Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | |||
| 08/31/2012 | 1 | ||
| My driver's side seat buckle stopped latching. *tr | |||
| 08/31/2012 | |||
| My driver's side seat buckle stopped latching | |||
| 12/12/2012 | 1 | ||
| The driver side seat belt no longer locks. the car has never been in accident and i feel that this problem needs to be addressed as i am not the only one with this problem. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2012 | |||
| The driver side seat belt no longer locks. the car has never been in accident and i feel that this problem needs to be addressed as i am not the only one with this problem. | |||
| 02/01/2012 | 140000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer sport. the contact stated that the driver side seat belt clasp could not be secured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the seat belt needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since there were no recalls related to the failure. the failure and current mileage was 140,000. kmj | |||
| 02/01/2012 | 140000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer sport. the contact stated that the vehicle driver side seat belt clasp would not shut close. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the seat belt needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since there was no recalls related to the problem. the failure and current mileage was 140,000. pm | |||
| 09/26/2011 | 222000 | ||
| Drivers side seat belt receiver does not clasp seat belt. we are taking the vehicle to a local shop to replace the receiver at $100 for the part plus labor. a seat belt receiver should be built to last normal driving conditions. this vehicle has not been in any kind of accident. the driver's side seat collapsed in the recline position on 8/24/2011, fortuneately this occurred when the vehicle was not in motion. the recline mechanism does not work, and the seat does not stay upright. these two items are definitely safety issues. | |||
| 09/10/2011 | |||
| I had a accident on sept 10 2011. i had my seatbelt on when i crashed but it didn't catch and actually came undone. the deputy investigating also noticed that the seatbelt would not even catch into the receiving part of the seatbelt anymore. this is a real safety matter. | |||
| 08/04/2011 | 143000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer. the contact stated that the seat belt suddenly became unlatched without force or assistance and he was unable to latch it again. the dealer did not offer any assistance. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the latch assmebley needed to be replaced. no repairs were performed. the current and failure mileages were 143,000. bw | |||
| 06/03/2011 | 195000 | ||
| The driver's seat belt has failed. the female part of the seat belt will not latch to the male section. the internal spring has broke. dealership will not replace for free. | |||
| 10/18/2010 | 96500 | ||
| While driving, driver side seatbelt buckle released seatbelt due to failure of locking mechanism. this was entirely spontaneous and potentially deadly if it occurred during a traffic accident. the repair is still pending due to costs and delays as well as response from ford motor company. | |||
| 09/10/2010 | 160000 | ||
| The seat belt rather suddenly quit working on the drivers side. i think the spring is broken and i am using the passenger seat belt assembly. i did nothing to cause this failure. | |||
| 04/05/2010 | 120000 | ||
| Driver seat belt broken; does not stay latched. | |||
| 11/03/2008 | 190000 | 1 | |
| Drivers seat belt buckle failure. *tr | |||
| 05/10/2008 | 162000 | 1 | |
| Drivers side seat belt latch will not engage. very unsafe! *tr | |||
| 04/30/2008 | 1 | ||
| I have a '96 ford explorer. the driver side seat belt buckle fails to lock in the seat belt. this safety device should last longer than the vehicle itself. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 120000 | 1 | 06/01/1996 |
| The driver's side seat belt buckle broke at 120k miles. as a result the driver is not restrained while driving. *ph *mr | |||
| 1 | 05/12/1996 | ||
| The drivers side seat belt did not latch properly and became unfastened while driving. *jb | |||
| 10/09/2001 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle was going 30-35mph and flipped over driver's seat belt wouldn't unlock, leaving consumer in a upside down position. consumer used a screw driver to unlatch the seat belt. dealer and manufacturer were notified. seat belt part# trw tc077. *ak the air bag also failed during the accident. the cause for losing control of the vehicle was due to the tire which rolled off from the safety rim. *yh | |||
| 11/06/1997 | 100 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Both rear seat belts jam/lock repeatedly and have since 11/97. i have been to dealerships 6 times to have them fixed. they have been replaced two times by two different dealerships, yet they continue to jam/lock and are unusable until they are fixed. over the past year i have been able to unjam them myself without going to the dealership. i have two children (ages 6 and 8) i must have properly working seat belts. over the summer the drivers side seat belt also has been jamming occassionally. i have talked with several other explorer owners and they have the same problems with their belts as well. if they are locking up, how can they possibly work effectively in the event of an accident? *ak | |||
| 07/08/1999 | |||
| Seat belt caught the son and would not release him. seat belt was cut.consumer contacted dealer and manufacturer. *ak | |||
| 02/15/1997 | 3 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Passenger's side belt locked and would not release passenger. had to cut belt to get out. *ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT | |||
| 01/12/2008 | 1 | ||
| Front driver seat belt wont click. *tr | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 3 | ||
| Bought ford explorer in 1996, new. filed a complaint with bbb regarding problems. nothing was achieved. in november of 2002 was in an accident where the vehicle rolled over, my seat belt did not lock, nor did the air bags deploy, which resulted in severe injuries to myself. broken neck (c-2, tbi tramic brain injury and broken bones. i beleive the failure of the seat belt, roof stability and airbags malfunction caused my injuries. the driver and other occupant received no serious injuries. nothing was done to correct the failure as you can see in the numerous law suits againist ford motor co. *ak | |||
| 02/05/2004 | 1 | ||
| The driver's side seat belt would not latch while the occupant was sitting in the seat. the driver drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic told the driver that the seat belt was not covered by the warranty. please add any additional information. *nm | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - ANCHORAGE | |||
| 10/25/2002 | 2 | 06/01/2096 | |
| Both front seats belts release on their own. have done so numerous times. i will replace them today. dt | |||
| 04/22/1998 | 1 | ||
| The consumer was traveling when the vehicle was struck in the rear by another vehicle, causing the vehicle to spin around and roll. during the accident, the driver door came open and the driver seat belt came loose. as a result, driver was thrown out of the vehicle. the passenger's seat belt also became loose. the driver died instantly. the passenger suffered serious injuries. the air bags also failed to deploy.(sister on behalf of deceased brother) *yh | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 2 | 01/01/1996 | |
| Seat belt failed. | |||
| 1 | 08/17/1996 | ||
| Front seat belt failed. | |||
| 06/01/1996 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Seat belts on passenger side front and rear failed. | |||
| 11/01/1996 | |||
| Driver's side seatbelt was installed backwards, to fasten one must twist the belt. *ak | |||
| 10 | 02/01/1996 | ||
| Front seat belts twist when retracted. | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| Front passenger seat belt locks, restraining passenger, even when car is at a constant speed. | |||
| 10/26/1996 | 1 | 06/30/1996 | |
| Driving vehicle, suddenly the driver's side seat belt strap came apart and the bolt fell out on the floor of the vehicle. *ak *slc | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 172000 | 15 | 06/14/1996 |
| 1996 ford explorer seat belt comes unlatched 10-15 times per day, driver side only and i am the original owner.....thanks. *tr | |||
| 04/12/2007 | 174302 | 1 | 12/27/2003 |
| I can't latch the driver seat belt buckle. the red buckle release button doesn't springwhen inserting the buckle nor when i push it as i would to release a buckle. this occurrence was sudden, with no prior warning of possible failure. until i can replace (or repair) the failed equipment, i need to latch the drivers seat belt into the front passenger belt latch. this action of pulling my seat belt to the passenger belt latch results in my neck being rubbed by my upper chest belt, which is aggravating. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2006 | 2 | ||
