This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was parked, the contact tried to fasten his seat belt and it would not lock into place. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for repair. The approximately failure mileage was 195,000.
The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The vehicle was parked when the contact detected the front driver side seat belt buckle would not remain completely secure in a locked position. The contact had concern of the safety risk involved. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
I can't latch the driver seat belt buckle. The red buckle release button doesn't spring"when inserting the buckle nor when I push it as I would to release a buckle. This occurrence was sudden, with no prior warning of possible failure. Until I can replace (or repair) the failed equipment, I need to latch the drivers seat belt into the front passenger belt latch. This action of pulling my seat belt to the passenger belt latch results in my neck being rubbed by my upper chest belt, which is aggravating.
About six months ago, the front passenger side seatbelt on my 1996 Ford Explorer stopped working. The clip would often become stuck and would need to be pried out with a screwdriver or similar object or it would occasionally just not clip in at all. Finally it became completely stuck and the whole clip mechanism had to be torn out. I went to a Ford dealership as well as a body shop to get an estimate on fixing it and both said that it would be $250 in parts and would be around $300 total. When I went to a junkyard to find a replacement seatbelt, they said that the '95 and '96 Explorer they had also had the same problem so I had to get a replacement seatbelt from an earlier model and then installed it myself. Now the driver's side front seat belt won't work either. It won't clip in at all. I haven't done anything to fix this problem yet.
- Kalispell, MT, USA
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Vehicle: 1996 Ford Explorer failure: The driver side seat belt buckle spring failed, and will not latch properly, resulting in release of the seat belt under very light pull. Cannot comply with seat belt usage laws due to the failure of the part.
: the contact stated the driver's side front seat belt buckle assembly will not stay secured. The dealer was alerted. The contact is planning on having the vehicle repaired. Updated 5/3/2006 - the buckle spring broke due to wear which resulted in the belt not latching.
The contact stated the driver's side seat belt was not properly latching. It would unlatch while in use. The contact had to slam on the brakes and the force caused the seat belt to come unlatched. The contact hit her head. Now, the seat belt will not latch. When contact's husband bought the new seat belt assembly to install it the sales person claimed he sold multiple of these sets, and they worked well.
Driver' S side seat belt will not stay latched. A safety problem. Does Ford even care if I'm killed because it comes unlatched. Thank you fmc. I'll be at the Toyota dealership. This is a problem that Ford should fix.
While driving driver's front seat belt locked, restraining the driver, even when driving at a constant speed. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The cause had not been determined.
Driver's side seat belt malfunctioned. The seat belt unbuckled by itself while fastened. This left driver unrestrained and unprotected in the event of an emergency stop or crash. The female portion of the seat belt apparatus was replaced with a used part from a junked vehicle.
Consumer noticed that the driver's seat belt does not lock properly. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the seat belt needed to be replaced.
Seat belt buckle failure, driver's side, 1996 Ford Explorer XLT, @72000 miles. Car is in good condition otherwise, never wrecked. Over the course of two weeks, the buckle went from to "popping-out the latch" occasionally to being near impossible to secure the latch in to the buckle and random "pop-outs".the buckle was replaced and I kept the old buckle.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Collingswood, NJ, USA