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.
19
Latest Mar 9, 2010
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 152 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.
4
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Ford Escort 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.
Owner reports naming seat belt
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Seat belts
Filed Mar 9, 2010
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD ESCORT. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE SHE WAS REAR-ENDED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO HER HEAD AREA. SHE MENTIONED SHE WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELTS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND BELIEVED THE FAILURE OF THE SEATBELTS CONTRIBUTED TO HER INJURIES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.
NHTSA ID
10318126
Incident
Sep 3, 2008
Mileage
100,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Oct 10, 2000
IN TRYING TO BUY RECYCLEED PARTS I ENCOUNTERED MANY INSTANCESES OF THE SAME PROBLEM
NHTSA ID
733961
Incident
Sep 14, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Apr 21, 1999
1 injury reported1 death reported
REAR SEAT PASSENGER WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE CAR ROLLOVER, DUE TO SEAT BELT FAILURE. *YC
NHTSA ID
545173
Incident
Jan 22, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Oct 15, 1998
SOMETIMES THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BECOMES EXTREMELY TIGHT WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR. THE CONSUMER MENTIONED THAT HE HAS TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF IN ORDER FOR THE BELT TO LOOSEN. DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE SITUATION.*AK
NHTSA ID
828997
Incident
Feb 2, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Sep 2, 1998
DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED/REPAIRED THREE TIMES.
NHTSA ID
780320
Seat belts
Filed Mar 10, 1998
SEAT BELT FAILED ON DRIVER'S SIDE, CAUSING TWO ACCIDENTS
NHTSA ID
532309
Incident
Jan 1, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jan 13, 1998
MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS REMAINED/LOCKED UP IN FORWARD POSITION; HINGE AT TOP END GEARS HAVE STRIPPED; MOTOR TURNS WITH NO EFFECT; ACCORDING TO DEALER, ENTIRE SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACING. *AK
NHTSA ID
819032
Incident
Oct 1, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Nov 21, 1997
Crash reported1 injury reported
EA90008; WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE DEFECTIVE DRIVER'S SEATBELT MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO SUSTAIN SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE CHEST AND NECK, AND BENT THE STEERING WHEEL. *AK
NHTSA ID
819352
Incident
Nov 7, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Aug 4, 1997
THE DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT NO LONGER RUNS ALONG THE TRACK BECAUSE THE MOTOR BURNT OUT AND THE SEAT BELT CAN NO LONGER BE USED. *AK
NHTSA ID
814979
Seat belts
Filed Feb 26, 1997
DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC RESTRAINT SYSTEM HAS BROKEN TWICE, CAUSING THE BELT TO STICK/NOISE.
NHTSA ID
515062
Seat belts
Filed Jan 28, 1997
THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. THAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT IS NOT PERFORMING CORRECTLY. *AK
NHTSA ID
807277
Incident
Dec 3, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jan 6, 1997
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT COME ACROSS SHOULDER WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED. *AK
NHTSA ID
807112
Seat belts
Filed Dec 6, 1996
WHEN INSERTING THE SEAT BELT INTO THE BELT BUCKLE, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE. *AK
NHTSA ID
805981
ElectricalSeat belts
Filed Aug 23, 1996
Fire reported
DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO SCHOOL, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON, NOTICED SMOKE GETTING UP THE HILL, VEHICLE DIED, PUSHED VEHICLE OUT OF WAY, VEHICLE FRONT ENGULFED IN FLAMES, DRIVER STUCK IN SEAT BELT. *AK
NHTSA ID
801240
Incident
Dec 16, 1993
Seat belts
Filed Feb 27, 1996
THE AUTOMATIC SAET BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
NHTSA ID
979777
Incident
Jan 1, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jan 16, 1996
DURING NORMAL STOPPING CONDITIONS SEAT BELT ANCHORED TO THE FLOOR BROKE. OWNER HAS DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. TT
NHTSA ID
977626
Incident
Jan 9, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jul 30, 1995
DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT LOCK IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, PREVENTING DRIVER FROM BEING HELD SECURELY. *SKD
NHTSA ID
484565
Incident
Jul 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed May 9, 1995
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE, HAD TO BE CUT OUT. TT
NHTSA ID
965060
Incident
May 2, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Feb 14, 1995
REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT PROPERLY RETAIN CAR SEAT IN EVENT OF SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT. FITS LOOSE, TOO MUCH SLACK. TT
NHTSA ID
960010
Incident
Feb 14, 1995
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