2003 Ford Thunderbird Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 12%of 33 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 22,150miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the air bags of the 2003 Ford Thunderbird, 12% of the 33 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 22,150 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Another vehicle turned left right in front of me, I was going aprox 50 MPH, I t-boned the other cars passenger side, my front end hit her and neither driver or pass air bag deployed. Police told me when both parties speeds factored in, it was like me hitting a brick wall at 100 MPH & that air bags should have deployed. I have contacted Ford and testing will be done after repairs are made to vehicle. Car may be totalled, damages getting close to 20,000.00.”
NHTSA complaint #10088189, filed 2004-08, 6,300 miles“Passenger side air bag deployed in a parking lot near belleview & quebec driving at 5mph. Car taken to courtesy Ford in littleton co. Mar 31/04. Service adviser, tim, stated warranty won't fix because they found yellow paint adhering to the driver side cross member. This scrape occurred at the dealership after the fact due to a high speed bump at their location, painted yellow in color. Tim advised a Ford representative that speed bump is not yellow. We have taken photo's showing speed bump is yellow .”
NHTSA complaint #10064363, filed 2004-04, 2,465 miles“The contact owns a 2003 Ford Thunderbird. While stopped in traffic, the contact's vehicle was rear ended by another vehicle. As a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. The passenger sustained a concussion and back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10887555, filed 2016-07, 160,000 miles“The contact stated while the contact's spouse was driving 70 MPH on a dry, smooth interstate, the passenger side air bag deployed without a collision or impact. The vehicle was towed to a dealership who determined there was no apparent reason for the air bag deployment. Another dealership in florida determined a couple of hairline rusted places located on the undercarriage of the vehicle were to blame for the air bag deployment. There was no indication of an impact. There were no air bag lights illuminated prior to the incident.”
NHTSA complaint #10169378, filed 2006-09, 38,000 milesAir bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | 15% |
| 2004 | 3 | 9% |
| 2003 | 4 | 12% |
| 2002 | 13 | 14% |
| 1997 | 6 | 4% |
| 1996 | 9 | 4% |
| 1995 | 17 | 7% |
| 1994 | 17 | 6% |
| 1993 | 4 | 1% |
| 1992 | 2 | 1% |
| 1991 | 1 | 1% |
| 1990 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2003 Ford Thunderbird
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Ford Thunderbird
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology