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.
10
Latest Feb 17, 2011
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.
3%
of 304 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.
3
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 1996 Mercury Sable submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Feb 17, 2011
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SEAT, HE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. HE MENTIONED THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS PROPERLY WEARING HIS SEAT BELT AND THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, IT FAILED TO PROTECT HIM. HE MENTIONED THAT HIS HEAD AND RIGHT HAND HIT INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND SHATTERED IT. HE ALSO SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND INJURIES TO HIS KNEES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 166,000. UPDATED 06/01/11*LJ UPDATED 06/13/11
NHTSA ID
10383088
Incident
Feb 15, 2011
Mileage
166,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Oct 15, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE SIDE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE PASSENGER.*AK THE CONSUMER WAS INQUIRING ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT. *PH *JB
NHTSA ID
10029583
Incident
Jun 23, 2003
Seat belts
Filed Jan 11, 2002
THE SEAT BELTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT SEAT, DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE BECAME INOPERABLE AT APPROXIMATELY 50000 MILES. WE DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THEY WERE INOPERABLE, ONLY THAT THE BELTS WOULD CATCH IN THE DOOR WHEN WE SHUT THE DOOR. AFTER A WHILE, AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, WE REALIZED THAT THE REASON THAT THE BELTS WERE GETTING CAUGHT IN THE DOOR WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT RETRACTING PROPERLY. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, WALSER LINCOLN-MERCURY AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS. THE SEAT BELTS ON BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED ON 1/8/02. THE PASSENGER SEAT IS USED FOR LESS THAN HALF OF THE MILES DRIVEN. I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF ONE OF THE BELTS FAILED BUT DON'T THINK THAT BOTH BELTS SHOULD FAIL. THAT SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS LIKELY.*AK
NHTSA ID
756696
Incident
Sep 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Mar 9, 2001
Crash reported
WHEN VEHICLE CAME TO REST IN A DITCH DRIVER NOTICED THAT REAR CENTER SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN CSS PROPERLY, IT SLID DOWN BETWEEN FRONT AND REAR SEATS. *AK
NHTSA ID
882579
Incident
Mar 5, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Feb 7, 2001
REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS BROKEN, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NHTSA ID
880014
Seat belts
Filed Jan 27, 2000
REAR CENTER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETURN/RETRACT. *MJS
NHTSA ID
550577
Incident
Jun 1, 1999
Seat beltsVisibility
Filed Sep 22, 1999
HAD REC'D RECALL NOTICE #98V198000 IN MAIL. CONTACTED DEALER. TOOK VEHICLE FOR APPT. HAD VEHICLE REPAIRED. BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HEATER CORE WHICH WAS REPLACED 6 TIMES. COOLANT SYSTEM BLOWING INTO VEHICLE. CAN SMELL IT. MECHANIC CAN NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ID
848321
Incident
Aug 26, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Feb 12, 1999
DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT ISN'T WORKING DUE TO THE LATCH THAT COME ACROSS THE CONSUMER'S CHEST WON'T COME OUT. *AK
NHTSA ID
834772
Incident
Aug 2, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Sep 15, 1998
SEAT BELT LATCH CAME APART.
NHTSA ID
541464
Seat belts
Filed Mar 5, 1997
WHILE DRIVING THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT LOCKS UP, CAUSING CONSUMER TO RELEASE BELT FROM BUCKLE SO THAT SEAT BELT CAN UNLOCK. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
NHTSA ID
809705
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