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 1996 Mercury Villager 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I PURCHASED A USED VAN, THERE SEEM TO BE SEVERAL RECALLS EITHER NOT IDENITFIED OR NOT KNOW ABOUT, EITHER WAY THEY WERE NOT FIXED. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FINE A DEALER WHOM WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECALLS AND REPAIR THEM.*AK
SHOULDER BELT ON PASSENGER 'S SIDE IN THE MIDDLE ROW OF SEATS WILL NOT PULL OUT SO THAT A PASSENGER CAN BE RESTRAINED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PART WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY WERE NOT GOING TO TOUCH IT. *AK *JB
THE SHOULDER BELTS CUT ACROSS MY THROAT. I CANNOT LOCATE AN EXTENSION BECAUSE THE SEATBELT CONNECTOR IS PROPRIETARY AND THE CAR MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. I THINK I NEED AN EXTENSION, TO ENABLE THE SHOULDER BELT TO CROSS THE CENTER OF MY CHEST AND ACROSS MY SHOULDER. HOWEVER DUE TO THE PROPRIETARY SEAT BELT LATCH, I CANNOT LOCATE A 3RD PARTY TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. I'M CONCERNED THAT IN A MINOR ACCIDENT WHERE A PROPERLY-FITTING SEAT BELT WOULD PROTECT ME FROM INJURY, I MAY RECEIVE A SEVERE OR FATAL NECK INJURY INSTEAD. IS THE CAR MANUFACTURE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING FIND A SOLUTION? I'M WILLING TO PAY FOR PARTS OR SPECIAL DESIGN CHANGES. *AK
SHOULDER BELT GOT STUCK AROUND THE CONSUMER DAUGHTER'S NECK DUE TO THE CHILD PLAYING WITH THE SEAT BELT. CONSUMER HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT FROM AROUND HER NECK. *AK
WHILE CHILD WAS SITTING IN VEHICLE, SHOULDER BELT GOT CAUGHT AROUND CHILD'S NECK, AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO CUT THE SHOULDER SEAT BELT IN ORDER TO REMOVE SHOULDER BELT FROM AROUND THE CHILD NECK.
SEAT BELT FAILED.
THE SEAT BELTS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE TIGHTEN UP AFTER DRIVING AWHILE. DEALER CAN'T DO ANYTHING. *AK
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DOES NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. CURRENT BELT RACHET INTO POSITION, AND WITH BOUNCING CAUSED BY UNEVEN ROADS, THE BELTS RATCHET EVEN TIGHTER, UNTIL CHILD OR OTHER PASSENGERS HAVE TROUBLE BREATHING.
THE DEFECTIVE REAR MIDDLE REAR SEATBELT UNLATCHED WHEN IN USE WHICH WON'T PROTECT OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT.*AK
THE BUILT-IN CSS IN BACK OF VEHICLE DOES NOT LOCK, THE LATCHES ARE BROKEN ON BOTH CHILD SAFETY SEATS. *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 .