Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | |||||
| 12925 | 07/01/1999 | 614752 | Engineering is reviewing passive restraint (motorized seatbelt) systems in certain vehicles. *tt | 12/13/2000 | |
| 001204 | 06/01/2000 | 613910 | Subject regarding passive restraint system service information. *tt | 09/21/2000 | |
| 00124 | 06/12/2000 | 613860 | This bulletin provides revised passive restraint system information contained in the workshop manual and the electrical and vaccum troubleshooting manual (evtm). *tt | 09/20/2000 | |
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - ANCHORAGE | |||||
| 6562 | 07/01/1999 | 610688 | Brief information on passive restraint (motorized seatbelt) systems. *tt | 05/11/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | |||
| 05/03/1999 | 30000 | ||
| I am adding another complaint to the vast list of previous complaints regarding my 1996 ford escort and the failure of my passive restraint shoulder belt. it has been giving me problems for probably the last 8-10 years. it would intermittently stop mid-track and bouncing the door against the hinge would get it to move. two weeks ago, it stopped dead in the middle of the track. i, too, could hear the motor trying to make it go. i left it alone and about 4 days later, it resumed operating. now a week later, it has frozen again, a little more forward in the track than previously. i am disheartened to learn that others who have tried the process explained in the owner's manual to manually move the belt in the track has failed. i am at a loss as to why ford, having been notified of so many complaints regarding this same exact failure of their safety equipment, has chosen to ignore it! i will never buy another ford product if this is evidence of how they treat their faithful customers! can anything be done about this??? | |||
| 02/01/2001 | 1 | 09/01/2000 | |
| Three seat belts of 5 in my 1996 ford escort do not work. the springs of the shoulder harness of the two rear seat belts do not work. the escort was under warranty but ford refused to fix without substantial cost for the parts because seat belts were no longer covered. the front driver side shoulder harness motor does not work properly, causing the shoulder harness to not be in a safe position. no injuries at this point. if there was an accident passengers and driver would not be adequately protected by seat belts. incident date below is approximate date rear seat belts failed. *jb | |||
| 06/15/2001 | 80000 | ||
| Tries to accelerate and push through stoplights when my foot is on the brake. accelerates with out me and even trying to brake won't stop. stop and put it in park and it revs the enging to very high rpm's. | |||
| 10/10/2002 | |||
| Restrain belts automatic system front seat driving side is not work properly, dealer has replaced twice and still reoccurring the problem. please provide further information. mr | |||
| 10/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states then when drvr's door is shut the automatic driver's side shoulder belt does not fully release or secure occupant. the belt will only move to the halfway point on the track. consumer states that while driving the belt will continously click as if trying to move but consumer is unable to adjust manually. nlm | |||
| 07/03/2002 | |||
| Driver's side automatic seat belt unraveled and malfunctioned. when sudden brakes were applied tension in seat belt didn't respond. dealer was notified. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | 07/01/2099 | |
| The automatic seat belt on the drivers side has jammed in it's track. i have been advised i will have to replace the seatbelt motor as well. the warranty covering this part is only 5 yrs/50,000 miles. i feel that ford installed faulty equipment on my car and am disappointed in the quality of this major part of the safety system. i think ford needs to recall this product given the serious nature of this obvious defect. *ak | |||
| Driver's side passive shoulder belt motor failed at half-way point on its track.this is my 16 year old nephew's car. local ford dealer says the seat belt was twelve(12) days past warranty and wants to charge the kid over $300. for repair. this is a safety item, isn't it the manufacture's responsibility?the kid doesnt want to spend the money on the repair if he drives it the way it is now he is breaking michigan's seatbelt laws not to mention risking serious injury. any info you can give would be very helpful. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2000 | |||
| Driver's seat belt stopped in open position, 4 weeks later, passenger's seatbelt stopped working, also open position.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2001 | |||
| Electronic shoulder belt track sticks in the middle position failing to lock into a position that would restrain driver. dealership has examined vehicle, and will repair the problem at consumer's cost. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 12/12/2000 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| Power seatbelt stopped halfway in track, will cost over $600, check engine light comes on intermitantly, while everything checks out okay mechanically, can't figure what's causing it to come on | |||
| 01/17/2001 | 1 | 11/19/1998 | |
| Motorized seat belt cable on passenger's side broke, and one on driver's side is not working any more. *ak | |||
| 11/16/2000 | 04/01/1998 | ||
| Sealt belt on the driver's side snapped off in track and caused a concusion as well as a large contusion to my head. it required 14 stitches and 10 staples. the air bags depolyed late causeing my husband to hit his head on the windsheild. and rupturing my spleen. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1999 | |||
| Tracking of seat belt got stuck. driver side seat belt is automatic adjustment, which has to be disconnected for the seatbelt to retract. seatbelt must be manually clipped. *ak | |||
| 11/15/1999 | 15 | 08/01/1996 | |
| Seat belt became stuck midway on numerous occasions, finally it came off the track. i do not have a seat belt to wear now. engine check light problem began at under 10,ooo mi vehicle was brought into dealer was repaired (maybe? or was it only reset?) oxygen sensor' s (2 )had to be replaced to pass emission test. not covered under warranty. passenger door had problem took to dealer who sort of fixed it. at least one could open it from the inside. but it was difficult. eventually problem resurfaced. i have noticed that many of the problems i have had with the seat belts and with the check engine light are not an uncommon occurence. i am a chicago police officer and i notice that the check engine light is always on in the ford squad cars. there are problems which needs to be addressed. the seat belt issue needs to be addressed immediately. until i saw your web info in a magazine, i was not aware there was any recourse other than to complain to the manufacturer which is fruitless. perhaps your number and information need to be listed on the vehicle information books that are supplied to new car buyers. i only wonder how many other consumers have had similar problems that have not been reported other than to ford's customer service. *ak . | |||
| 10/01/1998 | |||
| Seat belt track malfunctions inconsistently. *ak | |||
| 09/15/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1996 | |
| When i closed the door to my car, the seatbelt activation cable jumped the track and quit half way. i contacted several ford dealers in oklahoma city, and the final answer to me was that the warranty had expired. i forced the belt to the end of the track and pulled the fuse, disabeling both the driver and passenger seatbelts. my question is have there been any fatalities due to this condition, and if there have how many does it take to warrant a safety recall. *ak | |||
| 12/16/1999 | 0 | ||
| Drivers side shoulder belt motor is stuck midway. this will not allow the belt to properly restrain a passenger. 3fasp11j8t. *ak *ml | |||
| 02/07/2000 | |||
| I started up the vehicle and the retractable seat belt stopped half-way through its normal track. the motor is audible, however, the belt continues to stay stationary half-way through its track. the motor is constantly making an attempt to move the seat belt through the rest of its track, but to no avail. the seat belt light is on also. *ak | |||
| 1 | 02/01/1996 | ||
| Both the driver's side and passenger's side motor seat belts stopped working. driver's side motor stopped moving. the seatbelt in the middle of the track. sometimes i get hit in the head when i get out. the tool that came with the car to manually move the seat belt does not work. luckily, the passenger side seat belt motor stopped when it was in the normal position. when going faster than 45 mph the speedometer jumps to 70 mph or faster and makes a weird noise. *ak | |||
| 12/17/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| The motor driven shoulder harness stopped in a forward position, making the shoulder harness unusable. it stopped in a position where you would bump your head on the belt lock as you entered the vehicle. i have talked with other escort owners that have had the same failure. given the amount of money paid to crash victims of much older vehicles, i think it is incumbent upon the manufacturer to guarantee the safety of passengers by providing a restraint system that works correctly for at least the average lifetime of a vehicle, not just three years. by the way, after being charged $250 for a repair, the belt worked once before failing again. should i be in an accident between now and monday when i can return to the dealers, i will not be protected by a shoulder harness. being that an escort is such a small car, i believe i'm at significant risk of injury should an accident occur. these kinds of failures should be fixed free, no questions asked. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1997 | |||
| Driver's shoulder belt got stuck which caused the driver's seatbelt to become inoperative and will not protect occupant in the event of a crash. then the passenger's seatbelt malfunctioned. currently, the driver's seatbelt malfunctioned again. *ak | |||
| 10/05/1998 | 1 | 04/01/1997 | |
| The belt stopped in the track on drivers side. it is stuck. the motor cant be turn as indicated in the owners manual. *ak | |||
| 09/04/1999 | |||
| Automatic front seat belts don't work properly. the belts are attached to door. will not move along door track. shorted out after following instructions. taking vehicle to dealer to have them check it. *ak | |||
| 03/15/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Driver's side motorized seat belt inoperable which resulted in failure to pass state required safety inspection, and car is illegal to drive except for repairs. dealer replacement cost: $600+. manufacturer contacted and related there is nothing they would do as warranty is 5 yr/50,000. *ak | |||
| 100 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| My driverside automatic seatbelt has come off track, therefore leaving me with no driverside seatbelt. if i was to get in an accident, i would have to rely on the airbag only. if i get stopped by the police, then i will get a seatbelt ticket. then i would have to pay a fine for something i couldn't control or better yet that ford couldn't control. i called them and since my 50,000 mile safety restraint warranty was expired there was nothing that they could do for me. now all i can do is hope i don't get in an accident or get pulled over because now my life is in ford's hands (by their choice, not mine). i mean plain and simple, that's a lifesaving device that's just not there for me. | |||
| 12/24/1998 | |||
| Automatic seat belt failed to operate. dealer notifed, and informed consumer that the cost would go to consumer because vehicle was out of warranty. *ak | |||
| 04/01/1998 | 2 | 04/29/1998 | |
| Passenger was leaning forward when the brakes were applied and the shoulder belts did not retract or extend. the belts locked in postion after occupants heard a loud rattle and clunk sound from the rear cargo compartment. | |||
| 11/26/1996 | 2 | 05/30/1996 | |
| Oxygen sensor failed; also automatic seat belts locked during deployment, injuring driver and wife and gas gauge malfunctioned, is off by at least 3 gallons. *ak | |||
| 08/31/1996 | |||
| Driver's side lap/shoulder belt failure, automatic shoulder belt retractor caused the seat belt to catch on the sunvisier | |||
| 10/19/1996 | 1 | ||
| Car was in a flood while parked in the driveway, motorized seat belts began rattling on both sides and operated erratically. *ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 20 | ||
| My 1996 ford escort's driver side shoulder belt won't move to the locked position on the b-pillar. it is stuck toward the rear of the track just past the upper bend in the track. *ak i disconnected the electrical wiring harness following the owner's manual. the shoulder belt would not move manually when i used the emergency handle turning it clockwise. everything i tried to move this into position has not worked. i went to the dealer. they said it isn't a recall item but the person in the parts department said the should harness is a frequent problem with escorts. he did not have all of the parts in stock. i went to several car repair facilities inclucing suburban ford in waterford, mi. everyone said this is a very costly repair because the interior body would have to be dismantled to get to the source of the problem. i also spent a good deal of time online tonight researching whether this shoulder belt problem is common. bingo. stuck, stalled, sticking driver side shoulder retstraint complaints are common for the 1996 ford escort. i consider this a serious safety issue and escorts should be recalled to repair this as soon as possible. i work for a fire department and a malfunctioning or non-functioning shoulder harness during an accident could be the cause of death or serious disability. many of the complaints i reviewed complained that the shoulder harness was stuck in the same position mine is. this stinks of a design flaw. how do i get ford motor to accept responsibility and make this repair at their expense? | |||
| 06/18/2004 | 1 | 06/19/1999 | |
| Right before i was due for my safety inspection, my automatic safety belt mechanism stopped working, so when i went to have it inspected at dobbs auto center, of course, it did not pass because of this and i had to have a new motor installed at a cost of $363.77. even the guy who inspected it said this should have been a recall because of safety issues and that i should be reimbursed. i can fax you a copy of the bill if necessary. thank you for your help. *jb | |||
| 10/06/2002 | 106359 | 1 | 02/02/2002 |
| The vehicle was involved in an accident, the air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt did not restrain the consumer as designed, the consumer was injured. *jb *scc | |||
| 12/09/2002 | |||
| Consumer called complaining about the front seat belts do not hold the driver neither the passenger in the seat. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ph | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - ANCHORAGE | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving, drivers seat belt broke, causing seat belt to become inoperable. also seat belt sensors are not properly engaging. *ak *slc | |||
| 07/04/2001 | 2 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Both rear passenger seat belts failed (became inoperable) within 1 week of each other, through normal usage. ford refused to replace the seat belts at no cost because the warranty expired less than 2 months before. since 3 young children are normally seated in the rear, this became a major safety issue. this was a very costly repair and had there been an accident involved, there most would likely would have been major injuries. *ak | |||
| 08/31/2000 | 0 | ||
| Consumer was traveling about 70mph on a side street i was traveling on northbound, and he was traveling on same lane, but opposite street. seat belts did not function properly. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| The cable that operates the driver's side passive restraint seatbelt stopped working and then literally snapped in two. the shoulder belt is now no longer operable. if i am in an accident, i will likely go through the windshield because of the defective cable. i contacted ford and they refuse to fix it. the dealer also said he didn't want bothered with it 'cause it's a tough one to fix and will take a long time to do. he told me to go to a junkyard, buy the part and put it in myself. ford motor co. refused to do anything. in documenting my complaint, they indicated i am angry because i cannot afford the repair. that is not true. i want them to pay to repair it because their product is faulty and puts my life at risk every time i have to drive the vehicle. please initiate a recall soon, before someone dies. there are dozens of other ford owners listed on your site as having the same problem. | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 12/21/1998 | 3 | 01/01/1997 | |
| I have had the seat belts fixed 3 times now and they have continued to tear up. they are now stuck the drivers side is stuck in the back position and the front passenger side is now stuck in the forward position. i do not think that i should have to continue to have this repaired. my son was involved in a crash and hit a road sign with the car head on and neither air bag deployed although the car had a lot of damage to the front. and now i am having problems with the cooling fan not coming on. i feel that this car should be checked out for these defects before someone gets hurt bad or even killed. i am just thankful that my child was not injured in the crash. i would have written sooner but i just found this web site. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Driver's side seat belt is not functioning properly. nlm | |||
| 05/01/1999 | |||
| The passenger and driver defective passive seatbelt restraint malfunctioned causing the track to be worn out in 41,000 miles for right side and 51,000 mils for left side, which will not protect the occupant in event of a crash. | |||
| 100 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| I filled out a questionnaire before and made a mistake in the vin number. | |||
| 11/15/1996 | 1 | ||
| No deployment of air bags during vehicle collision, driver's seat belt lock failed also, injuries due to failures. | |||
| 11/15/1996 | 1 | ||
| Seat belt did not hold consumer in accident, causing injuries to neck. | |||
| 11/15/1996 | 1 | ||
| When the accident occurred seat belt failed and received injuries. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| When making a sudden stop seat belt would not lock up. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||
| 01/10/2006 | 19 | ||
| The automatic seat belt in my 1996 ford escort failed to move several times upon opening the door. on one occasion when it failed to release i went to get up under it when it moved forward dragging me with it and injuring my neck. *jb | |||
| 06/02/2006 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Driver's side seat belt retracter does not retract. *jb | |||
| 02/02/2005 | 86000 | 1 | |
| Driver's side seat belt retractor failure at approximately 86,000 miles. system failure creates a safety hazard in event of crash. *jb | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 53334 | 10 | |
| Front seat belt retractor failed.consumer stated that she owned a another ford escort of a different year and the seat belts failed. *ak | |||
| 07/22/2004 | 100000 | 1 | |
| The front automatic seat belts failed to retract fully, and the rear seat belts failed to retract at all. this made it impossible to restraint the occupants or a child safety seat. *ak *nm | |||
| 107000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer complained of a seat belt problem. vehicle was equipped with automatic retractable seat belts, and the technician had to disconnect the motor of the retractable seat belts because it was getting too hot.*ak | |||
| 01/15/2004 | 128000 | 1 | 01/10/2003 |
| My son owns a 1996 ford escort which has a motorized shoulder harness assembly. the shoulder harness jammed and he could no longer use that part, although the seat belt worked. i took it to the local ford dealership. they said parts & labor to replace the track & motor were over $500! this is probably half of what the car is worth. he was then stopped for a seat belt violation and told by the wisconsin state trooper it had to be fixed. after several calls to salvage yards i was fortunate enough to find a used one at at reasonable price. however i was surprised to find out this is a very common problem, and most of the salvage yards didn't have them because of the demand. i don't think such an important safety item should cost so much to replace, especially when they are apparently a poor design and commonly need fixing.*ak | |||
| 01/07/2004 | 81000 | 1 | 02/02/1998 |
| Failed driver side restraint system. *ak | |||
| 08/08/2003 | 1 | ||
| Rear seat belt retractor failed. there was no upper body restraint for passengers. *ak | |||
| 07/17/2003 | 63000 | 1 | |
| On 7/17/2003 the driver side rear seat belt was pulled out for use and would not retract. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who repaired the retractor. currently, passenger side rear seat belt has done the same thing. *ak *ts *nlm | |||
| 08/12/2002 | |||
| Both rear seatbelt retractors no longer work, parts were replaced in july 1997.*ak | |||
| 07/11/2002 | |||
| Seatbelt retractor is broken . dealer was notified.*ak | |||
| 07/01/2001 | 2 | 05/01/2001 | |
| Both rearshoulder systems have failed. shoulder harnesses are fully extended and will not retract. *ak | |||
| 06/07/2000 | 04/01/1996 | ||
| Do people have to die before someone takes action and how many. no safety defec tmentioned. *ak | |||
| Driver's seat belt does not fully extend from retracting mechanism, cause unknown. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 2 | 03/01/1996 | ||
