Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | ||||||||||||||||
| 01V227001 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 04/11/2000 to 05/31/2001 | V (Vehicle) | 1400000 | 07/25/2001 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 07/16/2001 | 07/17/2001 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. it is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle may not fully latch. ford crown victoria built at st. thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01 mercury grand marquis built at st. thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01. lincoln town cars built at wixom assembly plant from 3/27/00 - 5/30/01. lincoln navigators built at michigan truck plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01. ford windstars built at oakville assembly plant from 3/23/00 - 5/30/01. ford rangers built at twin cities plant from 3/28/00 - 5/30/01, and also at the edison plant from 3/13/00 - 5/25/01. ford f-150 truck built at norfolk plant from 4/18/00 - 5/25/00; at ontario plant from 5/10/00 - 5/28/01; at kansas city plant from 9/11/99 - 5/25/01; and at cuautitlan plant from 5/16/00 - 6/9/01. ford super duty f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks built at kentucky plant from 4/17/00 - 5/27/01; and at cuautitlan plant from 5/16/00 - 6/19/01. ford excursions built at kentucky plant from 4/17/00 - 10/2/00. ford expeditions built at michigan truck plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide adequate occupant protection, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect the front outboard seat belt buckles and if the buckle fails the inspection process, it will be replaced. owner notification began july 25, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||||
| 042421 | 06/07/2005 | 051611 | 10014138 | Safety belt retraction speed. *tt | 04/28/2005 |
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES | |||||
| 0125 | 02/05/2001 | 619147 | Seat belt warning system - belt reminder function, operation and service tips. *tt | 05/16/2001 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | ||||||
| EA05004 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 02/17/2005 | 07/06/2005 | FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | ||
| During the initial recall campaign in 2001, the subject vehicles were inspected by ford dealerships using a test tool that would detect a defective front seat outboard seat belt buckle assembly.approximately one million vehicles passed the inspection test for one or both front buckles.subsequent to the recall service action, odi received 15 consumer reports alleging that a passed inspection buckle subsequently failed to latch or inadvertently unlatched during use.in addition, ford has identified 543 owner and field reports alleging buckle failure subsequent to passing the inspection test.ford tested and examined over 100 warranty-returned buckles and found that 44% of the buckles had no problem or a condition not related to the recall inspection (non-latch related buckle damage or foreign contamination).warranty claims were highest during the 18-month period after the start of the recall (july 2001) and have been declining during the past 24 months.over the past 12 months, ford has received approximately 12 warranty claims per month out of a vehicle population of about one million.complaints counts are also decreasing.during the past seven months, odi has received only two complaints. a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | ||||||
| EA05004 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 02/17/2005 | 07/06/2005 | FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | ||
| During the initial recall campaign in 2001, the subject vehicles were inspected by ford dealerships using a test tool that would detect a defective front seat outboard seat belt buckle assembly.approximately one million vehicles passed the inspection test for one or both front buckles.subsequent to the recall service action, odi received 15 consumer reports alleging that a passed inspection buckle subsequently failed to latch or inadvertently unlatched during use.in addition, ford has identified 543 owner and field reports alleging buckle failure subsequent to passing the inspection test.ford tested and examined over 100 warranty-returned buckles and found that 44% of the buckles had no problem or a condition not related to the recall inspection (non-latch related buckle damage or foreign contamination).warranty claims were highest during the 18-month period after the start of the recall (july 2001) and have been declining during the past 24 months.over the past 12 months, ford has received approximately 12 warranty claims per month out of a vehicle population of about one million.complaints counts are also decreasing.during the past seven months, odi has received only two complaints. a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| RQ04011 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 10/22/2004 | 02/17/2005 | FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | ||
| Under recall campaign (01v227), ford recalled approximately 1.3 million vehicles to inspect and if necessary replace the front driver and/or passenger seat belt buckle.approximately 1.1 million owners responded by taking their vehicles to a dealer for inspection of the buckle using a specialized buckle test tool.ford reported that 829,927 vehicles had both buckles pass the tool test and another 167,336 vehicles had one buckle pass.odi and ford received complaints alleging seat belt buckle failure shortly after passing the original recall inspection service.complainants alleged that the buckle failed by either not latching or false-latching (partial engagement of the latch to the latch plate).a false-latched buckle may release with minor movement or impact against the buckle housing including inadvertent release while the vehicle is in motion.odi is upgrading this recall query to an engineering analysis (ea05-004) to further analyze the field performance of those vehicles that ford dealers passed (one or both buckles) using ford's inspection test (997,263 vehicles). | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | |||
| 01/01/2008 | 1 | 01/01/2008 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that all of the seat belt buckle assemblies failed. in the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide adequate occupant protection and increase the risk of personal injury. the manufacturer stated that her vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 01v227001 (seat belts:front:buckle assembly); therefore, they would not assume financial responsibility for the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were unknown. updated 01/09/09. *lj updated 01/12/09.*jb | |||
| 01/17/2003 | 80000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. while driving approximately 25 mph to various speeds, the driver's side seat belt unlatched intermittently. the contact was able to close the seat belt; however, it continued to unlatch when he moved around. the seat belt also opened when he stopped at a traffic light. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 01v227001 (seat belts:front:buckle assembly). the failure began in january of 2003 when the vehicle was purchased with an extended warranty, which did not include the seat belts. the dealer stated that the repair would cost approximately $200 at the contact's expense. the failure is currently occurring more frequently. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000 and current mileage was 139,000. | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 5 | ||
| The front passenger seat-belt buckle becomes unlatched on an intermittant basis. belt buckle will insert and snap most of hte time, but there have been several instances when the buckle snapped as if it was latched, but come unlatched when a force was applied to the buckle (as when leaning forward). | |||
| 10/21/2002 | 15000 | 3 | |
| While driving at any speed passenger's seat belt got tangled in the seat back release. this happened at least three times. dealer replaced seat belt, but the problem persists. *ak | |||
| 01/26/2002 | 1 | 06/26/2001 | |
| While driving 30mph vehicle rear ended another vehicle and the seat belts did not restain the driver and passenger properly.*ak *slc | |||
| 10/15/2001 | |||
| Received notice 01v227001. contacted dealership. was informed parts on back order since august. middle row seat belt is getting worse. keeps popping out.*ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT | |||
| 08/21/2006 | 25 | 01/15/2003 | |
| The drivers seat belt releases periodically for no apparent reason. the seat belt will fasten with a click and appears securely fastened. then occasionally (at least once per week) while driving it will release for no apparent reason. this has been occuring over the past 6 months (at least). | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 5 | ||
| The front passenger seat-belt buckle becomes unlatched on an intermittant basis. belt buckle will insert and snap most of hte time, but there have been several instances when the buckle snapped as if it was latched, but come unlatched when a force was applied to the buckle (as when leaning forward). | |||
| Consumer states that during a vehicle accident the front seat belts unlock causing injuries to the consumer. dealer will be notified. ts | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - ANCHORAGE | |||
| 01/23/2002 | 3 | 01/25/2001 | |
| While driving at 66 mph vehicle vibrates and shakes, consumer took the vehicle the to dealer, cause unknown. *ak consumer states cv boots failed causing front-end to squeak, the seat belt hold strap fell off, drivers window does not close properly and it makes noise and the passenger side mirror shakes while driving. *yd | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/17/2006 | 2 | 10/27/2006 | |
| Seat belt latch failed then front air bags failed to deploy. *jb | |||
| 12/25/2005 | 47000 | 1000 | |
| I purchased a used 2001 ford expedition. shortly after purchase (1 year ago) we noticed the seat belt would randomly release from a securely latched position. we would have to re-latch it while driving, not knowing when it would release again. obviously a dangerous situation. according to your website, there was a recall issued for ford expeditions built at the michigan plant from april 2000 through the end of may 2001. ford motor co. acknowledged that my car was built at the michigan plant may 2, 2001 and that they did not know why my car was not listed in the recall. the ford dealership nearby had no idea of a recall issued at all. i feel my car should have been included in the recall. i also feel that all car companies should be responsible for items of personal safety, like seat belts. i paid to have a new seat belt assembly put on the vehicle. *nm | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 5 | ||
| The front passenger seat-belt buckle becomes unlatched on an intermittant basis. belt buckle will insert and snap most of hte time, but there have been several instances when the buckle snapped as if it was latched, but come unlatched when a force was applied to the buckle (as when leaning forward). | |||
| 63000 | 3 | ||
| Consumer complained about a seat belt problem. the dash lights illuminated as if vehicle was about to start, however not vehicle would not start.*ak | |||
| 62000 | 2 | 04/01/2003 | |
| Consumer called complaining about having problems with seat belts. seat belts will not lock properly. manufacturer was not contacted at the time of this call. *ak seat belts started coming unlatched while driving. at first, consumer thought she didn't latch it properly. it continued to happen more often over the next two months. she contacted the dealer and they stated she had the vehicle too long to be covered. consumer learned of a recall for her vehicle but her vin wasn't included. consumer replaced the seat belt and the second seat right passenger belt also. *ph | |||
| 1 | |||
| Because of consumers large girth, consumer needs to utilize a seat belt extender. consumer has experienced continuous difficulty getting the buckle on the seat belt extension to stay latched into the fixed buckle receptor mounted in the vehicle. the buckle on the belt itself, does stay latched to the seat belt extension. it takes repeated attempts before it latches. consumer was notified of a recall regarding the seat belt buckle. as instructed consumer took the vehicle to have the seat belt checked. no defect was found at that time, but the check was done without the seat belt extension. consumer believes this situation to be a potentially serious safety problem. *jg | |||
| 07/24/2002 | 10 | 02/01/2000 | |
| I took my 2001 expedition in to replace the seat belts that were being recalled. the drivers side was replaced.one month after being replaced it started to come unhooked with any sudden movement or turning in the seat . i want other people to be aware the new seatbelt they received could also be defective. this is upsetting to me because i took my children on a 1000 mile trip and wore a seat belt with all the confidence that i would be protected in an accident however minor or serious.does the dealer have to reprort the problem? | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 1 | 07/01/2001 | |
| Drivers side seat belt unbuckles by itself, while driving and while sitting still. *ak | |||
| 07/31/2001 | 0 | ||
| Seat belt buckles failed to operate properly. after taking vehcle to dealer, was told that vehicle's make/model was involved in a recall, but this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||
| 12/15/2006 | 92000 | 100 | 08/10/2001 |
| Seat belt retract mechanism weak on drivers side. often does not retract and door slams on it. found this also to be true for my dads 2001 ford ranger. *nm | |||
| 11/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, consumer was involved in an accident, in which the seat belt failed to retract the consumer.*yh | |||
| SEAT BELTS - REAR | |||
| 07/09/2006 | 1 | 05/26/2006 | |
| The driver stepped on the gas, and then suddenly stepped on the brake. the middle passenger in the 2nd row of seats was belted in. she, who is also 2 1/2 to 3 months pregnant was thrown to the front row, her upper part of her body reaching all the way into the front seat area because the seat belt failed to hold her in place. the only reason she stopped moving at all was because the belt eventually ran out of length. (a five-month-old infant was also belted in her car seat next to the woman, on the left (driver's) side. the infant's seat belt appeared to work fine, the baby in her car seat remained in place.) the woman who was using the faulty belt initially felt pain in the abdomen (where the lap belt was), and also in her left arm, hand and fingers where she tried to stop herself from flying forward. the next morning the pregnant woman noticed soreness throughout her abdomen area which felt like deep bruising. her left shoulder and arm are continuing to bother her. the pain in her abdomen has improved as the week has gone on. the owners of the vehicle, one of which is the pregnant woman, are concerned about the complete failure of the seat belt. *jb | |||
| 03/21/2006 | 58000 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the rear passenger side and middle seatbelts are inoperable. although the dealer was alerted, no inspection has been made. | |||
| 11/09/2005 | 39000 | 5 | 12/26/2001 |
| Dt: the contact complained about several problems with vehicle. first, the accelerator pedal stuck. the dealer cleaned the throttle body which seemed to solve the problem. the vehicle would sometimes surge forward. she thought the surging was related to apparent transmission problems. she finally had the transmission rebuilt. part of the cost was covered under the extended warranty. secondly, the seat belt in the middle row did not retract correctly. the dealer could not duplicate the problem. therefore, no repairs were made to the seat belt. thirdly, the left rear door actuator had to be replaced because the power locks were not working. fourthly, the rear passenger child safety lock did not work properly. once the child safety lock was deactivated, and the door handle was raised from the inside, the child safety lock activated. the contact's husband corrected this problem by taking apart the lock and cleaning it. she had to push very hard on the exterior key pad to get it to work. the dealer did not think this was a problem since she was able to get it to work eventually. lastly, the right front power window worked intermittently. the dealer could not duplicate the problem, and no repair was made.*ak | |||
| 10/05/2005 | 0 | 1 | 06/19/2003 |
| I own a 2001 ford expedition which has had failure of one of the rear seat belts. when you attempt to lock the seat belt into the buckle it does not lock. i took my vehicle to a ford dealership and was told the problem could be fixed if i was to pay out of my pocket the expenses because my warranty was expired. i do not feel i should have to pay any out of pocket expenses to cover the repair of my seat belt. i have two children and it is the law to have them secured in my vehicle. *jb | |||
| 09/08/2004 | 1 | ||
| Rear driver's side seat belt malfunctioned. consumer tried to unlock the seat belt from the belt buckle and was unable to do so. therefore, consumer cut the seat belt in pieces. consumer will contact the dealer in the near future. *ak | |||
| 05/13/2004 | 55000 | 1 | |
| Rear middle seat belt was hard to unlock from the belt buckle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Seat belt will not stay locked in the rear. the passengers are not properly restrained. *ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - REAR - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 03/23/2006 | 91000 | 1 | 06/15/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated all three of the middle row seat belts are inoperable. two of the seatbelt buckle assemblies have completely broken apart. the springs and release buttons ejected from the buckle assembly. the third seat belt buckle assembly fails to fully lock. there is a nhtsa recall, # 01v227001, regarding the seat belt: front: buckle assembly however the middle row seat belt has the same problems as indicated in the recall. | |||