Seat Belts. Review the 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Visibility. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports5 fire reports4 injury reports

Seat Belts complaints

142 reports

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Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 1999

Seat Belts

SHOULDER SEAT BELT FAILS TO WORK. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. OWNER FINALLY DECIDED TO TRADE IT IN FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. *ML

NHTSA ODI #842039

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 1999

Seat Belts

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I PREVIOUSLY TOOK THE CAR IN TO CONSHOHOCKEN FORD FOR A RECALL BECAUSE THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT HAD STOPPED WORKING, AT THAT THE TIME THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS STILL WORKING. CONSHOHOCKEN FORD FIXED THE DRIVER SIDE BELT, BUT ONLY INSPECTED THE PASSENGER SIDE TO SEE THAT IT WAS STILL WORKING. THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WAS STILL WORKING. RECENTLY ON 5/28/99, THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING. I CALLED CONSHOHOCKEN FORD TO SEE THAT IT WOULD BE FIXED UNDER THE NHTSA RECALL 96V172002, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD FIX IT AND TO BRING IT IN ON 6/, AND CLAIM THAT THEY ARE NOT LIABLE FOR THE COST TO REPAIR. I CONTACTED THE FORD HOTLINE AND RECEIVED THE SAME STORY. THEREFORE, I AM CONTACTING NHTSA BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WITH AN OBVIOUS NATIONAL RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH IT. I FEEL THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD REPAIR THIS BELT FREE OF CHARGE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #707312

Mileage unknown · Feb 25, 1999

Seat Belts

RECALL 96S48. OCCUPANTS SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT, IT GETS STUCK IN ONE POSITION. DRIVERS SIDE WAS REMEDIED AND THE PASSENGERS SIDE WAS ONLY INSPECTED. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED AND REPAIRWORK WILL NOT BE DONE BECAUSE PASSENGERS SIDE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #835227

Mileage unknown · Jan 27, 1999

Seat Belts

RETRACTOR FAILS TO ALLOW SEAT BELT TO EXTEND WHEN ENTERING CAR. *AK

NHTSA ODI #702668

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 1999

Seat Belts

RECALL WORK PERFORMED ON ONE SAFETY BELT HOWEVER PASSENGER SIDE FAILED AFTER REPAIR.(96V-172).

NHTSA ODI #543539

Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 1998

Seat Belts

RECALL 96S99; VEHICLE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED AND REPAIR WORK WAS DONE ON SHOULDER BELTS. HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. DEALER CONTACTED AND STATED THE CASE IS CLOSED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #831829

Mileage unknown · Nov 17, 1998

Seat Belts

THE SEAT BELTS BECOME JAMMED WHEN DOOR OPENED. MOTOR IS STILL RUNNING, BUT SEAT BELTS DO NOT MOVE TO LET EITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER OUT. BELTS DO NOT RELEASE FROM AUTOMATIC RAIL TRACT. AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #830878

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 1998

Seat Belts

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHOULDER SEAT BELT FAILED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO GET JAMMED OR STUCK. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THEM. HAS TO OPEN UP THE DOOR TO GET RELEASED FROM THE SEAT BELT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #828148

Mileage unknown · Jul 20, 1998

Seat Belts

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR RECALL NO. 96V172002, SHOULDER BELTS. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT PROBLEM RETURNED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #825623

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 1998

Seat Belts

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE OCTOBER 96, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE VEHICLE REPAIRED DUE TO PART BEING ON BACK ORDER FOR MORE THAN A YEAR . NHTSA'S RECALL ID # 96-V-172-000,001,002. CONSUMER CANNOT USE RESTRAINT SYSTEM UNTIL REPAIRS ARE MADE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #824043

Official recalls

96V172001 · Seat Belts:front:webbing

Sep 6, 1996

NOTE: DRIVER'S SIDE (LEFT) PASSIVE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE RAIL OF THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT CAN WEAR SUFFICIENTLY SUCH THAT THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WILL BECOME JAMMED IN THE RAIL RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELT INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE DRIVER SIDE AND INOPERATIVE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT TRACK ASSEMBLIES.

96V172002 · Seat Belts:front:webbing

Sep 6, 1996

NOTE: PASSENGER SIDE (RIGHT) SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE RAIL OF THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT CAN WEAR SUFFICIENTLY SUCH THAT THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WILL BECOME JAMMED IN THE RAIL RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELT INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE DRIVER SIDE AND INOPERATIVE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT TRACK ASSEMBLIES.

91V016000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Jan 1, 1991

BRACKETS MOUNTING AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE AN UNDERSTRENGTH SPOT WELD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: SHOULDER BELT COULD FAIL IN A COLLISION INCREASING THERISK OF INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.

Remedy: INSTALL TWO BOLTS IN THE BRACKETS TO PREVENT SHOULDER BELT FAILURE.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP07001 · Seatback Recline Mechanism Failure

Opened Jul 30, 2007 · Closed Dec 5, 2007

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner

ON JUNE 29, 2007, NHTSA RECEIVED A PETITION FROM MR. RICHARD H. MCSWAIN OF MCSWAIN ENGINEERING INC., REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE SEATBACK RECLINER FAILURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE PETITIONER IDENTIFIED A FAILURE MODE INVOLVING BYPASS OF THE SEATBACK STOP PIN WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FALSE OR PARTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE SECTOR AND PAWL TEETH, ALLOWING THE SEATBACK TO RECLINE IN A VEHICULAR COLLISION.ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ALLEGED FAILURE MODE MAY BE THE RESULT OF PROGRESSIVE WEAR AND TEAR OF THE SEATBACK STOP PIN, THE SEATBACK STOP, AND OTHER SEAT COMPONENTS IN VEHICLES THAT ARE, ON AVERAGE, 17 YEARS OLD.AVAILABLE DATA DO NOT SUGGEST THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH A NOTABLE FREQUENCY. ODI REVIEWED ITS CONSUMER COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED OVER THE LAST NINETEEN YEARS AND FOUND NO COMPLAINTS OF SEATBACK COLLAPSE (WITH OR WITHOUT A VEHICLE COLLISION) IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.CONSIDERING THE ADVANCED AGE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDE A FREE REMEDY DOES NOT APPLY IF THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT BY THE FIRST PURCHASER MORE THAN 10 CALENDAR YEARS BEFORE AN ORDER IS ISSUED. THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

RQ98011 · Automatic Shoulder Belt

Opened Jul 31, 1998 · Closed Feb 16, 1999

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:webbing

There is no summary currently available

PE96027 · Mazda RX7 Automatic Seat Belt Failure

Opened Apr 16, 1996 · Closed Sep 30, 1996

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts

MALFUNCTION OF THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT SYSTEM

EA94032 · Passive Restraint Failures

Opened Sep 8, 1994 · Closed Sep 30, 1996

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

PE94039 · Pass.restraint Malfunction

Opened May 4, 1994 · Closed Sep 8, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

PE91013 · Steering Wheel Separation

Opened Nov 14, 1990 · Closed Jan 22, 1991

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering

There is no summary currently available