IllustrationFUEL GAUGE IS VERY INNACURATE, POOR MILEAGE SO FAR (600MI.) ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION (THANK GOODNESS I WAS COMING TO A STOP AT THE TIME) BRAKE LINE COVERING IS BEING ABRADED BY CONTACT WITH THE LEAF SPRINGS (LR). *AK
2001 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Ranger years
Owner complaints for the 2001 Ford Ranger are substantially higher than the model-year median of 144.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Ranger years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
330–25K
5025–50K
4450–75K
5275–100K
73100–150K
29150K+
281 reports with mileage · 234 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 112 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
62 crash reports9 fire reports40 injury reports
What owners actually said
515 reportsWHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A TOYOTA CAMRY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
VEHICLE HAS NO SECOND GEAR. CONSUMER QUESTIONED DEALER, WHO INFORMED HIM THAT WAS HOW VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED*AK. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN MY JOB IN BUFFALO, NY, AND MY HOME IN LEXINGTON, OH, I SUFFERED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WAS FORCED TO LIMP INTO A LOCAL FORD TRUCK SALES PLACE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED WARNING AND LEFT ME LIMPING ALONG AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH ON THE I-90 THRUWAY DURING RUSH HOUR WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC …
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WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN MY JOB IN BUFFALO, NY, AND MY HOME IN LEXINGTON, OH, I SUFFERED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WAS FORCED TO LIMP INTO A LOCAL FORD TRUCK SALES PLACE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED WARNING AND LEFT ME LIMPING ALONG AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH ON THE I-90 THRUWAY DURING RUSH HOUR WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC TRAVELING 65-70 MPH. BY THE TIME I TRAVELED THE APPROXIMATE 10 MILES, I HAD TOTALLY LOST REVERSE GEAR AND HAD SUBSTANTIAL SLIPPAGE OCCURING IN FORWARD GEARS. MECHANICS INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND DISCOVERED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRING IT TO BE REPLACED. FORD TECH CONSULTANTS REVEALED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY FORD RANGERS, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. APPARENTLY, THE TORQUE ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS INCREASED WITHOUT REDESIGNING THE TRANSMISSION OR SEALS TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE HIGHER TORQUE. THEREFORE, TRANSMISSION SEALS ARE FAILING UNDER USE, LEADING TO SEVERE DAMAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION. FURTHERMORE, FORD HAS NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE --- EVEN THOUGH THE DAMAGE OCCURRED ON 4/11/01, A NEW REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST 4/20/01, AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION. APPARENTLY MY TRUCK WON'T BE ABLE TO BE RETURNED TO ME FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. FORD TECH CONSULTANTS REVEALED THAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT A RECALL, BUT HAVEN'T DECIDED YET. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 9,200 MILES ON IT --- I HAVE HAD IT LESS THAN 4 MONTHS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND REQUIRE FORD TO ASSUME ITS RESPONSIBILITIES BY REQUIRING A RECALL, BY REQUIRING TIMELY REPAIRS, AND BY ASSUMING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. I CANNOT PROVIDE THE VIN NUMBER CURRENTLY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE RETRIEVED FROM HUNTER ERIE FORD TRUCK SALES OF ERIE, PA OR MARK FORD OF BELLVILE, OH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.*AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN RPMS JUMPED FROM 2800 TO 5000 FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS, IT OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN 30 MINUTES. HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, AND WAS NOT LIMITED TO ANY GIVEN SPEED. DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT VEHICLE, AND PROCESSER (D99) HAS FAILED. DEALER INFORMED COMSUMER THAT THIS PART WAS NO LONGER B…
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CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN RPMS JUMPED FROM 2800 TO 5000 FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS, IT OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN 30 MINUTES. HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, AND WAS NOT LIMITED TO ANY GIVEN SPEED. DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT VEHICLE, AND PROCESSER (D99) HAS FAILED. DEALER INFORMED COMSUMER THAT THIS PART WAS NO LONGER BEING MADE, AND NEWER PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE YET. *AK
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT LOCK INTO LATCH MECHANISM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
DRIVER 'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT LATCH INTO LOCKING MECHANISM. *AK
THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY MEMORY SHORTING IN THE ENGINE COMPUTER AND IS PARTIALLY CORRECTED BY DISCONNECTING POS BATTERY TERMINAL SWITCHING IGNITION ON/OF SEVERAL TIMES THAN RECONNECTING POS BATTERY TERMINAL AND STARTING ENGINE WITHOUT TOUCHING THROTTLE . THAN LET MOTOR WARM UP COMPLETLY , THAN DRIVE GENTLY UNTIL COMPUTER MEMORY…
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THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY MEMORY SHORTING IN THE ENGINE COMPUTER AND IS PARTIALLY CORRECTED BY DISCONNECTING POS BATTERY TERMINAL SWITCHING IGNITION ON/OF SEVERAL TIMES THAN RECONNECTING POS BATTERY TERMINAL AND STARTING ENGINE WITHOUT TOUCHING THROTTLE . THAN LET MOTOR WARM UP COMPLETLY , THAN DRIVE GENTLY UNTIL COMPUTER MEMORY IS REPROGRAMED. THIS PARTIAL FIX CAME FROM JACOBS ELECTRONICS NOT FORD WHICH CHARGED ME $75 TO TELL ME IT WAS A MEMORY SHORT IN THE COMPUTER. THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE SPARK BOOSTER CAUSED THE PROBLEM WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE IT OCCURED WHEN THE TRUCK WAS NEW TO ME AT 22 MILES. THIS MEMORY PROBLEM IF NOT CORRECTED REQUIRES EXCESSIVE THROTTLE INPUT TO START THE TRUCK IN FIRST GEAR TO AVOID STALLING WHICH IS A SAFTY HAZARD. ADDITIONALLY THE COMPUTER HAS CALIBRATION DIFFICULTIES WHICH RESULT IN SLIGHT MISSING OR ROUGHNESS WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY EVEN WITH THE SPARK BOOSTER WHICH GREATLY HELPS ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND REDUCES EMMISIONS. THE TAIL PIPE HAS NO CARBON DEPOSITS IN IT. WHEN EVER AND IF AN AFTER MARKET COMPUTER BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR THIS VEHICLE I WILL INSTALL IT. *AK
DOOR WILL CLOSE, BUT WILL NOT REMAIN SECURE , IT OPENS WHEN CONSUMER DRIVES AROUND A SHARP TURN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
Official recalls
409V399000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Oct 13, 2009
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
07V336000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Aug 3, 2007
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
01V227001 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
Jul 16, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND MINIVANS. EQUIPPED WITH SEAT BELTS SUPPLIED BY TRW. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DRIVER'S AND/OR FRONT PASSENGER'S OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLE MAY NOT FULLY LATCH. FORD CROWN VICTORIA BUILT AT ST. THOMAS ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 5/29/01 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS BUILT AT ST. THOMAS ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 5/29/01. LINCOLN TOWN CARS BUILT AT WIXOM ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 3/27/00 - 5/30/01. LINCOLN NAVIGATORS BUILT AT MICHIGAN TRUCK PLANT FROM 4/11/00 - 5/31/01. FORD WINDSTARS BUILT AT OAKVILLE ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 3/23/00 - 5/30/01. FORD RANGERS BUILT AT TWIN CITIES PLANT FROM 3/28/00 - 5/30/01, AND ALSO AT THE EDISON PLANT FROM 3/13/00 - 5/25/01. FORD F-150 TRUCK BUILT AT NORFOLK PLANT FROM 4/18/00 - 5/25/00; AT ONTARIO PLANT FROM 5/10/00 - 5/28/01; AT KANSAS CITY PLANT FROM 9/11/99 - 5/25/01; AND AT CUAUTITLAN PLANT FROM 5/16/00 - 6/9/01. FORD SUPER DUTY F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS BUILT AT KENTUCKY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 5/27/01; AND AT CUAUTITLAN PLANT FROM 5/16/00 - 6/19/01. FORD EXCURSIONS BUILT AT KENTUCKY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 10/2/00. FORD EXPEDITIONS BUILT AT MICHIGAN TRUCK PLANT FROM 4/11/00 - 5/31/01.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE OCCUPANT PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLES AND IF THE BUCKLE FAILS THE INSPECTION PROCESS, IT WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 25, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
00V394000 · Structure:body:hood:hinge And Attachments
Nov 28, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH STEEL HOODS AND CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SHEET MOLDING COMPOUND HOODS. A WIRE FORMED HOOD STRIKER COULD BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FRACTURES. IF THE HOOD STRIKER FRACTURES, THE HOOD COULD FLY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A HOOD FLY-UP WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED COULD RESULT IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HOOD STRIKER.
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
2EA05004 · Front Seat Belt Buckle Assembly
Opened Feb 17, 2005 · Closed Jul 6, 2005
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
DURING THE INITIAL RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2001, THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE INSPECTED BY FORD DEALERSHIPS USING A TEST TOOL THAT WOULD DETECT A DEFECTIVE FRONT SEAT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION VEHICLES PASSED THE INSPECTION TEST FOR ONE OR BOTH FRONT BUCKLES.SUBSEQUENT TO THE RECALL SERVICE ACTION, ODI RECEIVED 15 CONSUMER REPORTS ALLEGING THAT A PASSED INSPECTION BUCKLE SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO LATCH OR INADVERTENTLY UNLATCHED DURING USE.IN ADDITION, FORD HAS IDENTIFIED 543 OWNER AND FIELD REPORTS ALLEGING BUCKLE FAILURE SUBSEQUENT TO PASSING THE INSPECTION TEST.FORD TESTED AND EXAMINED OVER 100 WARRANTY-RETURNED BUCKLES AND FOUND THAT 44% OF THE BUCKLES HAD NO PROBLEM OR A CONDITION NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL INSPECTION (NON-LATCH RELATED BUCKLE DAMAGE OR FOREIGN CONTAMINATION).WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE HIGHEST DURING THE 18-MONTH PERIOD AFTER THE START OF THE RECALL (JULY 2001) AND HAVE BEEN DECLINING DURING THE PAST 24 MONTHS.OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, FORD HAS RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 12 WARRANTY CLAIMS PER MONTH OUT OF A VEHICLE POPULATION OF ABOUT ONE MILLION.COMPLAINTS COUNTS ARE ALSO DECREASING.DURING THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS, ODI HAS RECEIVED ONLY TWO COMPLAINTS. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts
DURING THE INITIAL RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2001, THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE INSPECTED BY FORD DEALERSHIPS USING A TEST TOOL THAT WOULD DETECT A DEFECTIVE FRONT SEAT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION VEHICLES PASSED THE INSPECTION TEST FOR ONE OR BOTH FRONT BUCKLES.SUBSEQUENT TO THE RECALL SERVICE ACTION, ODI RECEIVED 15 CONSUMER REPORTS ALLEGING THAT A PASSED INSPECTION BUCKLE SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO LATCH OR INADVERTENTLY UNLATCHED DURING USE.IN ADDITION, FORD HAS IDENTIFIED 543 OWNER AND FIELD REPORTS ALLEGING BUCKLE FAILURE SUBSEQUENT TO PASSING THE INSPECTION TEST.FORD TESTED AND EXAMINED OVER 100 WARRANTY-RETURNED BUCKLES AND FOUND THAT 44% OF THE BUCKLES HAD NO PROBLEM OR A CONDITION NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL INSPECTION (NON-LATCH RELATED BUCKLE DAMAGE OR FOREIGN CONTAMINATION).WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE HIGHEST DURING THE 18-MONTH PERIOD AFTER THE START OF THE RECALL (JULY 2001) AND HAVE BEEN DECLINING DURING THE PAST 24 MONTHS.OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, FORD HAS RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 12 WARRANTY CLAIMS PER MONTH OUT OF A VEHICLE POPULATION OF ABOUT ONE MILLION.COMPLAINTS COUNTS ARE ALSO DECREASING.DURING THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS, ODI HAS RECEIVED ONLY TWO COMPLAINTS. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
DURING THE INITIAL RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2001, THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE INSPECTED BY FORD DEALERSHIPS USING A TEST TOOL THAT WOULD DETECT A DEFECTIVE FRONT SEAT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION VEHICLES PASSED THE INSPECTION TEST FOR ONE OR BOTH FRONT BUCKLES.SUBSEQUENT TO THE RECALL SERVICE ACTION, ODI RECEIVED 15 CONSUMER REPORTS ALLEGING THAT A PASSED INSPECTION BUCKLE SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO LATCH OR INADVERTENTLY UNLATCHED DURING USE.IN ADDITION, FORD HAS IDENTIFIED 543 OWNER AND FIELD REPORTS ALLEGING BUCKLE FAILURE SUBSEQUENT TO PASSING THE INSPECTION TEST.FORD TESTED AND EXAMINED OVER 100 WARRANTY-RETURNED BUCKLES AND FOUND THAT 44% OF THE BUCKLES HAD NO PROBLEM OR A CONDITION NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL INSPECTION (NON-LATCH RELATED BUCKLE DAMAGE OR FOREIGN CONTAMINATION).WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE HIGHEST DURING THE 18-MONTH PERIOD AFTER THE START OF THE RECALL (JULY 2001) AND HAVE BEEN DECLINING DURING THE PAST 24 MONTHS.OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, FORD HAS RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 12 WARRANTY CLAIMS PER MONTH OUT OF A VEHICLE POPULATION OF ABOUT ONE MILLION.COMPLAINTS COUNTS ARE ALSO DECREASING.DURING THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS, ODI HAS RECEIVED ONLY TWO COMPLAINTS. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
RQ04011 · Front Seat Belt Buckle Assembly
Opened Oct 22, 2004 · Closed Feb 17, 2005
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN (01V227), FORD RECALLED APPROXIMATELY 1.3 MILLION VEHICLES TO INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE FRONT DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE.APPROXIMATELY 1.1 MILLION OWNERS RESPONDED BY TAKING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF THE BUCKLE USING A SPECIALIZED BUCKLE TEST TOOL.FORD REPORTED THAT 829,927 VEHICLES HAD BOTH BUCKLES PASS THE TOOL TEST AND ANOTHER 167,336 VEHICLES HAD ONE BUCKLE PASS.ODI AND FORD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ALLEGING SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE ORIGINAL RECALL INSPECTION SERVICE.COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED THAT THE BUCKLE FAILED BY EITHER NOT LATCHING OR FALSE-LATCHING (PARTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE LATCH TO THE LATCH PLATE).A FALSE-LATCHED BUCKLE MAY RELEASE WITH MINOR MOVEMENT OR IMPACT AGAINST THE BUCKLE HOUSING INCLUDING INADVERTENT RELEASE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS RECALL QUERY TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-004) TO FURTHER ANALYZE THE FIELD PERFORMANCE OF THOSE VEHICLES THAT FORD DEALERS PASSED (ONE OR BOTH BUCKLES) USING FORD'S INSPECTION TEST (997,263 VEHICLES).