Ford Explorer Seat Belt Problems

Seat Belt complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Front › Buckle assembly
  104
• Front › Retractor
  50
• Front › Anchorage
  45
• Front
  18
• Rear/other
  18
• Front › Webbing
  3
• Rear/other › Buckle assembly
  3
• Integrated child seat
  2

Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  4016%
• 25k–50k
  3815%
• 50k–75k
  5120%
• 75k–100k
  3815%
• 100k–150k
  5221%
• 150k+
  3413%

What owners report

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt warning light failed to illuminate while the seat belt was manually unlatched. The contact stated that the seat belt warning light was only illuminated during the initial start-up of the vehicle and then deactivated after the seat belt was latched. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

On 11-21-24, I was traveling down the interstate going at 60mph when a car began to urgently brake, I proceeded to hit the brakes as well and my car would not stop, at the time of the impact no air bag deployed, driver seat belt did not lock, my driver seat moved, no pre-collision assist came up for this accident. No prior issues or lights on dash.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph when another vehicle suddenly pulled in front of their vehicle causing them to hit the driver's side of their vehicle. The contact's vehicle had damage to the front bumper and passenger side of the vehicle. The airbags did not deploy. The seat belt failed to lock causing the contact to slam into the steering wheel. The contact injuries to their left shoulder, left foot, head, neck, back, and stomach area. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven away. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred them to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 12,994.

During a 2000 mile road trip, the front passenger seatbelt was nearly cut through at the point where the seatbelt exits the tensioner above the passenger's right shoulder. The location of the cut along the length of the webbing aligns with the position of the webbing when the seatbelt was in use by the front passenger. Based upon the location and nature of the cut, it appears that some surface within the assembly was sharp enough to cut through the section of belt. There were no injuries associated with this incident. The vehicle was parked as soon as we reached our destination and no passengers are allowed to sit in the front right passenger seat until the issue is corrected. The seat belt tensioner / pre-tensioner assembly was examined by the Ford Dealership in Taber, AB, Canada on 22 DEC 2022. …

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact was stopped at an intersection traffic signal when she was crashed from behind by another vehicle. The contact's seat belt pretensioner failed to lock and was not able to restrain her. The contact's face hit the steering wheel. The contact had suffered a broken nose, and bruises on her arms. The contact was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The vehicle had extensive crush damage to the rear bumper, lift gate. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later declared a total loss by her insurance provider. The police were on scene and issued a report. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,606.

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the seat belt on the passenger's side failed to retract as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the seat belt components were replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (Seat Belts). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,600.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 30-45 MPH, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly. On another occasion while driving 25-35 MPH, the transmission was shifting and the vehicle bucked. There was an abnormal thumping and metal-against-metal sound coming from the vehicle. There was a grabbing coming from the vehicle. The seat belt became tight while the pretensioner had deployed after detecting the failure. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train). While preparing to tow the vehicle, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer informed the contact to pick up the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, the driver's side seat belt failed to fully retract. Afterward, entering the vehicle to drive to the next destination, the contact became aware that upon fastening the seat belt, the seat belt hung loose, providing little to no restraining tension. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.

Related recalls (4)

NHTSA investigations