| Speedometer jumps erratically at speeds above 50 mph. not covered under extended warranty although brochure leads you to believe so. dealership knew it was the speedometer itself and not a dry cable because of history of same problems. 2nd problem; at appox 80,000 miles the drivers side rear seat belt would not retract. i recognize that things do break, but when the passenger side rear seat belt wouldn't retract just a few months later, i came to the conclusion that there is a design defect. *ak | |||
| 04/01/1996 | |||
| Both rear seat belts will not retract or lock. *ak | |||
| 05/22/2000 | |||
| Both rear shoulder belts will not retract; leaving occupants without any restraint. dealer notified and informed that vehicle was out of its warranty, and any repairs would be at consumer cost. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 05/22/2000 | 2 | ||
| Both rear seat shoulder belts will not retact in retractors; dealer notified and informed that vehicle was not covered under a recall. any repairs would be at consumer's cost. *ak | |||
| 07/16/2000 | 3 | ||
| Rear seat belts on driver side failed to retract to original position. had placed child seat in seat belt that kept coming loose. it needed a locking for child seat to tighten & shorten the belt. *ak | |||
| Driver's shoulder belt does not properly return into retracting mechanism, causing the seat belt to become inoperable, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 01/14/2000 | |||
| Both rear retractor belts were twisted across body, and was unable to straighten them out. believed this problem was due to parts installed backward. dealer notified, and refused to repair unless cost goes to consumer.*ak *ml | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 2 | ||
| Driver's side seat belt retractor does not work. it gets stuck on the track. vehicle repaired by dealer, and currently the passenger side retractor is having the problem. owner believes a recall should be issued. *ak *ml | |||
| 08/23/1999 | 1 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Both seatbelts failed within a month of each other. they just quit retracting. when i contacted the dealer, they said that they were not liable any more because after 36000 miles, the warranty was out. i cannot take my children in this vehicle because i cannot belt them in properly. will it take an injury or fatality before something is done? no one has been hurt -yet. manufacturers should be liable for any safety related devices to at least 100,000 miles on vehicles that are built today. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1998 | 2 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Driver side and passenger side automatic shoulder safety belts will only go half way up the door, then they appear to be stuck. the passenger side shoulder belt cable is out side of the track and appears to be frayed. neither should belt works properly and would not restain driver or passenger if a crash should occur. | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 1 | 01/31/1996 | |
| Retracting mechanism for rear left shoulder strap failed. | |||
| At times the driver's automatic seat belt does not retract after closing the door and the seat belt also blocks the driver's vision. please describe details. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - REAR | |||
| 05/21/2005 | 89535 | 2 | 04/12/1996 |
| We are the owners of a 1996 ford escort wagon vin: 1fasp15j1tw175411. we have been the only owners of this vehicle. we are writing to complain about the failure of the lap shoulder safety belts in the rear seat on both sides. both of the rear lap shoulder belt retractor mechanisms have failed within a short time of each other. this means the seat belts will no longer retract or pull tight when someone tries to use the rear seat belts. the reason we feel compelled to complain about this failure is that until around 9 months ago, we rarely (a handful of times at the most) used the rear lap shoulder seat belts. in august 2004 we switched our son's car seat over to a booster seat, moved the seat from the middle to the driver's side and started using the lap shoulder safety belt. in early november we were forced to move our son's booster seat to the passenger side because the driver's side belt failed to retract and was unusable. today we were driving home in our car when we heard a loud metallic noise from the rear of the car, and we noticed that there was something wrong with our son's lap shoulder seat belt. when we stopped to see what the problem was we discovered that the same thing that happened to the driver's side lap shoulder seat belt had happened to the passenger side one as well. so, in the nine months since we switched over to the two point system on our son's booster seat, where the seat belt was regularly deployed and retracted, the retractor mechanism has broken on both sides. this seems like a suspiciously concurrent event. we believe the retractor mechanisms on the rear seat belts were either defective or were installed incorrectly when our car was built. both mechanism broke while the seat belt was on our son, not while we were putting on the seat belt. the seat belt was already buckled and in place when they failed. | |||
| 07/22/2004 | 100000 | 1 | |
| The front automatic seat belts failed to retract fully, and the rear seat belts failed to retract at all. this made it impossible to restraint the occupants or a child safety seat. *ak *nm | |||
| 07/01/1999 | |||
| Both rear seat belts are broken and won't move or lock into plac. dealer has been aware of the problem. *ak | |||