Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Mercury Villager submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 43 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.
The 25 most recent of 43, in the owner's own words
DRIVER'S AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILED TO FUNCTION AS IT WAS DESIGNED. SEAT BELT HAD TO BE MANUALLY PLACED IN THE RELEASE AND RETRACT POSITION. THE SEAT BELT MOTOR MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *AK
THE PAINT IS CRACKED ON THE HOOD, UNKNOWN WHAT MONTH, ABOUT 1997. WE NEVER HAD IT FIXED. DRIVERS DOOR SEATBELT STAYS IN THE RUNNING POSITION, IT WON'T MOVE FORWARD, BUT IT MAKES A LOUD MOTOR NOISE, UNKNOWN WHAT MONTH, SINCE ABOUT 1999. WE NEVER HAD IT FIXED. THE SEAT BELT ON THE RIGHT NEXT TO THE MIDDLE SEAT FELL OFF. WE TOLD THE DEALER. THEY ORDERED ONE. WE WENT BACK ABOUT A MONTH LATER THEY SAID IT WAS TOO LATE TO FIX IT. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT IN ABOUT MAY OF 1998, AT ABOUT 120,000 MILES. WE HAD IT REBUILT. IT WENT OUT AGAIN ABOUT A YR LATER. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT REBUILT AGAIN RIGHT NOW. SO IT SITS. IN JUL OR AUG OF 1998, THE MOTOR WENT OUT. WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, AND IT STARTED KNOCKING, THEN QUIT. ALSO ON CHRISTMAS EVE OF 1997, WE WERE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE THING SOUNDED LIKE ALL THE RODS WERE KNOCKING. THE TEMP GAUGE SAID IT WAS OVER HEATING. WE PAID A GUY $100 TO BRING IT FROM EDMORE, MI TO BATTLE CREEK, MI. THE NEXT DAY WE WENT OUT AND STARTED IT, AND IT WAS FINE. OUR TAIL LIGHTS ALSO WENT OUT, THE FORD DEALER FIXED THEM. SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WILL NEVER BUY A MERCURY AGAIN. IF I HAD WANTED A NISSAN, I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A NISSAN. I HAVE A 1976 FORD CHATEAU CLUB WAGON, OVER 250,000 MILES. IT HAS ONLY HAD TO HAVE A TRANSMISSION AT ABOUT 240,000 MILES. SO I GUESS I AM SAYING THIS VILLAGER IS A LEMON. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, DAWN GREEN
FRONT PASSENGER LAP SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LOCK INTO THE BELT BUCKLE. THE CONSUMER WAS ONLY ABLE TO WEAR THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER SEAT BELT. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE LAP SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM ITS HOLSTER. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK
THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS STOPPED WORKING ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE. VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 7/16/2003. *AK IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE SEAT BELT MODULES HAD GONE BAD. THE DEALER DIDN'T HAVE THE PART SO THE CONSUMER HAD STARTED BACK TRAVELING, AND TWO DAYS INTO THE TRIP THE SEAT BELTS STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. *SCC *JB
CONSUMER STATES THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND THE REAR SECOND ROAD BELTS AND BUCKLES ARE NOT WORKING AT ALL. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND TO FIX THE PROBLEM WILL COST $ 650.00. VEHICLE IS WITHOUT WARRANTY. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS IN A COLLISION AND ROLLED OVER ONCE. THE ENTIRE CHILD SAFETY SEAT FLIPPED OVER, WHICH CAUSED THE BABY TO LAND ON HIS/HER HEAD. *JB
I OWN A 1995 MERCURY VILLAGER. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BECAME UN-OPERATIONAL IN MARCH 2001. I CONTACTED MY DEALER AND MERCURY AT THE TIME, NEITHER WAS OF ANY HELP AND SHOWED NO CONCERN. I PAID $121 OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE THE PART. NOW, IN FEBRUARY OF 2003 THE SAME LOCATIONS SEAT BELT IS UN-OPERATIONAL AGAIN. I CONTACTED MY DEALER WHO TOLD ME TO CALL MERCURY. THEY WILL NOT HELP COVER A PART THAT IS MORE THAN 12 MONTHS OLD. WE WERE TOLD OVER AND OVER THAT IT'S THEIR POLICY. I HAVE OWNED ABOUT 6 VEHICLES IN MY YEARS OF DRIVING, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE. A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT SHOULD BE AT THE BOTTOM OF MY LIST OF CONCERNS REGARDING MY AUTOMOBILES. THE SEAT BELT ON THIS PASSENGER SEAT IS USED THE LEAST IN THE VAN BECAUSE I REQUIRE MY CHILD TO SIT IN THE MIDDLE ROW OF MY VAN AND 90% OF THE TIME MY WIFE OR I ARE TRANSPORTING OURSELVES ALONE OR ONE OF US WITH OUR CHILD. THE SEAT IS HARDLY EVER-USED OR BEING PUT THROUGH UNNECESSARY WEAR AND TEAR.*JB
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM REAR WHILE STOPPING, AND COLLIDED WITH VEHICLE IN FRONT. LAP BELT FOR LAST BENCHED SEAT CAME LOOSE DURING THE ACCIDENT. BELT WAS RESTRAINING A CSS THAT WAS TETHERED. CHILD SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *AK *TT
DRIVERS SEATBELT HAS STOPPED WORKING FOR THE 3RD TIME, IT WAS REPLACED IN FEBRUARY AND APRIL OF 2001, IT WAS REPLACED TWICE IN MAY 2001 AND IS BEING REPLACED AGAIN AT THIS TIME. BURNED OUT MOTOR IS THE CAUSE.*AK CONSUMER STATES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AT TIME WHEN DRIVING BUT DOES NOT STAY ON AND MOLDING ON DRIVER SIDE IS LOOSE. *YD
ELECTRONIC SEAT BELT WHICH COMES ACROSS THE SHOULDER AND CHEST HAS MALFUNCTIONED. IT MAKES A GRINDING NOISE, AND THE BELT DOES NOT COME ACROSS THE SHOULDER ANY MORE. TOOK TO DEALER. *AK CONSUMER STATES DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT 3 TIMES IN ONE YEAR, STILL IT IS NOT WORKING. *YD
1) HEATER: ALMOST CAUSED ELEC. FIRE, STOPPED WORKING, NOW NEEDS MOTOR REPLACED; 2) ABS FAILED ON SNOWY ROADS CAUSING SINGLE-VEHICLE ACCIDENT TO FRONT LEFT OF VEHICLE; 3) RECALL ON FUEL VENT HOSE, WILL REPLACE; 4) FRONT RT. LAP BELT WILL NOT PULL OUT (STUCK) NEEDS REPAIR/REPLACED; 5) OIL FILTER'S VERY VERY LOW LOCATION ON UNDERCARRIAGE FRONT, CAUSED DAMAGE TO FILTER, ALL OIL SPILLED OUT WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, RAN OVER SNOW LEFT BY ROAD COMMISSION PLOW, CAUSED DAMAGE TO ROD BEARINGS, AND ENGINE, VEHICLE CURRENTLY OUT OF COMMISSION AWAITING REPAIRS, $500 COLLISSION DEDUCTIBLE.
WHY DON'T THE MANUFACTURES REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS IF THEY ARE DANGEROUS ? IHAVE TO KEEP REMINDING KIDDS AND MYSELF TO SNAP THE LAP BELT, AND AFTER YOU GET USE TO THEM YOU SEEM TO FORGET TO USE REGULAR SEAT BELTS IN OTHER VEHICLES. *AK
IN MID TO LATE 1995 MY MOTHER-IN-LAW PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AND LATER GAVE THE AUTO TO MY WIFE AND I. THIS VEHICLE HAS RETRACTABLE SHOULDER BELTS. SEVERAL TIMES, FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE SHOULDER BELT HAS QUIT WORKING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BABB FORD IN MID 2000. (JUNE, I BELIEVE) ON MAY 27,2001 I RETURNED THE AUTO TO BABB FORD AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I SHOWED THEM MY RECEIPT FROM THE YEAR BEFORE AND STATED THAT I WASN'T PAYING FOR ANOTHER INERTIA SWITCH THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED THE SUMMER BEFORE. THE MECHANIC "TINKERED" WITH THE WIRING AND FOUND THAT WHEN HE DISCONNECTED A WIRE AT THE INERTIA SWITCH, THE SYSTEM WORKED AND IT HAS NOT FALTERED SINCE. HE AND/OR THE SERVICE MANAGER CONTACTED FORD/MERCURY AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM AND THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE SITUATION COULD NOT HAPPEN. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IT DID. MY CONCERN NOW IS WETHER OR NOT THE FUEL SHUT OFF PORTION OF THE INERTIA SWITCH IS FUNTIONAL OR IF IT IS NOT. FORD/MERCURY HAS NOT GOTTEN BACK WITH MY DEALER TO TELL THEM OF ANY NEW INFORMATION. *AK
PASSENGER'S FRONT SEATBELT RETRACTOR STOPPED WORKING.*AK DEALER REPLACED SEAT BELT. *SLC
BENCH ROW SEAT BELT THAT LATCHES TO THE FLOOR BROKE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER STATED SEAT BELT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
BELT RETRACTOR IN RIGHT MIDDLE AND RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SEATING POSITIONS HAVE LOCKED UP AND WILL NOT RELEASE. *AK BOTH SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED, ONE ON WARRANTY AND ANOTHER AT CONSUMER'S COST. *YH
RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAS BROKEN TWICE. *AK
FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS HAVE LOCKED UP,BELTS DO NOT WORK. DELAR HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
FRONT PASSENGER LAP SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER WILL NOT BE RESTRAINT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.*AK
MY REAR RIGHT SEATBELT IS JAMMED WHICH CAUSES A REAL PROBLEM WHEN TRANSPORTING CHILDREN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS WIL COST APPROX. $200 TO FIX THIS. AREN'T SEATBELTS SUPPOSED EXCEED THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. I THINK PERHAPS THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF.
SEAT BELT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE DOES NOT RETRACT. DEALER WILL NOT COVER COST, ONLY REPAIRING AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK
THERE IS A NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V228001 FOR YR.2000. DOES THIS SEAT BELT-BUCKLE RECALL ALSO APPLY TO THE YR.1995? PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. *AK
THE PASSENGER SIDE LAP BELT MECHANISM IS JAMMED PREVENTING USE OF SAFTEY BELT.
PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT RELEASE FROM THE RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .