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 1997 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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 REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED AROUND CHILD'S NECK AND ALMOST CAUSED A FATAL INJURY. THE RETRACTOR WOULD NOT RELEASE. *NLM THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED AROUND CHILD'S NECK AND ALMOST CAUSED A FATAL INJURY. THE RETRACTOR WOULD NOT RELEASE. *MR
THE BACK SEAT BELTS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN USED TO JUST RECENT TO NOT RETRACT. YOU PUT THEM ON AND CAN NOT MOVE. FORD WILL NOT COVER THIS EXPENSE SINCE IT IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I BOUGHT THE CAR OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED SINCE IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. THE SEAT BELTS ARE ON SO TIGHT YOU CAN'T BREATHE. THESE WERE PROBABLY DEFECTIVE FROM THE BEGINNING. WE USUALLY DON'T HAVE ANYONE IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AND JUST DISCOVERED IT. I WOULD LIKE IT FIXED SINCE IF SOMEONE IS BACK THERE THEY WILL NOT WHERE THE SEAT BELT SINCE YOU CAN NOT BREATHE. THEY WANT OVER $400.00 TO CHANGE THE RETRACTOR. I BELIEVE IT WAS DEFECTIVE SINCE IT IS ON BOTH SIDES AND IF NO ONE IS BACK THERE HOW WOULD WE KNOW IT WAS DEFECTIVE. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE I FEEL THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE. I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS NOT COVERED. DT
WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SEAT BELT ALSO DID NOT HOLD. CONSUMER SUFFERED CHEST INJURIES TO THE RIB CAGE. CONSUEMR WISHES TO HAVE AIRBAGS OPENED AND INSPECTED AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. *JG
REAR SEAT BELT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE, FAILS TO LATCH PROPERLY. LATCH FAILS TO ENTER THE BUCKLE BECAUSE INSIDE LOCKING MECHANISM WAS BROKEN. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE MECHANIC CHECK IT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON A RAMP VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND THE SEATBELTS DID NOT LOCK UP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FUTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS ON REAR LEFT/ RIGHT IS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AT 45MPH, SEAT BELTS DID NOT RETRACT PROPERLY, AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELTS NEVER LOCKED DOWN. WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED IT SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD. GLASS WAS ON THE PASSENGER'S SEAT AND IF SOME ONE WAS THERE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CUT.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH CONSUMER'S SON PULLED OUT THE SHOULDER BELT. BUT WHEN SEAT BELT RETRACTED, THEY COULDN'T TAKE IT OFF HIS NECK AND THEY HAD TO CUT THE BELT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH AIR BAGS.
WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH VEHICLE WENT OVER A PATCH OF ICE, CAUSING OWNER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE THEN ROLLED OVER 3-4 TIMES, AND THE MIDDLE REAR LAP BELT DID NOT HOLD CHILD SEAT IN PLACE. *AK
TETHER CHILD SAFETY SEA THARNESS STRAP FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION FRONT DRIVERS SIDE BELT BUCKLE SEPERATED. *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
Data on this page last refreshed .