RoadVitals

1993 Mercury Topaz 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.
17
Latest Sep 16, 2017
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.
24%
of 71 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.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1993 Mercury Topaz submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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 Sep 16, 2017

DRIVERS SIDE AUTOMACTIC SHOULDER RETRACTING STUCK AT TOP OF TRACK

NHTSA ID
11023742
Incident
Jul 7, 2010
Mileage
33,000 mi
BrakesEngineFuel system+4 more
Filed Jan 15, 2004

BOUGHT CAR AT MOONEYS DESERT HOT SPRINGS AUTO SALES IN OCTOBER 10,2002 AS USED CAR. SEAT BELTS DO NOT WORK. SUSPENSION SHAKES, BRAKES MAKE NOISE. FUEL PUMP WENT OUT FIST TRIP. DRIVERS WINDOW DOES NOT RETRACK RIGHT. ENGINE OVER HEAT WHEN IDLING. WATER PUMP WENT OUT. AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATER DO NOT WORK.

NHTSA ID
10069163
Incident
Jan 15, 2003
Mileage
119,252 mi
BrakesEngineFuel system+5 more
Filed Jun 16, 2003

I PURCHASED A CAR IN OCTOBER OF 2002, THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT WORK,THE A/C AND HEATER DO NOT WORK. FUEL PUMP WENT OUT AFTER AP. 300 MILES, WATER PUMP SHORTLY THERE AFTER. ALL 4 TIRES TREADED APART. ELECTRONIC SIDE MIRRORS DO NOT WORK. GAS GAGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. HEATS UP WHEN IDLING. EXCESSIVE WOBBLE IN REAR END. FRONT END MAY BE FROM 1992 NOT 1993 MODEL OF CAR. DRIVERS WINDOW DOES NOT RETRACK RIGHT. TRUNK LID HOOK DOES NOT WORK. BRAKES MAKE NOISE. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10023191
Incident
Oct 12, 2002
Mileage
116,252 mi
Seat belts
Filed Aug 26, 2002

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WHEN NOT IN USE THE SEAT BELT MOTOR KEEPS RUNNING WHICH HAS DRAINED THE BATTERY, AND COULD ALSO CAUSE SEAT BELT TO BE INOPERATIVE, NOW THE PASSENGER POWER DOOR LOCK HAS FAILED. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

NHTSA ID
8017138
Incident
Jan 1, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Aug 3, 2001

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES WILL NOT RETRACT. SHOULDER BELT PORTION IS LOCKED IN AUTOMATIC RETRACTOR MECHANISM. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED SEAT BELTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID
893340
Seat belts
Filed Jun 21, 2001

DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT BECOMES JAMMED WITHIN RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID
890936
Seat belts
Filed Apr 30, 2001

RETRACTOR SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES FAILED AD BECAME STUCK. BELTS WILL NOT COME OUYT OR RETRACT, CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
887115
Seat belts
Filed Apr 27, 2001

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MAKES A REAL FUNNY NOISE WHEN IT GETS STUCK AT TOP. SHAKE IT, AND IT WILL GO BACK DOWN. BUCKLES WON'T RELEASE. IN AN ACCIDENT CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO BE CUT OUT.*AK

NHTSA ID
886949
Incident
Aug 3, 1993
Seat belts
Filed Apr 7, 2000

LINCOLN-MERCURY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS MOTORIZED SEATBELT PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. WHEN THE MOTOR DIES, THE BELT DOES NOT MOVE-A SCARY, NON-SAFETY FEATURE. *AK

NHTSA ID
711318
Incident
Dec 20, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Nov 27, 1998

WHEN GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE AND TRYING TO USE THE SEAT BELTS, THE SEAT BELT'S ARE STUCK IN THE TRACKS, CAUSING THE AUTOMACTIC SEAT BELT TO KEEP GOING ACROSS THE FACE AND THE SHOULDER. SOMEONE CAN GET CUT FROM THE SEAT BELT GOING FROM THE BOTH SIDES. *AK

NHTSA ID
831386
Incident
Sep 12, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Oct 13, 1998

DRVER'S SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT OR RELEASE WHICH CAUSED THE OCCPANT TO BE LOCKED IN. ALSO STATES THE EMERGENCY SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON WAS INOPERABLE. DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
828838
Seat belts
Filed Aug 25, 1998

SEAT BELT RETRACTORS DO NOT MOVE AT ALL, THERE IS NOT A SHOULDER HARNESS WHEN THESE DO NOT WORK. CANNOT MOVE MANUALLY. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
827190
Incident
Jun 25, 1998
Interior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Jul 9, 1998
Crash reported2 injuries reported

DURING REAR IMPACT THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK, AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBACK BROKE, CAUSING SEAT TO COLLAPSE INTO REAR SEAT. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
825194
Incident
May 22, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Jun 27, 1997

PASSIVE RESTRIANT:MOTORIZED SEAT BELT IS INOPERATIVE. MAKES A GRINDING NOISE WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR OR TURN THE MOTOR ON. HAD SAME PROBLEM WHEN VEHICLE HAD 38,000 MILES AND THEY REPALCED THE TRACK AND THE MOTOR.

NHTSA ID
813595
Incident
May 27, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Jun 16, 1997

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT INTERMITTENTLY VIBRATES. *AK

NHTSA ID
517654
Incident
Jul 1, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Apr 8, 1996

DRIVERS SIDE LAP/SHOULDER WILL NOT RETRACT. *AK

NHTSA ID
982462
Incident
Feb 1, 1996
BrakesSeat belts
Filed Aug 25, 1995

ABS: ROTORS WENT BAD/REPLACED; SHIMMIED WHEN BRAKES APPLIED; DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT GO ON TRACK RIGHT; HANGS UP ON TRACK; DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF CAR.

NHTSA ID
971066
Incident
Jul 13, 1993

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

Engine15Electrical12Brakes12

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .