrutiny, because faulty components can turn a critical life-saving device into an active hazard.
NHTSA continues to oversee the massive recall of about 67 million Takata airbags in the United States.
The recalls began more than a decade ago after defective inflators were found capable of rupturing during deployment and spraying metal fragments onto vehicle occupants.
The defect has been linked to 28 confirmed deaths and at least 400 injuries in the United States.
In 2024, Ford issued “Do Not Drive” warnings covering more than 374,000 older Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles that still had unrepaired Takata airbags.
