Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Ford Contour submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE AND HAD TO BE CUT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A MECHANIC. *JB *NM
I WAS REAR ENDED INTO ANOTHER CAR ON OCT.29 2002 AND NIETHER THE AIR BAG WORKED AS WELL AS THE SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK. I HAD HEAD, NECK, AND BACK INJURIES AT THAT TIME. I DID'T QUESTION THESE THINGS NOT WORKING BECAUSE I WAS NOT HIT HARD. OCT. 27,2003 I WAS INVOLVED IN THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF ACCIDENT ONLY THIS TIME I WAS HIT HARD FROM BEHIND AND HIT THE CAR INFRONT OF ME HARD. AGAIN NOTHING WORKED AND THIS TIME THE POLICE EVEN QUESTIONED THE AIR BAG. AGAIN I HAVE INJURIES TO MY FACE, HEAD, NECK, SHOULDER, AND BACK BUT TO WHAT EXTENT I DO NOT KNOW YET. I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP IN BOTH ACCIDENTS AND HIT STRAIGHT ON IN THE REAR. IN 2002 I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT STRAIGHT ON AND NOW IN 2003 I HIT THE FRONT CAN WITH THE CENTER TO PASSENGER SIDE. MY CAR IS SAID TO BE TOTALED.
1998 FORD CONTOUR SEAT BELT JAMMED WHEN VEHICLE LANDED UPSIDE DOWN IN A CREEK RESULTING IN A FATALITY.*MR THE CONSUMER'S TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DROWNED BECAUSE THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE RECEIVED TWO LACERATIONS. *JB *NM
CAR TURNED OVER UPSIDE DOWN IN SMALL CREEK. SAFETY BELT OF DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER FAILED TO RELEASE AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS BY DRIVER. THE REAR PASSENGER WAS MY TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND SHE DIED, BECAUSE THE SAFETY BELTS FAILED TO RELEASE AND JAMMED. SHE DROWNED AND MY SISTER IN LAW WAS THE DRIVER AND ALMOST DIED DUE TO THE SAFETY BELTS JAMMING AND NOT RELEASING, SO SHE WAS UNABLE TO GET TO MY DAUGHTER. THE FIRST PEOPLE ON THE SCENE HAD TO CUT THE SAFETY BELTS FOR THEM TO GET THEM BOTH OUT OF THE CAR AND IT WAS TO LATE FOR MY DAUGHTER. THE CREEK WAS LESS THAN 18 INCHES DEEP. CAR ONLY TURNED OVER ONE TIME TO UPSIDE DOWN POSITION AND APPROXIMATE SPEED WAS TWENTY MILES AN HOUR. MY DAUGHTER HAD NO OTHER INJURIES FROM THE ACCIDENT EXCEPT FOR DROWNING (I HAVE READ HER MEDICAL RECORDS THOROUGHLY). MY SISTER IN LAW HAD NO OTHER INJURIES EXCEPT FOR NEAR DROWNING AND 2 SMALL CUT'S. MY DAUGHTER LOST HER LIFE BECAUSE THE SAFETY BELTS JAMMED AND FAILED TO RELEASE. *LA
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE POPPED OUT OF GEAR AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE ARE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH GETTING VEHICLE INTO GEAR, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SHIFT AND CLUTCH PROBLEMS. *SLC
WHILE STALLING A CAR SEAT IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TIGHT. CONSUMER WAS PULLING ON SEAT BELT TO TIGHT UP,AND IN DOING SO, SEAT BELT RIPPED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
I HAVE EXPERIENCE DEFECTS WITH THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES AS WELL AS THE SEAT BELTS. THE SEAT BELTS ARE CONSTANTLY JAMMING. THEREFORE, I AM UNABLE TO SAFELY SECURE MY CHILDREN OR MYSELF WHEN DRIVING. ALSO THE BUCKLE DOES NOT FASTEN. SOMETIMES THEY WOULD WORK AND SOMETIMES THEY WOULD NOT. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY THE BELT JAMMED FOR MY SIX YEAR OLD AND THE BUCKLE WOULD NOT LOCK FOR MY THREE YEAR OLD. I PROCEEDED TO TURN LEFT (AFTER TWO CARS GAVE MY THE RIGHT OF WAY) INTO A PARKING LOT WHILE TRAFFIC WAS AT A STAND STILL. ALL OF A SUDDEN A CAR SPEEDS BY AND FORCED ME TO BRAKE SUDDENLY. WHEN I DID THIS BOTH MY CHILDREN HEADS HIT THE FRONT PASSENGER CAR SEATS. I BEGAN TO WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MY CHILDREN IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT. I HAVE CONTACTED A DEALER TO GET THEM CHECK OUT AND FIXED AND I AM CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURE.*AK
DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM SHORTS OUT CAUSING THE DOORS TO LOCK WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING. *TT
TRANSMISSION HAS A DEFECT, THERE IS A SLIP WHEN YOU APPLYING GEARS. ALSO, BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND GRABS A LITTLE BIT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. BRAKES HAVE FAILED, ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER ALMOST HIT A CHILD, BRAKE PEDAL SLIPS FROM UNDER FOOT. EMERGENCY BRAKE IS ONLY EFFECTIVE 50 PERCENT OF THE TIME. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY CHANGES GEARS ROUGHLY, AT TIMES JARRING OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM: LIGHT OF THE CLOCK HAS BURNED OUT TWICE, CONSUMER STATES THERE ARE SHORTS IN THE DASHBOARD, CAUSING THE HEATER OR A/C TO ONLY HAVE ONE SPEED WORKING, DOME LIGHTS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, LIGHT UNDER DASH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, WARNING BELL DOES NOT CHIME ALL THE TIMES IT SHOULD, CONSUMER STATES A SENSOR CAUSES HEATER TO ACT AS THE AC AND VICE VERSA. HINGES NOT MADE PROPERLY, CAUSING DOOR MOVEMENT WHILE OPENING/CLOSING, DOES NOT STOP WHEN IT SHOULD. SEAT BLET RETARCTION DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH ELAST, CAUSING IT NOT TO RETRACT PROPERLY, HAS GOTTEN CAUGHT IN THE DOOR JAM. ALARM SYSTEM HAS FAILED. WHEEL COVER CRACKED WHEN A TIRE WAS BEING CHANGED AND ANOTHER ONE FELL OFF, CONSUMER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TIME OR PLACE IT FELL OFF. *SLC
FIRST DAY CAR WAS BOUGHT ENGINE DIED, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY GAVE CONSUMER ANOTHER CONTOUR. CURRENTLY, VEHCILE WILL SHUT OFF IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION, AND ENGINE WAS ACTING UP. *AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN 3 TIMES FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, IT JERKS AND VIBRATES, CONSUMER DOES NOT THINK THAT DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION LIKE THEY SAID. 1 TIME FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS. CONSUMER HAS BEEN IN 2 ACCIDENTS DUE TO SUDDEN ACCELERATION. FRONT SWAY BAR REPLACED, STEERING WOULD SHIMMY AND RATTLE. BLOWER MOTOR ASSEMBLY REPLACED, DUE TO RATTLING NOISE IN AIR CONDITIONER, ALSO CYCLING SWITCH REPLACED DUE TO AIR CONDITIONER NOT COOLING. LEFT FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY REPLACED, BELT WOULD NOT BUCKLE. STARTER FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER FOUND LOOSE CONNECTION AT ACT. REAR STRUTS REPLACED, NOISY. *SLC
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS AT A INTERSECTION AND ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO IT. CONSUMER AND HIS WIFE WAS THROWEN FORWARD. SEAT WAS KNOCKED AT A 45DEGREE ANGLE. SEAT BELT BROKE AND LATCH FAILED. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BROKE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THERE WERE MINER INJURIES.*AK
BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELT DO NOT RETACT DURING NORMAL USE. THE SEATBELTS WILL FOLD OVER AND BECOME JAMMED APPROXIMATELY 4-5 TIMES DURING THE WEEK. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED BECAUSE A SEATBELT DOES NOT RETRACT AND TIGHTEN UP DURING AN ACCIDENT.
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP, HAD TO UNTWIST BELT TO USE IT. ALSO, REAR WINDOW FELL OUT, NOTHING HAD HIT IT/IGNITION KEY SWITCH WOULD RATTLE WHEN INSERTING KEY & TAKING IT OUT, AND SUN ROOF LOCK WAS NOT WORKING. SUNROOF COULD NOT BE OPENED OR CLOSED . TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK PROBLEMS. *AK
THERE IS A SHORT WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, CAUSING THE HORN, BRINKER'S AND BRAKE LIGHT'S NOT TO WORK. ALSO, ALL THE RUBBER HAS FALLEN OFF THE DOOR PANEL, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DOESN'T RETRACT. *AK
FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WAS PULLED OUT AND WOULD NOT RETRACT ON ITS OWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS NOT STAYING ON TRACK, AND THE CONSUMER STATES THE COVER IS COMING OFF THE TRACK OF THE SEAT BELT. *AK
SEAT BELT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE IS NOT SAFE FOR ADULTS BECAUSE OF THE MODIFICATION FOR CHILD SEATS. THE SEAT BELT LOCKS UP WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE PASSENGER ANY NORMAL MOVEMENT. *AK
WHENEVER THE BUILT-IN CHILD SAFETY SEAT STRAP CLIP IS PULLED OR TUGGED ON, IT BECOMES UNLATCHED. THIS HAPPENS AFTER IT'S LOCKED IN (CLICKED SOUND) & THE DOT TURNS FROM RED TO GREEN TO SAY SEAT IS LATCHED IN PROPERLY. *AK
THE SHOULDER BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE FRAME. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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