Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The drivers seatbelt will not remain latched. I will be driving along when all of a sudden the seatbelt will release for no reason. It does it no matter if you are driving, sitting still or whatever. This has been happening since last month and it is getting worse.
While stationary and preparing to safely operate the vehicle, the driver's side seat belt receptacle does not retain the seat belt. It May hold for a brief moment, but then releases the belt rendering the seat belt system ineffective and unsafe.
On dec. 13, 2000, my 22 year old son totalled this vehicle after hitting a patch of "black ice" while traveling at a speed of approximately 45-50 MPH. The vehicle rolled according to an eyewitness 4 times and landed on its roof. My son was, thank god, wearing his seatbelt! He was able to release his seatbelt and crawled through the driver's window which had been broken out. He escaped without any injuries! My concern is so much emphasis has been placed on the rollover possibilities when a tire blows, why not the possibility of flipping when hitting ice? Is anything being investigated to correct the top heaviness of the vehicle, especially the 2-door models. More emphasis needs to be placed on the necessity of wearing seatbelts to survive a rollover..
On 09/23/01 my 24yr. Old soninlaw was killed when he lost control and hit a meidian and tree was on two tires then went 30ft thru the air before the Explorer he was driving rolled and threw him out the driver window. He was wearing seat belt which he had had trouble with since purchase failed and he was ejected also his brother in passenger side couldnt get his belt to latch but he was lucky and walked away. The truck was also equipped with airbags on both sides which didnt deploy either. My son in law died that night when he was ejected and the truck landed on half of his face. He left behind a wife and 2sons and a 1 month old daughter. These explorers are death traps please do not purchase one.
Bought Ford Explorer in 1996, new. Filed a complaint with bbb regarding problems. Nothing was achieved. In November of 2002 was in an accident where the vehicle rolled over, my seat belt did not lock, nor did the air bags deploy, which resulted in severe injuries to myself. Broken neck (c-2, tbi tramic brain injury and broken bones. I beleive the failure of the seat belt, roof stability and airbags malfunction caused my injuries. The driver and other occupant received no serious injuries. Nothing was done to correct the failure as you can see in the numerous law suits againist Ford motor co.
Drivers side seat belt receiver does not clasp seat belt. We are taking the vehicle to a local shop to replace the receiver at $100 for the part plus labor. A seat belt receiver should be built to last normal driving conditions. This vehicle has not been in any kind of accident. The driver's side seat collapsed in the recline position on 8/24/2011, fortunately this occurred when the vehicle was not in motion. The recline mechanism does not work, and the seat does not stay upright. These two items are definitely safety issues.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the seat belt suddenly became unlatched without force or assistance and he was unable to relatch the belt. The dealer did not offer any assistance and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the latch assmebley needed to be replaced. No repairs were performed. The current and failure mileages were 143,000.
The consumer was traveling when the vehicle was struck in the rear by another vehicle, causing the vehicle to spin around and roll. During the accident, the driver door came open and the driver seat belt came loose. As a result, driver was thrown out of the vehicle. The passenger's seat belt also became loose. The driver died instantly. The passenger suffered serious injuries. The air bags also failed to deploy.(sister on behalf of deceased brother)
Dt: 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.
Seat Belt complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 1996 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 78 complaints about the seat belts of the 1996 Ford Explorer, 5% of the model year's 1,450 complaints. The component named most often is front › buckle assembly (35 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Ford Explorer seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for the 1996 Ford Explorer, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Ford Explorer seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 140,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries and 2 deaths to seat belts problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.