Is there a way to override the sensors? We just got the truck a few weeks ago and every time I ride in the passenger seat (husband driving), the airbag disables. I've read the manual and it talks about proper sitting position, etc and even with me sitting back straight up, centered in the seat, feet on the floor it turns off. The manual suggests sitting in the backseat. Not gonna happen.

Any suggestions? Is it a weight issue (I weigh 115 lb)?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks, Pic. I'll pass your advice along to my husband. Not a bad idea.

Rule Juan afterwards

Bring it back to the dealer for them to adjust the sensor.

I bet their own documentations says anything less than 25-50 lbs will disable the airbag. You need to get this fixed ASAP as it is a safety issue. May even fall under lemon law...

Drop off truck and ask for loaner; do not accept anything less.

This gives me an idea...

dubi - why on earth would this fall under the lemon law? The OP hasn't even tried to get it repaired. The lemon law is used when a vehicle cannot be made to perform as it should after repeated repairs.

I agree this is a serious issue. The dealer should take care of it. Replace the seat or sensor if necessary. Any adult female of typical body weight should not disable the air bag.

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 7/14/2014 9:12a).]

Even if I take Pic's suggestion, I'm not Rule #1-ing myself.

It isn't just our truck. I rode in my father-in-law's 2013 F150 over the weekend and it did the same thing.

We are in the middle of an interstate move so after we get moved on Wednesday, we'll take it in to see if they can adjust the sensor.

Thanks for the serious and nonserious replies.

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dubi - why on earth would this fall under the lemon law?

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I meant that should they fail to be able to fix this "after repeated repairs" it should fall under lemon law.

At 115 lbs, she should NOT have to sit a certain way or have the seat back a certain way. The sensor is wonky.

[This message has been edited by dubi (edited 7/14/2014 8:40a).]

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Bring it back to the dealer for them to adjust the sensor.

I bet their own documentations says anything less than 25-50 lbs will disable the airbag. You need to get this fixed ASAP as it is a safety issue.

Drop off truck and ask for loaner; do not accept anything less.

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This!!

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It isn't just our truck. I rode in my father-in-law's 2013 F150 over the weekend and it did the same thing.

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If this is happening though in multiple trucks this is either the start of a possible future recall or I'd look at you and how you are sitting. I know you said it is a 'normal' way but you seem to be the common denominator. I'm not saying that you are sitting improperly but the odds are so slim that you would happen to sit in two 'new' trucks and they both be experiencing the same problem....I mean hey it isn't a Chevy amirite? lol

I would try out a new truck on the lot to see if something is wrong with it too. Either way something needs to be done for sure.

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If this is happening though in multiple trucks this is either the start of a possible future recall or I'd look at you and how you are sitting. I know you said it is a 'normal' way but you seem to be the common denominator. I'm not saying that you are sitting improperly but the odds are so slim that you would happen to sit in two 'new' trucks and they both be experiencing the same problem....I mean hey it isn't a Chevy amirite? lol

I would try out a new truck on the lot to see if something is wrong with it too. Either way something needs to be done for sure.

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I agree that I am the common denominator. The manual says the sensors are "smart enough" ( my words, not the manual's) to detect a child, a car seat, or someone sitting improperly and will turn off.

The manual states sitting upright, butt in the center of the seat and back against the backrest with feet on the floor. I tried that and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I think the weight threshold must be greater than 115 pounds.

I agree it is a safety issue, that is why we are trying to figure it out. Fortunately, during the move on Wednesday I will be driving my car and husband will be driving the pickup.

It's silly that you can override the system to completely disable the airbags but you can't override the system to keep them turned on when you know you have an adult in that seat.

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I think the weight threshold must be greater than 115 pounds.

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It definitely should be 1/2 that.

Watermelon in the front seat in the right spot will trigger it

This may/may not be helpful. But I know for certain in my 05 f150 that my wife will not set off the sensor no matter what way she sits in the seat and she weighs about 120.

Ride in the back seat. Problem solved.





Seriously, it's you and not the truck if you're experiencing this across multiple vehicles.

My cousin was killed in a car accident because he was dumb enough to drive his vehicle while waiting for a part to fix the drivers side airbag rather than accept the offer of a loaner car. The passenger side airbag deployed in the accident, but that was of no help to him. Seems like he made a bad choice, but who knows if he thought the thrill of driving with no airbag was worth his early death. The post-accident picture of the interior of the car is pretty sad with the deployed passenger-side airbag and nothing but a steering wheel to cushion the blow on the drivers side. Please be aware of the risk you're taking.

Federal regulations do not specify a specific weight at which passenger-side airbags must be turned on or off. Instead, automakers must meet a performance standard that in a frontal collision the airbag protects a crash dummy that represents a “5th percentile female” and weighs about 108 pounds. Passenger-side airbags should be turned on when seat sensors detect an occupant of this weight or greater, but that doesn’t mean they will always be off if someone lighter is seated.

All airbag systems are not the same, so when the passenger-side airbag is turned on can vary by manufacturer and the readings from seat sensors that measure not only the weight but the stature and seating position of the occupant and other factors. For example, on some GM vehicles, an electronic field measures the amount of water in the occupant to help determine the occupant’s size and weight. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says an adult who is not centered and seated upright or is leaning heavily on an armrest can take pressure off the seat cushion and mislead the seat sensors.

Something dense, like a 10 lb barbell will set it off.

That last woman I dated was 5'5", 110# and didn't have any issues with her riding in my F-150.

Thanks for the replies. I'm at a loss as to what I can do differently. I am 5'9" and 115 pounds and thought I knew how to properly sit in a seat. Maybe I need to sit on my can and eat bon-bons til I put on 20 pounds.

My husband and I realize fully that it's a safety issue and a risk that we don't want to take hence the reason for seeking advice here or to see if others have had a similar issue. It's just frustrating that the only advice the Ford manual gives us is for me to sit in the backseat.

We are moving tomorrow (LA to TN) and hopefully can get to a dealership by the end of the week to see what we can find out. Also, I never had this issue in our 2006 F350.

The problem is that Ford expects the typical American fat ass to ride in that seat instead of a fit normal BMI female.

Crew Cab Superduty trucks did not have airbag shutoff switches in the seat.

The other choice is to 'close' the occupant sensor in the passenger seat, but you may have the seat belt minder going off non stop if you did that.

While I understand that airbags are a safety measure, people rode in cars for decades without them. Wearing a seat belt properly is much more protection than an airbag.

I think that's flawed logic. Just because that's the way it was doesn't make it safer.

Oh, I understand that they help, don't get me wrong. I've also read several reports were the airbag contributed to the death or injury because of the force involved.

Airbags are mainly designed to work for an unbelted passenger. So if you wear your seat belt, you won't need the air bag in 80% of crashes (totally made up guesstimated number)

I know in my collision, I didn't impact the bag after it deployed. Wearing my seat belt, sitting upright in the driver's seat, and having the seat moved as far back as comfortably and safely as possible helped that (all of this according to the LEOs and EMTs and firefighters that responded and pulled me from the truck).

I stand by my original recommendation.

My 90 pound son rides in the front seat of my Honda Accord. If he's playing on my phone he sometimes shifts his weight some and leans on the armrest. The airbag sensor immediately lights up to say it's turned off. I make him sit up straight, and the light goes back off.

Update (sort of).

Last fall a recall was issued on the 2014. We took it in to be fixed. Was told it was. It is now worse than before. Dealership told us 1) weight limit is 150 lb, which we know is BS per 1ags's explanation and 2) I should just sit in the back.
I called Ford directly. Was told weight limit might be around 100 lb. Sounds arbitrary to me. They documented my experience and told me to go back to the dealer. I told them the dealer was not helpful and was apparently making stuff up.

We will find a different dealership. Anyone else had this issue in the last year?

Had the same problem. Truck has had airbag light come on twice (after being "fixed" once). Called ford and asked them to find me a dealer that wouldn't lie or steal from me (Mac haik stole $600 and lied about it/held car for ransom, covert ford told me I didn't understand how drive by wire works (transmission issues), Johnson bros stood me up for over an hour and a half for a 8 am appointment). Ford rep made no apologies for the issues with the truck or the terrible service. It's now on dealer number 4 or 5 who is "fixing" the airbag and found a transmission tsb that applies.

Short version - Don't expect any help from ford. Tell dealer he's full of crap and move on to the next one while saving pennies to trade it in if the problem persists.

sg-
You mentioned transmission problems. What's going on there? In addition to the airbag problem, the truck sometimes makes an odd sound when turning the ignition off. Of course, the dealer couldn't duplicate that issue so it's "imaginary" :/
Thanks for the reply.

Update.
We received another recall letter about 6 weeks ago (same issue with the sensor/track clearance). We made an appointment with the only dealer in our little town (the one who "fixed" it before.
We dropped it off at 9 this morning. At 4 pm they called to say the truck was ready but they hadn't done anything because they had already "fixed" that recall.
They gave my husband the 800 number and basically said good luck.

I called the 800 number and was told that the recall work was performed so the case was closed. I told the guy that was unacceptable and this is a safety issue. We went back and forth (as calmly and as sweely as I could muster). He eventually asked what Ford could do. I told him make it right. Rip out the seat and track and install new, swap out vehicles, give us cash and we'll never buy another Ford...
I am supposed to get a call next week from a regional director or something to that effect.

This is mostly just to vent but anyone else dealing with the same issue? Advice?