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.
10
Latest Aug 21, 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.
10%
of 101 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.
4
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
7
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1990 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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
Body & structureSeat belts
Filed Aug 21, 2010
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MILES PER HOUR, I ENDED UP IN A SKID ON DRY PAVEMENT. I DON'T REMEMBER HOW I GOT INTO THE SKID DUE TO HEAD INJURIES RECEIVED IN THE RESULTING ACCIDENT. THE CAR SKIDDED SIDEWAYS FOR QUITE A WAYS AND DID NOT RESPOND NORMALLY TO ATTEMPTS TO STEER IT. PERHAPS THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE POWER STEERING WAS NO LONGER WORKING. THE CAR EVENTUALLY HIT THE RAISED CONCRETE RUMBLE STRIPS WHILE SKIDDING SIDEWAYS. THE CAR THEN FLIPPED OVER IN THE AIR AND TUMBLED DOWN THE MEDIAN, WITH THE FIRST IMPACT LIKELY TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE ROOF, KNOCKING OUT THE DRIVER. THE CAR CONTINUED TO TUMBLE DOWN THE MEDIAN UNTIL THE CAR VAULTED AND LANDED ON ITS TOP. I REMEMBER BEING UPSIDE DOWN IN THE AIR, BUT NOTHING ELSE UNTIL I CAME TO HANGING UPSIDE DOWN FROM MY SEAT BELT WITH BLURRED VISION. I HAD 2 LARGE LUMPS ON THE TOP OF THE HEAD, A BADLY SWOLLEN JAW AND GUMS, A SWOLLEN TONGUE (BITTEN ON BOTH SIDES), ONE NOSTRIL FILLED WITH BLOOD, THE BACK OF MY HEAD NECK AND SHOULDERS WERE SWOLLEN BY WHAT FELT LIKE ABOUT 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH THICK. I HAD BRUISES AROUND MY RIGHT ELBOW, ON MY RIGHT THIGH, AND LIKELY OTHER PLACES, AS WELL AS A COMPRESSION FRACTURE OF THE SECOND LUMBAR VERTEBRA FROM THE BOTTOM (L4?). SINCE I HAD DIFFICULTY BREATHING, THEY DID A TRACHEOTOMY ON ME WHILE WAITING FOR THE AMBULANCE. THEY PRIED OPEN THE REAR HATCH TO GET ME OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL 5 DAYS, OUT OF WORK 5 WEEKS, AND IN VARIOUS DEGREES OF PAIN FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR. THE ROOF FAILED TO PROTECT ME, THE INERTIA LOCK SHOULDER HARNESS FAILED TO PREVENT MY CHIN FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND ITS FAILURE TO WORK LIKELY RESULTED IN THE COMPRESSION FRACTURE WHICH THE DOCTOR SAID WAS PROBABLY FROM LUNGING FORWARD. THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME IN THE CAR WAS THE MANUAL ADJUSTED LAP BELT, WHICH IS NO LONGER INSTALLED IN FORDS. ALL BELTS ARE INERTIA LOCK, LIKE THE SHOULDER BELT OF THIS CAR WAS. THE VEHICLE HAD A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. *TR
NHTSA ID
10351100
Incident
Apr 25, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Jun 27, 2001
SHOULDER BELT WILL STICK IN ONE POSITION IN THE TRACK, FAILING TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN DRIVER OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMIND VEHICLE, AND WILL REPAIR PROBLEM AT CONSUMER'S COST. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
NHTSA ID
891482
Incident
Jun 1, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Jan 5, 1999
IN COLD WEATHER (LESS THAN 15 F), THE DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT MOTOR FAILED ON MUTILPLE OCCASIONS TO EITHER RETRACT OR ADVANCE THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT. THE SHOULDER BELT MOTOR EVENTUALLY BROKE ENTIRELY (MILEAGE AROUND 60,000 AT THE TIME). THIS DEFECT FIRST SHOWED UP WHEN I MOVED TO A COLD CLIMATE IN 1993. *AK
NHTSA ID
701908
Interior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Mar 25, 1997
Crash reported3 injuries reported
OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHE HAD AN ACCIDENT, VEHICLE HIT TREE, OWNER NOTES THAT THE REAR SFETY BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE CAME LOOSE AND SON WA STHROEN OUT OF HIS SEAT BEFORE VEHICLE HIT TREE. ALSO, SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AND HATCHBACK CAME OPEN. *AK
NHTSA ID
809302
Incident
Nov 20, 1996
Body & structureSeat belts
Filed Jan 16, 1996
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOOD FLEW OPEN AND DAMAGED THE WINDSHIELD, PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT HAS FAILED. TT
NHTSA ID
977618
Incident
Jan 16, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Nov 29, 1995
Crash reported2 injuries reported
DRIVER'S SIDE BELT BROKE UPON IMPACT AT 35 MPH. TT
NHTSA ID
975691
Incident
Nov 22, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Oct 27, 1995
SEAT BELT SLIPS OUT OF HARNESS WHEN USING CHILD SAFETY SEAT. *TT
NHTSA ID
487746
Incident
Oct 27, 1995
Seat belts
Filed May 24, 1995
DRIVER/PASSENGER LAP BELTS INOPERATIVE, MALE TO FEMALE BUCKLE WON'T LOCK IN. TT
NHTSA ID
965808
Seat belts
Filed Mar 13, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported
UPON BEING REAR ENDED, DRIVERS SHOULDER BELT DIDN'T RESTRAIN. DRIVER NOTICED BELT MOVING ALONG TRACK. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
NHTSA ID
961940
Incident
Jan 10, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Jan 13, 1995
SEAT BELTS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. TT
NHTSA ID
958660
Incident
Jan 13, 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