I have a 2016 Ford Transit Connect XLT with only 43,489 miles on it and 2 weeks ago when I had a hard braking event due to an elderly couple coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road, I ended up with the SRS light coming on intermittently. I'll start the van and be driving when the light comes on. I had to purchase a new OBD II reader as the one I had showed no codes. My new reader pulled codes B00A0:11 and B00C0:11-28 which in the details said Passenger Seat Occupancy Sensor short to ground fault. Over the past few weeks I've been Google sleuthing trying to figure a fix and get the cost figured out.

Turns out only the dealer can fix this. B00C0:11 code means the weight mat needs to be replaced. I checked all the wiring and connections and everything looks new, untouched and no signs of damage by water or anything else. I called the Ford dealer and of course, they want $120 to diagnose the issue and if it's the sensor, they want $989 for the seat cushion because the sensor is now embedded into the cushion, not separate. Funny thing is, I round the part number during my research and the MSRP for the cushion is $943 on the Ford parts site. I'm located in Madison WI and found Ford dealers in WA and Florida selling thr cushion for $635 so I'm doubting that the actual cost for the dealer is remotely close to $900. I'm assuming the actual cost is around $400 - $500 if that. I have the other prices screenshot and I'm going to try to negotiate a better price given the evidence I have. I can purchase the cushion through a Ford authorized distributor for $625 - same part number, same description but I'm not sure if the dealer would install parts customers bring in even if they're genuine Ford parts.

I tried looking for an emulator to bypass the faulty sensor but I've been unsuccessful and there is no recall for the sensor so Ford will not replace it for free. My warranty expired 2 yrs ago. I did find that the sensor is a known issue but most failed during the warranty period, so Ford had to replace for free. I am not that lucky. I will file a claim with the NTSB to see if they'll act on it but I doubt they will. I'm sorry for the long rant - thanks for reading. I just needed to vent!