RoadVitals

1988 Ford Thunderbird 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.
18
Latest Jan 21, 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.
20%
of 92 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.
2
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 1988 Ford Thunderbird submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 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 Jan 21, 2002

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED. I ALSO OWNED A 1987 T-BIRD PRIOR TO THIS ONE THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE OLDER T-BIRDS.*AK

NHTSA ID
757128
Incident
Nov 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed May 2, 2001

THE FEMALE PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS BROKEN.

NHTSA ID
9002060
Incident
Feb 21, 2001
ElectricalFuel systemInterior & seats+2 more
Filed Dec 5, 2000

BOUGHT CAR FRM OLD LADY WHO RARELY DROVE IT. AFTER BOUGHT NOTICED FRNT END CLUNK ALL SPEEDS REPLACED STRUTS CLUNK STILLTHERE REPLACED STRUT BEARINGS AND ALL BUSHINGS IN FRONT END. CLUNKING STILL THERE REAR END CLUNKING BAD WHEN PUT INTO GEAR AND WHEN CAR SHIFTS REPLACED REAR SHOCKS....STILL THERE ....AT FRONT ALSO ...WAS TOLD BY SANTA MARIA FORD THE FRONT CLUNK IS FROM THE REAR SOMEWHERE?...I FINALLY FOUND IT IN STEERING RACK THE ROD ENDS WERE DRY (NO LUBE FROM FACTORY) THE BALL SOCKETS IN THEM WERE JUST SHORT OF A WRECK WEAR WISE ....REPLACED THEM AND BEHOLD NO CLUNK FROM FRONT....REAR STILL CLUNKS TO THIS DAY.RECALL FOR ING SWITCH AFTER THIS WAS REPLACED THE ENGING SURGES AND SOMETIMES STALLS AT SPEED AND IDLE THE DEALER (JIM BURKE IN BAKERSFIELD) SAYS ITS MY PROBLEM AND THEY COULD CHECK IT OUT FOR $$$$$ I HAD PAYED THEM FOR DIAGNOSES AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED INJECTOR CLEANED @495.00FOR #4 INJ. WELL I INSTALLED NEW ONE FOR $40.00 AND PRICE OF GASKETS CAR PASSED SMOG BUT STILL SURGES AT ALL SPEEDS..........THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE STOPPED LATCHING ABOUT THE TIME OF INGNITION RECALL FORD SAID TUFF LUCK GO TO A JUNKYARD

NHTSA ID
737337
Incident
Jan 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Nov 10, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported

IN COLLISION SEAT BELT FAILED; DRIVER HIT WINSHIELD AND STEERING WHEEL. *AK

NHTSA ID
736099
Incident
Aug 14, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jul 17, 2000

BELT BUCKLE DOESN'T LOCK ANYMORE. BUCKLE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER.*AK

NHTSA ID
865470
Seat belts
Filed Dec 19, 1996

DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC LAP/SHOULDER RED RELEASE BUTTON WILL NOT LOCK PROPERLY, CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO RELEASE. *AK

NHTSA ID
806574
Incident
Dec 1, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Sep 30, 1996

.THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH. *AK

NHTSA ID
802211
Incident
Sep 7, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Dec 8, 1995

DRIVERS SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED. *DSH

NHTSA ID
490490
Incident
Jul 30, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Sep 20, 1995

#EA95-021 THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE BROKE . TT

NHTSA ID
972268
Seat belts
Filed Sep 11, 1995

DRIVER SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS SHOWING FALSE LATCHING, BUCKLE COMES UNLATCHED. TT

NHTSA ID
971890
Incident
Nov 1, 1992
Seat belts
Filed Sep 7, 1995

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT FAILURE, LATCH ON SEATBELT FAILED. TT

NHTSA ID
971736
Incident
Jan 1, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Sep 5, 1995

EA95-021 ACTIVE, FRONT LAP/SHOULDER BELT FAILURE RETRACTOR WON'T RETRACT, BELTS ARE VERY LOOSE. TT

NHTSA ID
971572
Incident
Jan 1, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Aug 9, 1995

SEAT BELT BUCKLES ARE NOT HOLDING. TT

NHTSA ID
970140
Seat belts
Filed Jun 29, 1995

SEAT BELT BUCKLE BROKEN, CAUSING FASTEN FAILURE. TT

NHTSA ID
967995
Incident
May 1, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Jun 20, 1995

THE DRIVERS SEATBELT BUCKLE DOES NOT LATCH AND DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT

NHTSA ID
967336
Incident
Mar 10, 1995
Seat belts
Filed May 2, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported

ROLLOVER ACCIDENT CAUSING THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT TO BECAME SEPERATED. TT

NHTSA ID
964690
Incident
Sep 9, 1993
Seat belts
Filed Apr 27, 1995

DRIVER'S FRONT SHOULDER/LAP BELT BUCKLES INOPERATIVE, WHEN SNAP MALE PORTION INTO FEMALE BUCKLE COMES UNDONE. TT

NHTSA ID
964465
Incident
Apr 27, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Feb 22, 1995

INTERNAL SPRING OF DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS DO NOT LATCH. MAKING IT INOPERATIVE. TT

NHTSA ID
960378
Incident
Feb 22, 1994

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

Electrical30Exterior lighting11Brakes9Driver assistance8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .