B1881 on Ford

Passenger seat belt pretensioner circuit open or high resistance (Ford and Mazda)

Severity: Inspect soon

A pretensioner circuit fault can leave the seat belt pretensioner and the airbag system unable to work, and the airbag lamp is on.

Safety-critical system: explanation only, no DIY steps. Source: how we rate severity

This page covers only what differs on Ford. For what B1881 means, the ranked causes and the test order, see the B1881 guide.

2002–2003 · Ranger
Supported by vehicle data
Ford bulletin ties B1881 to the passenger pretensioner circuit. Only the summary was read; whether it is still current is not verified.
2001–2004 · Escape
Supported by vehicle data
Ford bulletin ties B1881 to the passenger pretensioner circuit. Only the summary was read; whether it is still current is not verified.
2001–2004 · Escape
Supported by vehicle data
Owner complaints quote dealers reading B1881 as high resistance in the passenger pretensioner and replacing connectors.

0327Status unverified
Ford Ranger pretensioner circuit resistance high with B1877 or B1881
2002–2003ranger · NHTSA 10002477
B1877 is the driver and B1881 the passenger pretensioner circuit with high resistance.
We couldn't confirm whether this bulletin is still current, so it doesn't count as confirmation.
032011Status unverified
Ford Escape airbag lamp with B1877 or B1881 open pretensioner circuit
2001–2004escape · NHTSA 10004894
2001-2004 Escape. B1881 is the passenger pretensioner circuit open. Supersedes TSB 03-20-11.
We couldn't confirm whether this bulletin is still current, so it doesn't count as confirmation.

Ford 03-20-11 / 0327: Ford Ranger pretensioner circuit resistance high with B1877 or B1881 — NHTSA (manufacturer communication)
Ford 032011: Ford Escape airbag lamp with B1877 or B1881 open pretensioner circuit — NHTSA (manufacturer communication)
NHTSA complaint ODI 10149163: Ford Escape 2004 — NHTSA (owner complaint)
NHTSA complaint ODI 10134416: Ford Escape 2001 — NHTSA (owner complaint)

This page explains what a code usually means; it is not a substitute for a professional inspection. How we source and review · Report an error