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 04/17/2000 to 05/29/2001 | 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 | |||||
| 00S26 | 12/01/2000 | 616817 | Subject regarding demonstration / delivery hold - safety recall 00s26 supplement #4 - restraint control module replacement. *tt | 03/13/2001 | |
| 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. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | |||
| 08/20/2009 | 215000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that the driver side seat belt would not latch. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the latch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 215,000. pmb | |||
| 08/20/2009 | 215000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated the driver side seat belt does not latch. the contact took the vehicle to a local dealer for a diagnostic test. the dealer stated the latch needed to be replaced. the contact did not have the seat belt latch replaced. the failure mileage was 215,000. jo | |||
| 01/06/2011 | 98000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 mercury grand marquis ls. the contact stated that the front driver side seat belt buckle failed to latch securely. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they informed that the buckle assembly would need to be replaced. there was a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 01v227001 (seat belts front: buckle assembly); however, the vin was not included in the recall. the technician ordered the part, and informed that when the part became available the vehicle would be repaired. the failure mileage was 98,000. js | |||
| 03/28/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that while driving the seat belts disengages from the buckle. the owner stated that the seat belts have been checked for seat belt issues and was told there was no failure found. ford stated that the seat belt would be $270.00 at the owners expense. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was approximately 55,000. vin unknown. rd | |||
| 08/18/2009 | 97000 | 1 | |
| The driver seat belt buckle on my 2001 mercury grand marquis unbuckles on its own. i buckle up, pull on it, and start out on the road. next thing i know is the buckle comes apart and then its just a repeat of the same thing for the rest of the trip. took the vehicle to cortese in rochester, ny and was told there was no recall on it. they buckled the belt but couldn't get it to fail in the shop. if i have an accident i will sue based on all the issues i am seeing on this site, and ford's unwilling to fix it. i bought the car a year and a half ago and it has been an off and on problem. i have 97,000 miles on it. *tr | |||
| 02/11/2009 | 70000 | 1 | 11/20/2000 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that the passenger side seat belt buckle will not latch and stay locked. the contact went to the dealer and they stated that there was no recall on the seat belts; however, the insurance company stated otherwise. the failure mileage was 70,000. updated 03/23/09 *lj. updated 03/23/09.*jb | |||
| 01/29/2009 | 55000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury grand marquis. the contact started the ignition and noticed that the driver | |||
| 04/30/2003 | 1 | ||
| Fatal accident in 2001 mercury grand marquis resulting from vehicle rollover. the highway patrol concluded that the driver was not wearing seat belt.*mr the driver was killed as a result of injuries sustained when he was ejected from his vehicle. after the accident deceased family learned of a seat belt buckle recall (01v227001). the deceased had taken the vehicle to have the recall repaired on nov 21 2002 and the dealer determined that the buckle did not need to be replaced. after the accident a ford tool test was performed and it was determined that the buckle had failed. *nm | |||
| 12/15/2001 | 20000 | ||
| Consistent problem with turn signal and air-conditioning malfunction. fuse blows-no turn signal or air conditioning. possible electrical problem and safety/fire hazard. cerame dealership in st. louis, mo has not been unable to locate the problem. dealership service has replaced one wire and a sensor. problem still exists. taking vehicle back to dealership to resolve 6/23/03. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - ANCHORAGE | |||
| 1 | 05/20/2002 | ||
| Consumer was involved in a frontal accident. the driver side air bad did not deploy but the passenger side air bag inflated. the right air bag was replaced. the seat belt left bad bruises across the chest of consumer. going 30 to 35 mph, consumer was thrown into the steering wheel. a new seat belt was installed on the drivers side and is operating normally. *jg | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/28/2007 | 88000 | 15 | 08/14/2006 |
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 mercury grand marquis. the driver's side seatbelt releases on it's own. the current and failure mileage was 88,000. the dealer name was the only dealer info avail. lm | |||
| 10/03/2005 | 1 | 02/02/2002 | |
| Front seat belt restraint buckle assembly failed to properly latch making the seat belt and warning assembly inoperative. ford refused to honor recall. *jb | |||
| 08/30/2003 | 44302 | 1 | |
| Attorney represented the family of wallace petro who had died in an automobile accident while driving a 2001 grand marquis the attorney alleged that the driver's side seat belt buckle failed, and caused mr. petro to be ejected during the roll over incident. the vehicle was previously serviced under recall 01v227000. information as told to odi. *ak *tc | |||
| Recall number 01v227001 concerning seat belt buckles. dealer has no parts available to correct recall problem. consumer was told that parts would become available within 2-5 bussiness days. consumer could not leave vehicle without rental car assistance. before dealer released vehicle, consumer had to sign a form releasing dealer and manufacturer of any further obligations. *ak | |||
| 08/20/2001 | |||
| Consumer contacted dealership for recall repair 01v227000 concerning seatbelts. but, has been unable to have sea tbelts repaired due to lack of parts. please provide further details.*ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES | |||
| 03/05/2001 | 0 | ||
| Turning signal started to flashing really fast, took vehicle to dealer and could not find cause. engineer repaired lights. consumer stated that seat belt warning light stopped working right after they fixed turn signal light.*ak | |||