RoadVitals

1991 Ford Probe 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.
142
Latest Sep 9, 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.
80%
of 177 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.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1991 Ford Probe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 142 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 142, in the owner's own words

Seat belts
Filed Sep 9, 2018

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT IS STUCK ON THE TRACK TOWARDS THE BACK OF IT'S TRACK AND NO LONGER MOVES OR ENGAGES.

NHTSA ID
11128305
Incident
Jan 1, 2000
Mileage
80,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Apr 10, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 FORD PROBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY JAMMED AND CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO FAIL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL # 96V172001 DUE TO THE VIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 100,000.*AK

NHTSA ID
10187450
Incident
Jan 6, 1996
Mileage
100,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Nov 22, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING A VEHICLE, IT WAS NOTICED THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT AND WAS JAMMED IN THE RAIL RENDERING THE BELT INOPERATIVE. THE CONTACT CHECKED FOR RECALLS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND THE NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN # 96V172001 COVERED THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE CONTACT WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE DESCRIPTION IN THE RECALL MATCHED EXACTLY THE PROBLEMS, THE VEHICLE'S SEAT BELT HAD.

NHTSA ID
10174070
Incident
Oct 18, 2006
Mileage
174,356 mi
Seat belts
Filed Aug 1, 2006

I OWN A 1991 FORD PROBE. THE DRIVERS SIDE AUTO-RETRACT SEAT-BELT ASSEMBLY IS JAMMED. SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, (AUTOZONE RECALLS AND THIS WEB-SITE FOR TWO), I FIND INTERESTING INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ISSUE. PARTICULARLY NHTSA ID # 96V172001 / FORD RECALL 96S48 THAT DESCRIBES THIS. ALSO THE LINK ON YOUR SITE TO THIS PDF (RC-96V172-NN.PDF), IS ALSO OF INTEREST. MY ISSUE / COMPLAINT IS THAT I TOLD MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AS WELL AS HAD FORD MOTOR CO. RUN MY VIN AND THEY STATED MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. I DO NOTICE THAT IN THE ABOVE PDF A STATEMENT THAT ALL PROBES STARTING AS EARLY AS 1990 WITH THIS RESTRAINT SYSTEM ARE TO BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THIS SYSTEM ON THIS CAR IS FAULTY. IN IOWA THERE IS A SEAT BELT LAW. ALTHOUGH I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, I KNOW 2 OF THE 3 OTHER OWNERS OF THIS. IT HAS ONLY 88,000 MILES. REGARDLESS OF AGE OR CONDITION, I UNDERSTAND THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE FORD RECALL CAMPAIGN AND I SHOULD BE FREE OF ANY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. ANY INPUT? *JB

NHTSA ID
10164135
Incident
Aug 1, 2006
Body & structureEngineOther / unspecified+3 more
Filed Jan 15, 2004

I READ YOUR COMPLAINT PAGE, HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE 91 AND I HAVE ALL THE SAME PROBS, 1 PERSON SAID HE HAD 2 INCHES OF WATER IN THE CAR, TRY 6. THE PAINT WASNT RIGHT FROM DAY 1. THE CV JOINTS/AXELS WENT BAD AFTER 2 YEARS AND IVE GOT BY TILL NOW BUT THE RATTLE IS ANNOYING. THE EXHAUST SYS ALSO RATTLES. FRONT TIRES GO YEARLY. AIR CONDITIONER NEVER HAS BLOWN COLD. AND THE DOOR ON THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT IS TO HEAVY FOR THE LATCH, I RIDE 6 MNTHS OF EVERY YEAR WITH AN OPEN GLOVE COMPARTMENT.THE HATCHBACK LEAKS, AND THE PAINT WELL, WHO KNOWS WHERE THEY GOT THAT BLEND. THE CAR ALWAYS RUNS COLD WHICH CAUSES THE ROUGH IDLE AND START AND 14 INCH WHEELS WERENT SUFFICIENT FOR A CAR THAT BIG. I WILL SAY THAT FORD BENT OVER BACKWARDS TO GET THE ITEMS FIXED I JUST CANT LEAVE IT THERE BI-WEEKLY.THEY DID REPAINT IT TWICE AND HONORED THE SEATBELT RECALL THIS YEAR, 2003.THE CAR NOW HAS 200,000 MILES AND HAS NEVER FAILED SMOG OR SPENT ONE DAY ON A TOW TRUCK OR IN A SHOP BECAUSE IT WOULDNT START. ITS BEEN A LONG NOISY AND EXTREMELY HOT RIDE, AND I HOPE THEY LEARNED AFTER THOSE BAD YEARS. BUT JUST RECENTLY I ASKED A MECHANIC ON HIS OPINION IF I SHOULD BUY A TAURUS. HE POINTED TO A CAR IN THE BACK OF HIS SHOP AND SAID THAT CAR IS PAYING FOR HIS SONS COLLEGE. 6TH TIME THIS YEAR HES HAD IT AND HE STRONGLY ADVISED ME TO NEVER PURCHASE A FORD CAR. ALL THE PROBS WITH THE PROBE ARE SAME WITH THE TAURUS. I MIGHT GET 50000 MORE MILES BUT DOUBT IT. BUT I DONT THINK THEY TRIED TO CHEAT ME, FORD WORKED WITH ME FROM THE DAY I SAT IN THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STILL ARE.

NHTSA ID
10069753
Incident
Jan 15, 1993
Mileage
15,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Oct 1, 2003

THE CONSUMER WAS REFERRED TO THE DEALER BY AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR RECALLS ON THE SEAT BELTS. THE DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE REMEDY SCOPE, BUT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. RECALL# 96V172001 AND 96V172002 SUBJECT: AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10034285
Incident
Aug 20, 2003
Seat belts
Filed Jul 1, 2003

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY BECAME JAMMED IN THE FORWARD POSITION AND WILL NOT RETRACT.*AK

NHTSA ID
10025235
Incident
Feb 18, 2003
Mileage
144,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jun 10, 2002

I HAVE A SEAT BELT THAT DOES NOT WORK IT IS STUCK IN PLACE AND THEY WONT HELP ME AT ALL. *AK

NHTSA ID
762859
Incident
May 6, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Nov 27, 2000

RECALL 96S48/96S99 "PASSIVE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY" REPAIRED AT DEALER SYSTEM FAILED NEEDS REPAIR DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO COMPLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
736897
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Oct 25, 2000

MOTOR SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SOMETIMES WILL NOT RETRACT, ALWAYS LEAVING BELT HALFWAY WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED. THIS HAD BEEN RAPAIRED BEFORE.*AK SHOULDER HARNESS/SEAT BELT(LAP) WAS REPLACED AS A RESULT OF A RECALL (96V-172) BUT IT STILL MALFUNCTIONS. *YH

NHTSA ID
873863
Incident
Oct 25, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Sep 22, 2000

MOTOR SAFETY SEAT ON TRACK FAILED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, CONSUMER WAS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED.*AK

NHTSA ID
871288
Incident
Sep 10, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Aug 22, 2000

DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT DOESN'T RETRACT AT ALL. SEATBELT IS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE. SEATBELT WAS REPLACED UNDR MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 96S48. FOUR YEARS AGO SEATBELT WAS FIXED. CURRENTLY, SAME PART OF THE SEATBELT WAS NOT OPERABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
868349
Incident
Aug 21, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jul 13, 2000

RECALL 96V172001/AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT: DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC BELT FAILED TO OPERATE AGAIN. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE TO REPAIR RECALL AGAIN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
865354
Incident
Jun 19, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jun 28, 2000

SEAT BELT HARNESS LOCKS UP AND CHOKES DRIVER & PASSENGER REPEATEDLY SINCE PURCHASE, DEALERSHIP REPEATEDLY SAYS NO PROBLEM FOUND. *AK

NHTSA ID
724713
Incident
Oct 1, 1995
Seat belts
Filed May 30, 2000

SHOUDLER BELTS ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE DO NOT RETRACT. IN NOVEMBER OF 1996, SHOULDER BELTS WERE SERVICED UNDER RECALL # 96V172000. IN DECEMBER OF 1998, DRIVER'S SIDE BELT STOPPED RETRACTING, AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BELT STOPPED RETRACTIBNG 6 MONTHS LATER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
862671
Incident
Dec 12, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Mar 10, 2000

SEAT BELT WAS FIXED DUE TO A RECALL. CURRENTLY SEAT BELT NEEDS TO BE FIXED AGAIN DUE TO LOCKING UP WHEN VEHICLE MOVES. *AK

NHTSA ID
858334
Incident
Mar 10, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Feb 2, 2000

THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUT AS IT SHOULD. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
856055
Seat belts
Filed Jan 21, 2000

THE DRIVERS SIDE AUTOMATIC RESTRAINT SYSTEM WILL NOT MOVE ALONG ON THE TRACK AND WILL NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER. *AK

NHTSA ID
717676
Incident
Dec 17, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Oct 13, 1999

THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY JAMMED, RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELTS INOPERABLE. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE RECALL, RESTRAINTS WERE REPAIRED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
850614
Incident
Oct 8, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Aug 3, 1999

NHTSA RECALL 96V-172. 001 FORD/AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT: THIS RECALL WAS RECEIVED APPROX. ONE YEAR AGO, AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REOCCURRING . CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN FAILURE WHICH CAUSED DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT CABLE TO CONSTANTLY WEAR OUT, CAUSING IT TO BECOME JAMMED, AND EVENTUALLY INOPERATIVE. WOULD LIKE FOR NHTSA TO HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID
844235
Incident
Sep 10, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Aug 2, 1999

SHOULDER SEAT BELT FAILS TO WORK. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. OWNER FINALLY DECIDED TO TRADE IT IN FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. *ML

NHTSA ID
842039
Incident
Jan 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Jun 8, 1999

I PREVIOUSLY TOOK THE CAR IN TO CONSHOHOCKEN FORD FOR A RECALL BECAUSE THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT HAD STOPPED WORKING, AT THAT THE TIME THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS STILL WORKING. CONSHOHOCKEN FORD FIXED THE DRIVER SIDE BELT, BUT ONLY INSPECTED THE PASSENGER SIDE TO SEE THAT IT WAS STILL WORKING. THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WAS STILL WORKING. RECENTLY ON 5/28/99, THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING. I CALLED CONSHOHOCKEN FORD TO SEE THAT IT WOULD BE FIXED UNDER THE NHTSA RECALL 96V172002, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD FIX IT AND TO BRING IT IN ON 6/, AND CLAIM THAT THEY ARE NOT LIABLE FOR THE COST TO REPAIR. I CONTACTED THE FORD HOTLINE AND RECEIVED THE SAME STORY. THEREFORE, I AM CONTACTING NHTSA BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WITH AN OBVIOUS NATIONAL RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH IT. I FEEL THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD REPAIR THIS BELT FREE OF CHARGE. *AK

NHTSA ID
707312
Incident
May 28, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Feb 25, 1999

RECALL 96S48. OCCUPANTS SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT, IT GETS STUCK IN ONE POSITION. DRIVERS SIDE WAS REMEDIED AND THE PASSENGERS SIDE WAS ONLY INSPECTED. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED AND REPAIRWORK WILL NOT BE DONE BECAUSE PASSENGERS SIDE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
835227
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Jan 27, 1999

RETRACTOR FAILS TO ALLOW SEAT BELT TO EXTEND WHEN ENTERING CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
702668
Incident
Dec 5, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Jan 26, 1999

RECALL WORK PERFORMED ON ONE SAFETY BELT HOWEVER PASSENGER SIDE FAILED AFTER REPAIR.(96V-172).

NHTSA ID
543539
Incident
Apr 11, 1997

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.

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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .