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 1996 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 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.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE CONTACT, WHO WAS SEATING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, HIT HER HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,890.
MY 96 FORD TAURUS GL HAS THE FOLLOWING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, RADIO GOES OUT, SEAT BELT LIGHT FLASHES AND CLICKS, INTERMITTENT WIPERS FAIL, POWER WINDOWS FAIL, FINALLY POWER STEERING LOCKS UP,AND WHEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP, CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS. IF PUT IN PARK EVERYTHING GOES BACK WORKING AS NORMAL. TOOK TO SHOP AND THEY SAY IT'S THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR AND THAT SEVERAL 96 TAURUS' THEY HAVE WORKED ON HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM....I AM WONDERING WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL PART IF THAT IS THE CASE...SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG! *NM
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BECAME STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR. *AK *NM
I HAVE A 1996 TAURUS SEDAN. DURING A CAR SEAT SAFETY INSPECTION THE OFFICER ADVISED US THAT THE ARM REST IN THE BACK SEAT COULD FALL DOWN DURING AN ACCIDENT, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO THE BABY IN A REAR FACING CARSEAT. THIS WAS OVERLOOKED BY THE FIRST OFFICER. WE PURCHASED A NEW CAR SEAT AND WENT BACK AND THE OFFICER NOTICED THIS, SO WE PUT THE CARSEAT BY A DOOR. HOWEVER, THEY SAY THAT THE MIDDLE IS NORMALLY THE SAFEST PLACE FOR THE BABY. IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD DO TO MAKE SURE THE ARM REST WOULDN'T FALL DOWN THIS MIGHT SAVE PROBLEMS FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO, LIKE US DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THIS COULD BE A HAZARD.*AK
THE SEAT BELT LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD BLINKS ON INTERMITTENTLY, AND WHEN IT DOES THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKS UP. WHEN THIS OCCURS CONSUMER LOSES CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK
BOTH REAR SEAT BELTS ARE INOPERATIVE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. NEITHER BELT WOULD RETRACT BACK INTO SPOOL MECHANISM. BOTH REAR BELTS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF FOLDING AND TWISTING. WHICH MADE USE OF THE BELTS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AT TIMES. BELTS HAVE EXPERIENCED NORMAL USE ONLY. FORD WILL NOT REPLACE THE BELTS FOR FREE BECAUSE THEY ARE BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. DT
FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT AND BECOME TANGLED IN RECOIL MECHANISM SUCH THAT THE SEAT BELTS CANNOT BE USED. *AKY
REAR SHOULDER BELTS ARE GETTING JAMMED INSIDE RETRACTOR AND CANNOT BE PULLED OUT, CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION.*AK
THE REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME . NOW THE REAR RIGHT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL . I WAS GIVEN A PRICE OF 250.-270-.,FOR TWO NEW SEATBELTS. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEED TO NO IF I HAVE ANY LEGAL RIGHTS.
LEFT REAR SEAT BELT FROZEN IN A MOSTLY RETRACTED POSITION. WILL NOT RETRACT OR EXTEND.*AK
ON PROBLEM ONE: I HAVE OBSERVED SEVERAL 1996 THROUGH 1999 FORD TAURUS WAGONS WITH DEFECTIVE CENTER MOUNTED STOP LIGHT. PROBLEM TWO: BOTH REAR OUTER SEAT BELTS STOPPED RETRACTING AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. *AK
REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE RESTRAINT WILL NOT RETRACT, CAUSING OCCUPANT TO BE UNRESTRAINED. *AK
HAD THREE CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. WENT TO PUT THE SHOULDER STRAP BELT ON IN THE MIDDLE. PULLED IT OUT, CAME ALL THE WAY OUT, AND WOULD NOT RETRACT BACK IN. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
REAR SEAT BELTS WILL NOT EXTEND. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK
REAR SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER DUE TO EXPIRED WARRANTY. *AK *YC
ROTORS AND PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH NO CHANGE TO THE SHAKING. VERY VIOLENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AND ALL BELTS IN THE REAR, TIGHTEN WHILE PASENGERS SIT,AND GET TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
A SPRING BROKE WITHIN THE REAR SEAT BELT, CAUSING IT NOT TO RETRACT, AND DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. *AK
PASSENGER'S DOOR RATTLES. REPLACED STEERING RACK/LEAKING OIL PAN GASKETS/OIL FILTER AND BRACKET/ SEAT BELT RETRACTOR/REAR DEFROSTER. *AK
RIGHT FRONT SEAT BELT WEBBING FRAYED.
FRONT END MISALIGNED.
RIGHT REAR SHOULDER BELTS DOES NOT RETRACT, BELT REMAINS LOOSE, DOES NOT ADJUST TO OCCUPANT. REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP; ALSO, ROAD SIDE EMERGENCY FLASHING LIGHT DOES NOT WORK WHEN PRESSED SWITCH. *AK
DURING HEAVY BRAKING PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOCK, UPON CONTINUATION OF DRIVING, BELT DOESN'T RELEASE, HAVE TO UNLATCH AND RELATACH TO ADJUST TENSIONIONER, SOMETIMES LATCH APPEARS TO BE LATCHED AND IT REALLY ISNT, DEALER HAS HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT 2 POS. LATCH. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS A STRONG VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE KEEPS MOVING. THIS HAPPENS ON NORMAL ROAD CONDTIONS. THE SYSTEM HAS ABS. *AK CONSUMER STATES SEAT BELTS LOCK UP BEFORE THEY ARE PUT ON. STEERING WHEEL CHURNS AS IT IS BEING TURNED, DEALER CAN NOT FIND PROBLEM. *SLC
DURING IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. *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 .