RoadVitals

1996 Ford Mustang 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.
12
Latest May 20, 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.
5%
of 246 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.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford Mustang submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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 May 20, 2013

PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS STUCK AND WILL NOT RETRACT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10512800
Incident
May 19, 2013
Mileage
146,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 6, 2004

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH DRIVE R AND PASSENGER RETRACTORS DETERIORATED. THE BELTS WERE INOPERABLE WHEN IN USE. CONSUMER WAS AFRAID THAT THERE WAS A GREAT RISK INVOLVED WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT BELTS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10081364
Incident
Jun 28, 2004
Mileage
69,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 6, 2004

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER RETRCTORS DETERIORATED. THE BELTS WERE INOPERABLE. CONSUMER WAS AFRAID THERE WAS A GREAT RISK INVOLVED WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT BELTS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10081362
Incident
Jun 28, 2004
Mileage
69,000 mi
AirbagsFuel systemSeat belts
Filed Apr 10, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported

THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED AND HIT OTHER VEHICLES, AS THIS HAPPENED, THE SEAT BACK BROKE AND THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE HAD CAME LOOSE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AND THE FUEL SAFETY SWITCH DID NOT TURN OFF. SCC *NLM

NHTSA ID
10014843
Incident
Feb 6, 2003
Mileage
62,123 mi
Seat belts
Filed Dec 25, 2001

SEAT BELT HAS BECOME FRAYED WHILE PASSING THROUGH RETRACTOR GUIDE. SEAT BELT TANGLES AND WILL NOT RETRACT DUE TO POOR GUIDE DESIGN. NUMEROUS DEALERS CONTACTED AND ADVISED ABOUT POSSIBLE SEAT BELT FAILURE AND LACK OF CRASH WORTHINESS. ALL HAVE SAID BELT IS OUT OF WARRANTY (PROBLEM FIRST NOTICED AT AROUND 60K MILES) AND THAT FORD WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT. WEAR ON BELT CAUSED BY RETRACTOR GUIDE, NOT USE OR ABUSE.

NHTSA ID
756006
Seat belts
Filed May 23, 2001

SEAT BELTS AT TIMES DO NOT RETRACT, OR AT TIMES WILL NOT BUCKLE CORRECTLY.*AK

NHTSA ID
888955
Incident
May 3, 2001
BrakesSeat beltsSteering
Filed Jul 15, 2000
1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP AND LOSS OF CONTROL (ACCIDENT), AS A RESULT THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR BROKE. *ET

NHTSA ID
784740
Incident
Nov 20, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Apr 13, 2000

THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FOR BOTH FRONT SEATS JAM. THEY JAM WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO PULL THEM OUT TO HOOK THEN TOGETHER. THIS DOES NOT ENABLE YOU TO BE ABLE TO HOOK UP YOUR SEAT BELTS. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS SOMETIMES IN 1997. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER. THEY TOOK THE COVER OFF OFF THE RETRACTOR AND STRAIGHTENED OUT THE BELT SO IT WOULD WORK. THIS HAS BEEN DONE SEVERAL TIMES BY THE DEALER AND BY THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE BELT IS EASILY TWISTED AND JAMS IN THE RETRACTOR. THE RETRACTOR WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER 0N SEPTEMBER 21, 1998. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AGAIN ON JUNE 2, 1999 AND THE RETRACTOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. WE HAVE BEEN IN NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM AND IT STILL IS UNRESOLVED AS TO THE RETRACTOR JAMMING. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT WHICH THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD CORRECT IMMEDIATELY. THE CAR CANNOT LEGALLY OR SAFELY BE DRIVEN WITH A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
721415
Incident
Jun 2, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Aug 17, 1999

SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE IS VERY WORN AND FRAYING.IT IS FRAYING DUE TO A PLASTIC GUIDE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP SAFETY BELT IN PLACE.I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR AND FEEL IF I WERE TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELT WOULD RIP AND CAUSE ME TO BE THROWN FORWARD WITH THE IMPACT.

NHTSA ID
710086
Incident
Jul 1, 1999
BrakesSeat belts
Filed Nov 23, 1998

BRAKE LIGHTS: THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS TO ANY PART OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK ONLY WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS LIGHTLY PRESSED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THIS PROBLEM IS CURRENTLY BEING ADDRESSED BY THE DEALER, BUT SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. SEAT BELTS: THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DOESN'T RETRACT. THE BELT "HANGS LOOSELY" AFTER IT IS THE DRIVER TAKES IT OFF AND REQUIRES "EXCESSIVE" MANUAL ADJUSTMENT FOR A PROPER AND SAFE FIT. MILEAGE ODOMETER: THE MILEAGE ODOMETER DOESN'T WORK. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN BROKEN, BUT I NOTICED RECENTLY THAT IT STOPS OCCASIONALLY. AFTER REVIEWING MY DRIVING PATERNS I BELIEVE THAT THE ODOMETER MAY BE REPORTING MORE MILEAGE THAN I HAVE ACTUALLY PUT ON THE CAR (BUT I HAVE NO ABSOLUTE WAY TO PROVE THIS).

NHTSA ID
700844
Incident
Nov 1, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Dec 30, 1997

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED.

NHTSA ID
527184
Incident
Dec 12, 1997
BrakesSeat belts
Filed Sep 9, 1997

BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, TO ENGAGE BRAKES DRIVER HAS TO PUSH VERY HARD ON THE PEDAL.

NHTSA ID
606063

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

Engine84Brakes43Suspension22Airbags21Transmission19Fuel system17Steering12Electrical11Driver assistance10Body & structure10Tires & wheels9

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .