MY WIFE HIT A DEER ON INTERSTATE 90 NEAR ALBERT LEA, MN. RELATIVELY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR BUT SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY BOTH AIR BAGS. THE DEPLOYMENT RESULTED IN A FRACTURE TO THE DASH AND WINDSHIELD THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THOSE PLUS ALL AIR BAG COMPONENTS. THE MAJORITY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS BECAUSE OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE DEALER, ONE AIR BAG SENSOR IS UNIQUE IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND NOT READILY AVAILABLE. WE HAVE WAITED A NUMBER OF WEEKS TO GET THE SENSOR, OTHERWISE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER WILL NOT RELEASE THE VEHICLE AS LONG AS A SAFETY COMPONENT IS INOPERATIVE. FORD SAYS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE DEALER TO RESOLVE. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THEY HAVE HAD THIS PART ON PRIORITY SHIPMENT FOR OVER THREE WEEKS AND IT STILL IS NOT AVAILABLE. I BELIEVE THAT THE DAMAGE MAY HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS THOUGH IT WAS UNNECESSARY IN THIS PARTICULAR CRASH. HOWEVER IT IS UNEXCUSEABLE THAT THIS PART CAUSES THE MAJORITY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, PLUS WE ARE UNABLE TO USE THE VEHICLE, WE LOSE NOT ONLY USE, WE LOSE WARRANTY, AND WE DO NOT HAVE A VERY SECURE FEELING ABOUT A PART THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, YET SO RARE THAT IT ONLY EXISTS IN A FEW PRODUCTION MODELS. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR SAFETY DEVICES, WE ARE GRATEFUL NO ONE WAS INJURED, WE WOULD BE MORE GRATEFUL TO GET OUR CAR BACK. WHY WOULD FORD PUT A SAFETY COMPONENT ON SUCH LIMITED SUPPLY? PLEASE IDENTIFY IF THIS IS A SAFETY CONCE