Seat belts
Filed Feb 24, 2020
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH. 185,000 MILES.
- NHTSA ID
- 11311224
- Incident
- Feb 23, 2020
- Mileage
- 185,000 mi
1997 Mercury Mountaineer 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.
12
Latest Feb 24, 2020
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.
4%
of 328 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.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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 Jun 6, 2018
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT REFUSES TO LATCH AND, IF IT DOES LATCH, COMES UNLATCHED ON ITS OWN. ON INSPECTION, THE 'GUTS' OF THE MECHANISM ARE GONE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11100258
- Incident
- Apr 15, 2018
- Mileage
- 198,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Nov 18, 2015
THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH.
- NHTSA ID
- 10794584
- Incident
- Oct 30, 2015
- Mileage
- 137,400 mi
Seat belts
Filed Mar 12, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
- NHTSA ID
- 10693941
- Incident
- Nov 7, 2014
- Mileage
- 170,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Apr 18, 2013
I ATTEMPTED TO CONNECT THE TWO PORTIONS OF THE DRIVER FRONT SEAT BELT AND THE LATCHING MECHANISM IN THE FEMALE PORTION WOULD NOT LATCH, THEREBY DEFEATING MY ABILITY TO SECURE THE SEAT BELT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT QUOTED ME ALMOST $200 TO REPAIR THE BELT, INDICATING THE OEM KIT WAS ALMOST $150. SOMEONE IS PROFITEERING ON DEFECTIVE SAFETY EQUIPMENT. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10508701
- Incident
- Jan 15, 2013
- Mileage
- 132,145 mi
Seat belts
Filed Feb 17, 2012
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT FASTEN. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10448358
- Incident
- Feb 1, 2012
- Mileage
- 175,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Mar 15, 2011
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. HE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT ON AND THE BUCKLE WOULD NOT SNAP INTO PLACE. THE FAILURE HAD BEEN ON GOING FOR ONE WEEK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10390198
- Incident
- Mar 10, 2011
- Mileage
- 150,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 4, 2007
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO LATCH THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BECAUSE THE RELEASE MECHANISM WAS STUCK. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103,000. UPDATED 01/07/08. *LJ UPDATED 12/31/07
- NHTSA ID
- 10201791
- Incident
- Sep 4, 2007
- Mileage
- 124,646 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jan 20, 2006
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WILL NOT HOLD THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WHEN INSERTED. THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY RELEASES THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND DOES NOT LOCK. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER OR INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10148228
- Incident
- Jan 20, 2006
- Mileage
- 150,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Feb 2, 2005
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT SECURE AND HOLD, WHICH IS DANGEROUS IF VEHICLE IS IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE DRIVER CAN HIT THE WINDSHIELD. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BY CONSUMER.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10109539
- Incident
- Feb 1, 2005
Seat belts
Filed Dec 6, 2004
FRONT SEAT BELTS WILL NOT UNLATCH. CONSUMER AND PASSENGER HAD TO SLITHER OUT OF THE SEAT IN ORDER TO BE RELEASED. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10103146
- Incident
- Nov 22, 2004
Seat belts
Filed Jan 2, 2003
I HAVE A 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. IN WHICH JUST RECENTLY MY SEATBELT(DRIVER) DOES NOT HOLD. IT KEEPS ON SLIDING OUT. THERE IS NO TENSION IN THE BUCKLE. I TOOK IT IN TO FORD TO GET IT REPAIRED IN WHICH I HAVE TO PAY $87.24. THEY SAID THAT THE MILEAGE HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT.I LOOKED UP SOME RECALLS ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE NAVIGATORS AND THE EXPEDITIONS ON THE 1997-2000 MODELS AND ALSO ON THE 2000 MOUNTAINEERS . WHICH INCLUDES FORD EXPLOYERS F-150,ECT. I FEEL THAT THERE IN NO DIFFERENCE IN THE SEATBELTS ON THESE VEHICLES. SAFETY COMES FIRST. INFACT THE DAY IT HAPPENED I CALLED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. AND THEY GAVE ME AN APPOINTMENT ONE WEEK LATER. IN WHICH I THINK THAT A SEATBELT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND THEY SHOULD HAVE SEEN ME THAT DAY. PLEASE HELP ME.
- NHTSA ID
- 10000475
- Incident
- Dec 27, 2002
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
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .