I love the new 2004 F150, looks, interior, style, ride. But, there are NO side airbags and no curtain airbags. I am pissed at Ford. Safety is the number one issue with me and others (edmunds also took note about the issue) and the latest studies prove side airbags and curtain airbags increase safety. It's 2004 and they omit the airbags!! As a result, I am tempted to go with the Titan, which has all the safety features, side, curtain, and navigation. Ford are you listening?

 

I'm sorry but the lack of side airbags is no reason not to buy a truck. You would buy a truck based solely on the fact that it had side airbags? I think that is pretty silly.

Do you work for Nissan?

 

I wish people would stop bringing up side airbags, they really aren't that big of a deal!

 

I'm very disappointed in Ford. I can't believe they don't include stock roll cages and five point harnesses for all their vehicles. Additionally they allow consumers to drive in their trucks without wearing full burn suits and helmets. Additionally there is no fire supression system in the cab or in the engine compartment.

Safety is the most important thing to me, and I may not buy a ford because they lack these items that clearly make a vehicle more safe.

. . . Oops! Was I being sarcastic? :-)

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

 

hahah. nice one Zeusalicious. seriously, will people stop with complaining about why you don't want to buy a new F-150? Go to a Titan forum and tell them the story and rip all over the new F-150. this isn't the place. especially for the second or third time over about the side curtain airbags...

 

its not silly if that's what's important to you when making a vehicle purchase. I'm sure Ford will introduce side air bags in a later model (2005, 2006) and call it an upgrade or new MY option.

 

Maybe this flake will go and buy a 4runner...hahahhah

 

Let's see...

Was it "Demolition Man" or "Judge Dred" that had the cars that would incase you in foam just before an impact?

 

I think people should wait until crash results are out to complain about having no side bags. Many vehicles without side bags outperform vehicles with them in side impact crash tests. Perhaps Ford designed the new F-150 to do well without them so they aren't neccisary. If it ends up getting 3 stars then complain about no side bags, but if it can get 5 stars without them, why complicate things by adding them?

 

This side air bag issue could be caused by an ad
running on the television.It runs on the si-fi channel.
It shows a crash dummy banging its head on the
side window.This thing drives me crazy as it is on at
every break.But i like si-fi.

Mike

 

If the body structure is not up to par then side air bags/curtains will do NOTHING to help you at all. It is the body structure and how it is designed to behave in an accident that counts.

Frontal airbags were designed for morons that drive with no seat belts to help them survive when being thrown forward. Wearing the seal belts greatly reduces your chances of injuries when hitting something from the front. When wearing your seat belt the air bags help a “little” but it is the seat belt that really saves your ***.

If your concerned about side airbags/curtains then I highly suggest you do some research on how other vehicles with the side airbags/curtains body structure holds up from side impacts as compared to those without.

If the body structure don’t hold up as well the airbags/curtains are there for “perception” only as they will NOT do much at all to improve your chances of less injuries or death.

Another note, “if” you never use seatbelts then there is absolutely no reason what so ever to worry about if a vehicle comes with any airbags at all. To many people put to much priority in air bags as the key player in less injuries or preventing death. It is NOT the airbags but the seatbelt, the air bags just help a “little” but if it was between the two then I can tell you NO airbag would save a life when compared to someone wearing a seatbelt with no airbag…

 

...........it was demolition man...........

 

I "wish" they had put side airbags in as well, regardless of how well the truck performs on crashes from the side, or rollover. Any extra protection that might help reduce an injury in a crash is nice. Now, that said, did that stop me from buying the 04 F150? Nope, did not, as is apparent from what is shown below


See more here

If one is only going to base one peice of the "puzzle" of safety features designed into a vehicle, and determine whether one is going to purchase based on that one thing, that I guess is their decision.

 

Well I take issue with some of the comments.

First off, there have been multiple vehicles that have been tested that are identical (mazda tribute-ford escape) that have received better side impact ratings with side air bags. Structure is identical, etc. So rant and rave all you want, but side air bags HELP.


I agree 100% if you are not wearing your seat belt you are a damn fool and have no business even commenting about safety issues. But I live in Atlanta and traffic here sucks. I put a premium on safety in vehicles because of all the idiots.

Did ford drop the ball in not having them? Yah they sure did. And they will lose sales over it. Everybody's priorities are different.

But most of you, by the tone of these side air bag threads, don't consider it a "break the deal" item. And that's fine also. Most prefer the attributes of the vehicle (and there are many more pluses) over some of it's shortcomings.

I also agree that structure of the vehicle is the overlying factor regarding how well it will do in a crash. I am fairly confident that the 150 will do well-as it better.

As for the guy cross-shopping a 4 runner and 150 that makes no sense at all. But go a little easier on this guy. If he wants to drive a ugly vehicle with side air bags so be it.

 

Ask me I know

1

2

Yes, I sit on top of the steering wheel because I' am very short. I came out of this smelling like a rose, Not a mark on me let the dog out had a look, Called roadside assistance and the truck got fixed $18,000 mark somewere I think and it was a perfectally fine truck that went to market.

Ask me about smashing and busting trucks up I' am a Canadian who was in the oil field business and with the roads up here we go through lots of trucks.

The above pic was when I was just simpley driving to fast, Run out of road jumped the SOB 15 feet about and rammed a big old poplar tree. Just stupid mistakes what can I say

Pat/Bluelightning