| About six months ago, the front passenger side seatbelt on my 1996 ford explorer stopped working. the clip would often become stuck and would need to be pried out with a screwdriver or similar object or it would occasionally just not clip in at all. finally it became completely stuck and the whole clip mechanism had to be torn out. i went to a ford dealership as well as a body shop to get an estimate on fixing it and both said that it would be $250.00 in parts and would be around $300.00 total. when i went to a junkyard to find a replacement seatbelt, they said that the '95 and '96 explorers they had also had the same problem so i had to get a replacement seatbelt from an earlier model and then installed it myself. now the driver's side front seat belt won't work either. it won't clip in at all. i haven't done anything to fix this problem yet. *jb | |||
| 06/10/2006 | 143000 | 1 | 05/18/1996 |
| Vehicle: 1996 ford explorer failure: the driver side seat belt buckle spring failed, and will not latch properly, resulting in release of the seat belt under very light pull. cannot comply with seat belt usage laws due to the failure of the part. *jb | |||
| 03/09/2006 | 79000 | 1 | 01/06/1996 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the driver's side front seat belt buckle assembly will not stay secured. the dealer was alerted. the contact is planning on having the vehicle repaired. updated 5/3/2006 - the buckle spring broke due to wear which resulted in the belt not latching. *nm | |||
| 01/09/2006 | 12000 | 6 | |
| Dt: the contact stated the driver's side seat belt was not properly latching. it would unlatch while in use. the contact had to slam on the brakes and the force caused the seat belt to come unlatched. the contact hit her head. now, the seat belt will not latch. *ak when contact's husband bought the new seat belt assembly to install it the sales person claimed he sold multiple of these sets, and they worked well. *ak | |||
| 12/29/2005 | 109915 | 1 | 07/11/1998 |
| Driver's side seat belt buckle does not latch completely. one day later it does not latch at all. *jb | |||
| 01/06/2004 | 1 | 02/13/1996 | |
| Driver' s side seat belt will not stay latched. a safety problem. does ford even care if i'm killed because it comes unlatched. thank you fmc. i'll be at the toyota dealership. this is a problem that ford should fix. *ak | |||
| 01/22/2005 | 72000 | 1 | 01/25/1996 |
| The front driver's side seat belt latch will not stay buckled, ea02-011. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *bf *nm | |||
| 01/10/2005 | 1 | ||
| While driving driver's front seat belt locked, restraining the driver, even when driving at a constant speed. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the cause had not been determined. *ak | |||
| 12/28/2004 | 104000 | 1 | 08/06/1992 |
| Buckle end of the drivers side seat belt no longer works. buckle end needs to be replaced. *jb | |||
| 09/14/2004 | 149000 | 1 | |
| Driver's side seat belt malfunctioned. the seat belt unbuckled by itself while fastened. this left driver unrestrained and unprotected in the event of an emergency stop or crash. *ak the female portion of the seat belt apparatus was replaced with a used part from a junked vehicle. *tc | |||
| 02/20/2004 | 1 | ||
| Consumer noticed that the driver's seat belt does not lock properly. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the seat belt needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 06/20/2004 | 126150 | 1 | 08/17/1998 |
| The buckle on the driver's side seat belt is broken. i am unable to keep the seat belt fastened for approximately 1 week now.*ak | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 1 | ||
| The seat belt failed due to a fatigue crack in the buckles spring. *ak *jb *nm | |||
| 06/24/2003 | 1 | ||
| Drivers seat belt over the course of 3 weeks, gradually went from popping out in to not working at all. went back to ford, over $200.00 to repair it.*ak | |||
| 08/04/2003 | 102000 | 1 | 03/07/2001 |
| Seat belt failure. the drivers seatbelt fails to hold/latch. seatbelt is completely unuseable. | |||
| 07/26/2003 | 76500 | 1 | 02/01/2001 |
| Seat belt buckle failure, driver's side, 1996 ford explorer xlt, @72000 miles. car is in good condition otherwise, never wrecked. over the course of two weeks, the buckle went from to popping-out the latch occasionally to being near impossible to secure the latch in to the buckle and random pop-outs.the buckle was replaced and i kept the old buckle.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The driver's seat belt did not latch properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the buckle needed to be replaced. *jb *scc *jb | |||
| 03/09/2003 | 120000 | 100 | 11/11/1995 |
| 1996 ford explorer, drivers side seat belt will not stay latched. *jb | |||
| 12/20/2000 | 93000 | 1 | 10/02/1995 |
| All of the seat belts do not latch.dealer notified.*ak *ts | |||
| 06/13/2002 | |||
| Driver's seatbelt will not latch, and consumer is unable to use it while driving. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states that rear seat belt buckles are tight together and that the release buttons are located at the tops of the buckles making them very difficult to unlatch. *jada | |||
| Vehicle was involved in a collision in which vehicle rolled over, and passenger seat belt buckle released from locking mechanism. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 11/15/2001 | |||
| Driver's side seat belt buckle would not stay latched, and plastic on passenger side seat belt is cracking. feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states that rear seat belt buckles are tight together and that the release buttons are located at the tops of the buckles making them very difficult to unlatch. *jada | |||
| 09/23/2001 | 1 | 07/01/2001 | |
| On 09/23/01 my 24yr. old soninlaw was killed when he lost control and hit a meidian and tree was on two tires then went 30ft thru the air before the explorer he was driving rolled and threw him out the driver window. he was wearing seat belt which he had had trouble with since purchase failed and he was ejected also his brother in passenger side couldnt get his belt to latch but he was lucky and walked away. the truck was also equipped with airbags on both sides which didnt deploy either. my son in law died that night when he was ejected and the truck landed on half of his face. he left behind a wife and 2sons and a 1 month old daughter. these explorers are death traps please do not purchase one.*ak | |||
| 09/28/2001 | |||
| Rear passenger seat belt latch was placed into center position receptacle, and was unable to get it released. had to cut belt to free the passeanger. dealer / manufacturer were not notified at this time. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| Driver's side rear seat belt locked up, and would not release from locking mechanism . seat belt had to be cut to release child from the seat. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| While driving and seat belt is fastened, when moving around,seat belt will come undone. dealer has been notified. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| Driver's side/rear passenger's seat belt buckles would not unlatch, causing the occupant to become trapped in the seat. consumer has contacted the dealer. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 09/01/1995 | |||
| The vehicle is a 2 door, ford explorer sport. each of the two rear passenger seats have a seat belt. the left seat (looking in the forward direction ) has the seat belt connector on the right side. the right seat has the seat belt fastener on the left side. the problem is that the two fasteners almost touch and if someone has to push the buttom on either one to unfasten it, it is very very difficult to separate the fasteners to push the button. *ak | |||
| 100 | 01/24/1998 | ||
| Seat belts lock into place, preventing driver from leaning foward. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||
| 12/20/2001 | |||
| Both rear restraints do not retract, leaving occupants unrestrained. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| On dec. 13, 2000, my 22 year old son totalled this vehicle after hitting a patch of black ice while traveling at a speed of approximately 45-50 mph. the vehicle rolled according to an eyewitness 4 times and landed on its roof. my son was, thank god, wearing his seatbelt! he was able to release his seatbelt and crawled through the driver's window which had been broken out. he escaped without any injuries! my concern is so much emphasis has been placed on the rollover possibilities when a tire blows, why not the possibility of flipping when hitting ice? is anything being investigated to correct the top heaviness of the vehicle, especially the 2-door models. more emphasis needs to be placed on the necessity of wearing seatbelts to survive a rollover.. *ak | |||
| 08/15/1999 | |||
| Driver's side rear passenger seat belt retracted or gave out & it released the rearfacing css. child & seat toppled over to left. driver tried to resecure seat belt, but retractor failed. took vehicle to dealer & was informed by mechanic retractor was broken. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1996 | 1 | 07/18/1996 | |
| Noise in left rear panel behind driver, due to seat belt retractor assembly. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES | |||
| 12/01/1995 | 1 | 12/01/1995 | |
| Seat belt light switch defective. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - WEBBING | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 2 | 07/01/1996 | |
| Shoulder belts on driver's side and passenger's side are falling apart. seat belt material is rotting away. dealer has been notified about the problem. the belts will be replaced at owner's expense. *ak *ml | |||