Ford Escort, Mondeo, Scorpio Recall R/1998/037: Unexpected Deployment Of Passenger Air Bag, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 9 Jun 1998
- Launched
- 15,780
- vehicles in the UK
- R/1998/037
- DVSA reference
Ford recalled Escort, Mondeo, Scorpio vehicles built between 1 August 1996 and 28 February 1998. Unexpected passenger air bag deployment due to an electrostatic discharge through the air bag igniter. The dealer will fit ground wire to passenger air bag. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s Wrong
Unexpected passenger air bag deployment due to an electrostatic discharge through the air bag igniter.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: UNEXPECTED DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER AIR BAG Defect: Unexpected passenger air bag deployment due to an electrostatic discharge through the air bag igniter. Remedy: Recall affected vehicles and fit ground wire to passenger air bag
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
The recall notice describes the concern as: unexpected deployment of passenger air bag.
The Fix
The dealer will fit ground wire to passenger air bag.
Are You Affected?
Escort, Mondeo, Scorpio built between 1 August 1996 and 28 February 1998 may be included. Ford estimates 15,780 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with Ford, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with Ford.
- Book with any franchised Ford dealer, quoting the DVSA reference R/1998/037. See how to get a Ford recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus, Galaxy, Kuga, Mondeo and 2 moreMulti vehicle line (MVL): telecommunications control module (TCU) loss of function software update | Book soon | R/2026/181 | |
| Ecosport, Edge, Explorer, Fiesta and 11 moreRear-View camera software update | Low | R/2025/359 | |
| B-Max, Cmax, Ecosport, Fiesta MCA and 9 moreX-Car powertain control module (PCM) software update | Low | R/2025/094 | |
| Edge, Galaxy, Mondeo, S-MaxBrake hose leak | Urgent | R/2026/076 | |
| Galaxy, Mondeo, S-MaxTakata air bag inflator may rupture on deployment | Urgent | R/2020/013 |
This is one of 378 Ford recalls in DVSA’s data. The Ford recall launched before it was R/1997/062 on 29 Aug 1997, for effectiveness of integrated child seat. The one launched after it was R/1998/060 on 14 Aug 1998, for accelerator pedal may jam. You can also see every Ford recall, all recalls launched in 1998 and airbag recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/1998/037, launched 9 June 1998. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.