Ford Escape Quiz
Airbags

How Front Airbags Work

In this manual: Airbags
Introduction — 1Symbol Glossary — 1Data Privacy — 7At a Glance — 1Child Safety — 11Seat Belts — 9Personal Safety System™ — 1Airbags — 8Pedestrian Warning System. 911 Assist — 1Keys and Remote Controls — 8MyKey™ — 5Doors & Locks — 5Keyless Entry — 6Easy Entry and Exit — 1Liftgate - Vehicles With: Manual Liftgate — 3Liftgate - Vehicles With: Power Liftgate — 6Safety — 4Steering Wheel — 1Wipers and Washers — 7Exterior Lighting — 8Interior Lighting — 4Windows — 3Interior Mirror — 1Exterior Mirrors — 1Sunroof (if equipped) — 4Instrument Cluster — 16Instrument Cluster Display — 14Trip Computer — 3Head-Up Display (If Equipped) — 1Remote Start — 5Climate Control — 7Cabin Air Quality — 1Front Seats — 5Rear Seats — 1Rear Seat Reminder — 1Memory Function — 1Garage Door Opener — 7USB Ports — 3Power Point - Vehicles With: 12V Outlet — 1Wireless Accessory Charger — 1Storage — 1Starting and Stopping the Engine — 9Hybrid Electric Vehicle Information — 6Auto Start-Stop — 1Fuel and Refueling — 10Catalytic Converter — 1High-Voltage Battery — 1Charging Your Vehicle – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) — 7Automatic Transmission — 8All-Wheel Drive — 1Brakes — 4Electric parking brake — 1Hill Start Assist — 1Auto Hold — 1Traction Control — 1Stability Control — 1Steering — 1Park Aid — 7Rearview Camera — 1Active Park Assist — 5Cruise Control — 1Adaptive Cruise Control — 10Drive Mode Control — 5Lane Keeping System — 6Blind Spot Information System — 5Cross-Traffic Alert — 5Pre-Collision Assist — 9Driver Alert — 4Traffic Sign Recognition — 4Loading — 6Cargo Area — 1Trailer Hitch Connection — 3Towing a Trailer — 4Trailer Sway Control — 1Driving Tips — 4Breakdown and Emergency Information — 7Towing Your Vehicle — 4Fuses — 4Maintenance — 14Vehicle Care — 5Body Styling Kits — 1Storing Your Vehicle — 1Wheels and Tires Information — 6Tire Care — 4Tire Sealant and Inflator Kit — 8Tire Pressure Monitoring System — 4Road Wheel Replacement — 1Capacities and Specifications — 16Vehicle Identification — 1Connected Vehicle — 4Vehicle Wi-Fi Hotspot — 3Audio System — 8SYNC™ (if equipped) — 9SYNC™ 3 (if equipped) — 41Accessories — 1Ford Protect — 1Scheduled Maintenance — 4Customer Information — 23Appendices — 3
~1min read
Ford Escape. How Do the Front Airbags Work

The driver and front passenger airbags inflate during severe frontal and near-frontal crashes.

The driver and front passenger airbag system consists of:

  • Driver and passenger airbag modules.
  • Front passenger detection system.
  • Impact sensors and monitoring system with readiness indicator.

Airbags are a supplemental restraint designed to work with seat belts to help protect the driver and right front passenger from some upper body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly; there is a risk of injury from airbag deployment.

Airbags inflate and deflate rapidly upon activation. After airbag deployment, it is normal to notice smoky, powdery residue or a burnt fuel smell. This residue may consist of cornstarch, talc (used to lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (such as baking soda) produced by the combustion process that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of sodium hydroxide may be present, which can irritate skin and eyes, but the residue is not toxic.

Contact with a deploying airbag may cause abrasions or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also possible due to the noise associated with airbag deployment.

Because airbags must inflate quickly and with considerable force, there is a risk of death or serious injury, such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or internal injuries, especially for occupants who are not properly restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of airbag deployment. It is therefore extremely important that occupants be properly restrained as far from the airbag module as possible while maintaining control of the vehicle.

Scheduled maintenance of the airbags is not required.

Test yourself

A quick Ford Escape quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.