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.
17
Latest Mar 18, 2013
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.
2%
of 853 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.
5
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Expedition submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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 18, 2013
I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS FOR THE MIDDLE SEAT WILL NOT EXTEND. THEY ARE LOCKED IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. FROM REVIEWING THIS ON THE INTERNET IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER HAD THAT HAD SEAT BELT PROBLEMS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REPLACE THESE AS IT MAKES IT SO YOU CAN'T BUCKLE ANYONE INTO THE MIDDLE SEAT. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=1997, MAKE=EXPEDITION, MODEL=FORD ). *TR
NHTSA ID
10503425
Incident
Mar 7, 2013
Seat belts
Filed Mar 8, 2005
RE: SAFETY CONCERN WITH 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, OUT OF 8 SEATS, ONLY 4 HAVE HEAD RESTS. *BF *JB
NHTSA ID
10113829
Incident
Mar 1, 2005
Seat belts
Filed Jul 17, 2000
THE SEATBELT HOLDING THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN PLACE HAS DISCONNECTED WITHOUT IT BEING INTENTIONALLY RELEASED, CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS MAY BE OCCURING BECAUSE OF THE PROLONGED SIDE-WAYS TENSION ON THE SEAT BELT RECEPTOR. NLM
NHTSA ID
553077
Seat belts
Filed Apr 4, 2000
THE REAR LAP BELT, BEHIND THE DRIVER ,GOT STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE OWNER'S CHILD. SEATBELT STARTED TO TIGHTEN AROUND CHILD, AND HAD TO BE CUT LOOSE. DEALER HAS NOT REPLACED THE SEATBELT. *AK
NHTSA ID
859661
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Feb 15, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING UNDER ICY CONDITIONS VEHICLE SLID INTO A TELEPHONE POLE AT 20 MPH. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND SETA BELT RIPPED, CAUSING RUG TO BURN TO DRIVER'S NECK. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
NHTSA ID
856941
BrakesEngineInterior & seats+2 more
Filed Oct 23, 1999
BRAKES WERE SQUEAKY AND FELT SPONGY, ADDRESSED TWICE, ROTORS WERE OUT BY -0.05. ENGINE EXIHIBIT 'PISTON SLAP' DOCUMENTED FROM DAY ONE, DEALER STATED IT MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO OCTANE LEVEL, INFORMED BY SECOND DEALER TO DOWNSHIFT, THAT IT WILL NOT HARM ENGINE, ROAD TEST BY TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PCM WAS ADJUSTING TO LOAD!!NOWHERE TO SECURE CHILD SEAT IN THIRD ROW.HEATER REPLACED TWICE WITH WINDOWS FOGGING CREATING POOR VISIBILITY.SECOND ROW SINGLE SEAT FELL BACK UPON ACCELERATION,KNOCKING PASSENGER'S HEAD BACK, WAS STUCK AND WOULD NOT RESET UNTIL PUSHED VERY, VERY HARD. INTERIOR DASH AND HEADLINER SQUEAKS, HORSESHOE MOLDING TABS AROUND STEREO WORE THROUGH AND RATTLES
NHTSA ID
713724
Seat belts
Filed Oct 5, 1999
WHEN INSTALLING CSS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF SECOND ROW THE MIDDLE SEATBELT RETRACTOR WILL QUIT WORKING DUE TO PRESSURE ON THE LEFT SEAT. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. *AK
NHTSA ID
849883
Seat belts
Filed Apr 26, 1999
SHOULDER BELT IN THE VEHICLE'S THIRD ROW OF SEATS WAS SO TIGHT THAT IT WAS CHOKING THE CHILD. THE CHILD HAD TO BE CUT OUT OFF THE SEATBELTS. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK
NHTSA ID
831157
Incident
Dec 1, 1998
AirbagsBody & structureDriver assistance+1 more
Filed Mar 16, 1999
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHEN BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR FLOORED ITSELF, PASSENGER WITNESSED FOOT ON BRAKE AND NOT THE THROTTLE. PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK, AND NOT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE FRAME WAS BENT FROM THE CRASH.
NHTSA ID
704504
Incident
Jan 17, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Jul 20, 1998
SEAT BELTS LOCK UP VERY EASILY.
NHTSA ID
541148
Seat belts
Filed Jun 11, 1998
Crash reported1 injury reported
CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED BY A VEHICLE THAT WAS GOING AT 35 MPH,SHOULDER HARNESS BECAME INOPERATIVE. DID NOT LOCK, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HIT STEERING WHEEL, AND RECEIVE CUTS ON FACE. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ID
823517
Incident
Mar 29, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Apr 30, 1998
VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT LOCKING SYSTEM WHICH DID NOT RELEASE OR RETRACT, CAUSING CONSUMER TO CUT THE BELT OF THE CHILD WHO NEARLY STRANGLED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NHTSA ID
822949
Seat belts
Filed Apr 10, 1998
SEAT BELT DESIGN (ANGLE) DOES NOT ACCOMMODATE CHILD SAFETY SEATS.
NHTSA ID
533992
Seat belts
Filed Apr 9, 1998
1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE A CHILD WAS SITTING ON THE MID ROW SEAT. WHEN THE CHILD STAPPED THE SEAT BELT AROUND HER NECK, PARENTS STOPPED VEHICLE ON EMERGENCY, AND CUT OFF THE SEAT BELT WITH A KNIFE TO RELEASE CHILD. *AK
NHTSA ID
822356
Incident
Apr 5, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Aug 25, 1997
CENTER/REAR SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER , DEALER HAS YET TO REPLACE ANY PARTS. *AK
NHTSA ID
815620
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Jun 25, 1997
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHEN VEHICLE REARENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING ABOUT 30 MPH THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. ALSO, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT PREVENT THE DRIVER FROM GOING FORWARD; HEAD HIT STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. *AK
NHTSA ID
813499
Incident
Jun 21, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Mar 4, 1997
DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT THE SEAT BELT BROKE OFF FROM THE FRAME OF THE DOOR AND HIT DRIVER IN HEAD. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
NHTSA ID
809660
Incident
Sep 4, 1996
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