RoadVitals

1988 Ford Escort Seat belts Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Seat belts reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
18
Latest Oct 26, 2000
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 143 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
5

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 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.

Owner reports naming seat belt

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Seat belts
Filed Oct 26, 2000

WHILE CHILD IS IN CHILD SEAT SEAT BELTS BECOME UNDONE . CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER/ DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
873938
Seat belts
Filed Mar 5, 1999

LEFT FRONT MOTORIZED SEAT BELT FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID
781999
Incident
Mar 3, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Dec 4, 1998

WHEN OPENING THE DOORS ON THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. ALSO, AT TIMES THE BELTS WILL COME ALL THE WAY UP, BUT WILL NOT LOCK INTO POSITON, CAUSING THE SEATBELT LIGHT TO COME ON, INDICATING THE BELTS ARE NOT BEING USED. THE DOOR LIGHT ALSO COMES ON, SAYING THAT A DOOR IS AJAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
831822
Incident
Nov 15, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Jan 22, 1998

SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
529699
Incident
Oct 1, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Jan 6, 1997

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS FAIL TO RETRACT WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF.

NHTSA ID
513413
Seat belts
Filed Dec 16, 1996

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLES INOPERATIVE, BUCKLE WON'T LATCH, MALE PORTION WON'T GO INTO FEMALE, POPS OPEN, NOT FIXED.

NHTSA ID
806436
Seat belts
Filed Oct 28, 1996
Crash reported1 injury reported

DRIVER'S SIDE LAP/SHOULDER FAILED, IMPACT 6:00, SPEED UNKNOWN , GUIDE LOOP BROKE, CAUSING BELTS NOT TO RETRACT. *AK

NHTSA ID
804113
Incident
Oct 26, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jun 18, 1996
Crash reported2 injuries reported

WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT HOLD DRIVER. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
985772
Incident
Jun 5, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Apr 30, 1996

DRIVER'S MOTORIZED SEAT BELT INOPERATIVE. *SD

NHTSA ID
503976
Incident
Apr 7, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jan 5, 1996

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILURE SEAT BELT WILL NOT COME FORWARD. TT

NHTSA ID
977462
Incident
Oct 11, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Nov 29, 1995

DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILURE. TT

NHTSA ID
975692
Incident
Nov 29, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Nov 24, 1995
Crash reported2 injuries reported

CONSUMER WAS IN ACCIDENT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DIDN'T RESTRAIN THE PERSON SHE WAS INJURIED . TT THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER WERE INJURED DURING THE ACCIDENT. *YH

NHTSA ID
975363
Incident
Jul 30, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Sep 18, 1995

DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT FAILURE, DRIVER IS UNPROTECTED IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. TT

NHTSA ID
972109
Incident
Sep 18, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Jun 16, 1995

SEATBELT LATCH STUCK, WOULDN'T STAY BUCKLED. TT

NHTSA ID
967051
Incident
Jan 1, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Jun 15, 1995

THE REAR PASSENGER SEATBELTS GO UNDER THE SEATS AND CAN'T GET THEM BACK UP AND THE DRIVERS SEATBELT AS WELL. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA ID
966954
Seat belts
Filed Jun 9, 1995

DRIVER'S SIDE FEMALE PART OF LAP BELT JAMMED; WILL NOT RELEASE; USE ONLY SHOULDER HARNESS WHILE DRIVING. TT

NHTSA ID
966561
Incident
Jun 5, 1995
Seat belts
Filed May 25, 1995

PASSENGER FRONT SHOULDER/LAP BELT BUCKLE DISENGAGES WHEN LEANING FORWARD. TT

NHTSA ID
966002
Seat belts
Filed Apr 4, 1995

THE DRIVERS SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT HAD JUST STOPPED WORKING. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT

NHTSA ID
962975
Incident
May 20, 1994

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Electrical66Engine23Interior & seats15Exterior lighting11Fuel system10Steering9

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .