RoadVitals

1994 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.
80
Latest Oct 21, 2018
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.
29%
of 279 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.
7
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
11

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 80 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

The 25 most recent of 80, in the owner's own words

Browse every complaint
Seat belts
Filed Oct 21, 2018

AUTOMATIC SEATBELT IS JAMMED AND SEATBELT NO LONGER WORKS

NHTSA ID
11141699
Incident
Sep 24, 2018
Mileage
52,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 19, 2012

1994 FORD ESCORT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PASSIVE RESTRAINT SHOULDER BELT NOT WORKING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STOP AT MID-TRACK AND BOUNCING THE DOOR AGAINST THE HINGE WOULD GET IT TO MOVE. TWO WEEKS AGO, IT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE COULD HEAR THE MOTOR TRYING TO MAKE IT MOVE. SHE LEFT IT ALONE AND ABOUT FOUR DAYS LATER, IT RESUMED OPERATING. A WEEK LATER, IT FROZE AGAIN, A LITTLE MORE FORWARD IN THE TRACK THAN PREVIOUSLY.

NHTSA ID
10476361
Incident
Sep 1, 2012
Seat belts
Filed Oct 29, 2007

DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT INOPERATIVE WHILE THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT REMAINS OPERATIVE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REMEDY THIS FAULT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10207294
Incident
Oct 9, 2007
Seat belts
Filed Dec 18, 2006

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD ESCORT. THE DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT IS JAMMED. THE CONTACT'S SEATBELT IS MOTORIZED AND WHEN YOU CLOSE THE DOOR IT RETRACTS HALF WAY AND IS STUCK, IT WONT MOVE LEFT OR RIGHT. SEATBELT WILL NOT SECURE HIM IN PLACE. YESTERDAY IS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME OF THIS INCIDENT.

NHTSA ID
10176476
Incident
Dec 17, 2006
Mileage
180,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed May 8, 2006

I HAVE A 1994 FORD ESCORT STATION WAGON, THE DRIVER SIDE RETRACTABLE SEAT BELT FAILED AND WILL NOT WORK. *NM

NHTSA ID
10157013
Incident
May 4, 2006
Mileage
80,180 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Jul 24, 2005
Crash reported1 injury reported

THE 1994 FORD ESCORT IS A VERY POORLY MADE CAR. MOST OF THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH AUTOMATIC SEATBELTS, THE MOTORS OF WHICH ALMOST ALWAYS FAIL. OURS WAS NO EXCEPTION. WE HAD A MANUAL SEATBELT INSTALLED-- AT OUR EXPENSE-- AND TODAY THAT MANUAL SEATBELT SAVED MY HUSBAND'S LIFE IN A ROLLOVER CRASH. IMAGINE IF HE HAD ONLY HAD A LAPBELT! FORD REPEATEDLY DENIES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM, BUT FOR EVERY 10 ESCORTS I SEE THAT WERE MADE ABOUT THE SAME TIME, 9 OF THEM HAVE AT LEAST ONE FAILED SEATBELT. IN ADDITION, THE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY IN A ROLLOVER CRASH GOING SOME 75 MPH. I CAN'T SAY IF MY HUSBAND'S INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS SEVERE HAD THE AIRBAG GONE OFF, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN.

NHTSA ID
10129817
Incident
Jul 23, 2005
Seat belts
Filed Oct 18, 2004

BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER PASSIVE RESTRAINT SEAT BELTS WERE IN OPERATIVE. BOTH SEAT BELTS WERE STUCK AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10097090
Incident
Sep 15, 2004
Seat belts
Filed Mar 2, 2004

MOTORIZED SEAT BELT FAILURE, JAMMED IN PLACE, NOISE FROM TRACK TRYING TO REPOSITION ITSELF. *AK

NHTSA ID
10060188
Incident
Apr 4, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jan 15, 2004

THE CABLE FOR THE SEATBELT IS MANGLED, AND THE SEATBELT (SHOULDER) DOES NOT WORK.

NHTSA ID
10068872
Incident
May 15, 2003
Mileage
40,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Mar 28, 2003

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. *JB

NHTSA ID
10014698
Incident
Mar 28, 2003
Seat belts
Filed Apr 22, 2002

CONSUMER UNABLE TO SNAP IN AUTOMATIC SEATBELT CLIP.*AK CABLE FROM MOTORBELT BROKE, SEATBELT STAYS IN ONE POSTION FORCING CONSUMER TO USE LAP BELT. *AK*TT *JG

NHTSA ID
8008270
Incident
Apr 19, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Apr 10, 2002

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT: ORIGINAL MOTOR FAILED, REPLACED. REPLACEMENT MOTOR FAILED. BELT IS STUCK IN ONE POSITION (THE POSITION IN WHICH THE DRIVER WOULD WEAR IT). MAKES A CLICKING NOISE AS IT TRIES TO MOVE BUT DOESN'T MOVE. *AK

NHTSA ID
760551
Incident
Aug 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Mar 16, 2002

PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT TO LET DRIVER OUT OF VEHICLE WHEN DOOR IS OPENED. *AK

NHTSA ID
759424
Seat belts
Filed Nov 21, 2001

DRIVER'S MOTOR SHOULDER BELT IS STUCK IN FORWARD POSITION.*AK

NHTSA ID
899352
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Sep 12, 2001

DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AUTOMATIC SEATBELT LOCKS SO TIGHT THAT BREATHING IS DIFFICULT. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID
896207
Incident
Aug 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Jul 5, 2001

DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WILL NOT MOVE. SEATBELT SUPPOSE TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD AUTOMATICALLY. ALSO, LATCH HAS TO BE UNBUCKLED MANUALLY TO GET OUT OF SEATBELT. CONTACT DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID
892025
Seat belts
Filed May 18, 2001

DRIVER'S SIDE MOTORIZED TRACK FOR SHOULDER BELT HAS FAILED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $350.00 TO REPAIR VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

NHTSA ID
888632
Incident
May 1, 1998
Seat belts
Filed May 7, 2001

BOTH FRONT SEATBELTS STOPPED WORKING, NEEDS TRACK AND MOTOR REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
887619
Incident
Apr 25, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Mar 14, 2001

DRIVER SIDE MOTORIZED SHOULDER RESTRAINT MECHANISM FAILED MIDTRACK. *AK

NHTSA ID
742446
Incident
Jul 3, 1999
Seat beltsTransmission
Filed Feb 12, 2001

DRIVER AND PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RELEASE FROM RETRACTING MECHANISM. ALSO, GEARS WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
880320
Seat belts
Filed Feb 12, 2001

MOTORIZED SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE IS STUCK IN MIDDLE OF TRACK, SEAT BELT PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED DUE TO SAME PROBLEM. CJ

NHTSA ID
559588
Seat belts
Filed Feb 5, 2001

SEAT BELT WIRES WERE BURNING WHILE BEING IN USE ON DRIVER'S SIDE. MOTOR HAS SEIZED UP, BUT IT HAD KEPT RUNNING. *AK

NHTSA ID
879837
Incident
Jan 8, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Jan 18, 2001

DEFECTIVE DRIVER SEATBELT GETS STUCK IN SEAT BELT TRACK ON DRIVER'S DOOR WHICH WONT PROTECT OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. HAD TO REPLACE SHOULDER BELT RUNNER AND MOTOR. *AK

NHTSA ID
878436
Incident
Dec 1, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jan 15, 2001

DRIVER SIDE MOTORIZED SEAT BELT STUCK AT TOP OF DOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID
739423
Seat belts
Filed Dec 13, 2000

DRIVER' SEATBELT ATTACHED TO THE DOOR IS STUCK IN A "L" SHAPE, WHICH WON'T PROTECT OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. *AK

NHTSA ID
876437
Incident
Dec 12, 2000

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

Airbags54Electrical30Engine30Brakes22Transmission18Suspension18Visibility14Interior & seats11Steering11Fuel system8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .