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.
36
Latest Oct 16, 2002
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.
22%
of 161 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.
7
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
8
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Ford Tempo submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 36 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 36, in the owner's own words
MY STEPDAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. THE ELECTRONIC SEATBELT TIGHTENED WHILE DRIVING AND COULD NOT BE RELEASED. SHE HAD DIFFICULTY MOVING HER FOOT TO SHIFT THE BREAK PEDAL OR MOVEMENT OF ANY TYPE. THE BELT WAS LOCKED AND SHE WAS PINNED TO THE SEAT WHILE DRIVING. IT WAS CHOKING HER, ALSO. WHEN SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR, SHE TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT, THIS ONLY MADE IT TIGHTEN MORE, SHE MANAGED TO REMOVE A SMALL NAIL KNIFE FROM HER PURSE TO CUT HERSELF LOOSE. HAD THE CAR BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH FIRE OR WATER SHE WOULD HAVE BURNED UP OR DROWNED FROM A SEATBELT. OR HUNG HERSELF. MR
NHTSA ID
768528
Incident
Oct 14, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Aug 29, 2002
WHILE SEATING IN VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS RUNNING CONSUMER CLOSED DOOR AND NOTICED THAT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT TIGHTENED TO CONSUMER'S BODY, AND CUT CONSUMER'S AIR OFF. CONSUMER WAS FREED BY SEAT BELT EING CUT OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NHTSA ID
8017534
Seat belts
Filed Jul 3, 2002
WE BELIEVE THAT THE FAILURE OF A SEAT BELT, INCLUDING MOTORIZED RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, SHOULD BE FULLY SUPPORTED BY MANDATORY FACTORY WARRANTEES PAID FOR BY THE MANUFACTURER. FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS REFUSED REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF A MOTORIZED SHOULD BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE BROUGHT THIS COMPLAINT TO THE ATTENTION OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT WE CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. WE SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE $539, WHICH WE PAID TO HAVE THE FORD DEALER REPLACE THE SHOULD BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM. R. UNGER. *AK
NHTSA ID
763819
Incident
Aug 21, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Nov 20, 2001
BOTH FRONT RESTRAINTS ARE INOPERABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITOINAL INFORMATION.*AK
NHTSA ID
899280
Incident
Nov 5, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Jun 5, 2001
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT TRACK MECHANISM ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER HAVE BECOME STUCK IN ONE POSITION AND WILL NOT MOVE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER BELT TRACK APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO WHILE VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CURRENTLY, PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT HAS BECOME STUCK IN FORWARD POSITION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
NHTSA ID
889797
Incident
Jun 1, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Apr 27, 2001
DRIVER SEAT BELT DOES NOT FULLY EXTEND FROM THE RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
NHTSA ID
886911
Seat belts
Filed Jan 30, 2001
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON DRIVER'S SEAT BECOMES JAMMED WITHIN DOOR FRAME, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
NHTSA ID
879342
Seat belts
Filed Dec 3, 2000
FORD DEALER REFUSED OUR REQUEST FOR DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ZONE MGR. FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS INSULATED ITSELF FROM CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS. THERE ARE OVER 3 DOZEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE NTSA HOTLINE. MANUFACTURER SHOULD PAY FOR FAILED SAFETY EQUIPMENT. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
NHTSA ID
737253
Incident
Aug 1, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Nov 15, 2000
Crash reported2 injuries reported
AT 35-40 MPH CONSUMER HAD ACCIDENT, UPON IMPACT DRIVER 'S SEATBELT DID NOT WORK, REAR SEATBELT THAT HELD CHILD SAFETY SEAT CAME UNBUCKLED, SEAT AND CHILD WERE THROWN FORWARD. 2 REMAINING SEATBELTS IN REAR NOT WORKING EITHER. SEATBELT HAD BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. CONTACTED DEALER ABOUT NON WORKING SEATBELT PRIOR TO ACCIDENT WHO SAID WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, SEATBELT NOT REPLACED DUE TO COST.RESTAINT ON DRIVERSIDE AND REAR USED FOR CHILD SEAT WORKED PRIOR TO ACCIDENT.PLEASE ADD VIN AND ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA ID
875019
Incident
Jul 17, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Oct 11, 2000
THE DRIVERS LAP SEAT BELT LET GO (BROKE) WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD,THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY LATCHED .A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE WARENTEE RAN OUT. *AK
NHTSA ID
734089
Incident
Aug 1, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Mar 14, 2000
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS MALFUNCTIONED. DRIVER'S SIDE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY DEALER. CURRENTLY, PASSENGER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT ALSO MALFUNCTIONED, AND NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR MOTORIZED SEAT BELT UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK
NHTSA ID
858466
Incident
May 15, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Feb 17, 2000
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FOR PASSENGER'S SIDE IS BROKEN ,IT WILL STICK AND GRIND, CAUSING A LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK
NHTSA ID
857088
Seat belts
Filed Feb 9, 2000
I HAVE HAD MANY CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH BOTH SEATBELTS. MAKE LOTS OF NOISE. *AK
NHTSA ID
718509
Incident
Nov 1, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Jan 10, 2000
AUTOMATIC RESTRAINTS ARE INOPERABLE, THEY WILL NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH ON THE TRACKS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
NHTSA ID
854806
Incident
Jan 1, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Oct 14, 1999
WHEN OPENING THE DOOR AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT STARTS TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. IT WOULD STOP HALF WAY UP THE CURB ON THE TRACK. IT WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER. WOULD HAVE TO PUSH IT TO MOVE BELT ALONG THE TRACK. BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC WOULD NOT REPAIR DUE TO NOT BEING UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
NHTSA ID
850722
Incident
Sep 24, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Aug 5, 1999
SHOULDER HARNESS DOES NOT RESTRAIN CONSUMER. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER.
NHTSA ID
844433
Incident
May 15, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Apr 21, 1999
DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS BROKE.
NHTSA ID
545127
Incident
Jun 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Mar 2, 1999
WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT. DEALER REPLACED THE TRACK AND THE MOTOR. *AK
NHTSA ID
835404
Seat belts
Filed Jan 15, 1999
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN THE SHOULDER BELT GLIDED UPWARDS & STARTED TO CHOKE THE DRIVER. THE SEAT BELTS ARE AUTOMATIC. THE SHOULDER BELT LIGHT CAME ON & THE BELT IS NOT RETRACTING TO ORIGINAL POSITION. HAS NOT YET TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER.
NHTSA ID
833621
Incident
Dec 11, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Dec 21, 1998
BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEMS HAD A MAJOR FALIURE AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT IS TAKE WEEKS TO GET PART TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. I AM FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE SYSTEMS NON-FUNCTIONAL.
NHTSA ID
701497
Incident
Aug 1, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Sep 2, 1998
THE DRIVER MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT GETS STUCK IN A "L" POSITION WHICH WILL NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. DEALER SAID HAVE TO REPLACE MOTOR AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE.*AK
NHTSA ID
826878
Incident
Nov 1, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Mar 19, 1998
Crash reported
DURING IMPACT AT 20 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT STEERING WHEEL. *AK
NHTSA ID
822031
Seat belts
Filed Feb 23, 1998
DRIVERS SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT FAILED(THAT INCLUDES THE SHOULDER HARNESS AND MOTOR).
NHTSA ID
531096
Incident
Dec 18, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Feb 4, 1998
SHOULDER BELT COMES ACROSS THROAT; COULD CRUSH WINDPIPE OR BREAK NECK
NHTSA ID
523213
Seat belts
Filed Mar 10, 1997
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR TIGHTENED AND DRIVER COULDN'T GET OUT MANUALLY . *AK
NHTSA ID
808443
Incident
Jan 23, 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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own