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.
9
Latest Apr 29, 2000
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.
12%
of 73 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.
3
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1991 Mercury Cougar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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
EngineSeat belts
Filed Apr 29, 2000
THE HEAD GASKET WENT BAD EVEN AFTER ROUTINE REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND ONLY 80,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND SEVERAL MECHANICS THIS IS EXTREMELY COMMON. I WAS FORTUNATE BECAUSE THE HEADS AND BLOCK WERE NOT CRACKED UNLIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE ONES THAT ARE SERVICED. IT SEEMS THAT IF THE 3.8 LITER HAS THIS PROBLEM THEN MAYBE THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR QUALITY PROBLEM WITH THE GASKET. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS WHEN HAVING THIS FIXED, THE STEERING PUMP FRONT GASKET USUALLY BREAKS WHEN THE BELT IS REMOVED, THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. IF I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THIS ENGINE I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS OR ANY FORD VEHICLES WITH A 3.8 LITER ENGINE. ALSO WHY DON'T THE SEAT BELTS LOCK? *AK
NHTSA ID
722078
Incident
Aug 18, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Mar 31, 1999
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER RESTAIN SEAT BELT BROKE. WHICH, WHEN CONSUMER IS GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE THE SEAT BELT TRACK ISN'T WORKING. CONSUMER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ID
836350
Incident
Feb 11, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Feb 20, 1999
1 injury reported
SEAT BELT FAILED DURING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN HEAD INJURIES TO THE DRIVER.
NHTSA ID
544159
Seat beltsTires & wheels
Filed Jul 3, 1997
Crash reported1 injury reported
MADE A SUDDEN STOP ON DRY PAVEMENT THE VEHICLE SKIDDED 100 FEET, HIT A CURVE, THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED. OCCUPANT HAD AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON, DRIVER WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER, LANDING ON THE OCCUPANT. *AK
NHTSA ID
813791
Incident
Apr 27, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Dec 12, 1996
MOTORBELT FAILED.
NHTSA ID
512597
Incident
Jun 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed May 10, 1996
THE DRIVERS AND FRONT PASSENGERS SEATBELTS NO LONGER OPERATE CORRECTLY ON THE TRACK. THE SEATBELT MAY NOT ALWAYS RETRACT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
NHTSA ID
984402
Incident
Mar 13, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Oct 31, 1995
BOTH DRIVER/PASS. SHOULDER HARNESS, EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT FAILURE, WHEN WON'T MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS DRIVER/PASS. TT
NHTSA ID
974200
Fuel systemInterior & seatsExterior lighting+2 more
Filed Aug 3, 1995
1 injury reported
DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP. REPLACED WINDOW MOTOR. TT
NHTSA ID
969800
Incident
Jul 8, 1995
BrakesSeat belts
Filed Mar 10, 1995
DRIVER'S AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT LOCKS UP TIGHTLY AROUND PASSENGER AND IS DIFFICULT TO RELEASE. *SKD
NHTSA ID
482108
Incident
Mar 10, 1995
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