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 2002 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Front seatbelts on 2002 Ford F-150 become unlatched unexpectedly while driving. This has been noticed over the last two or three years occasionally, but has been getting worse. Seat belt has become unlatched about 5-6 times during a 600 mile road trip. Seat belt was confirmed by two passengers that it was indeed latched correctly and nothing pushing the release button. Seatbelt was confirmed to be latched by firmly tugging on seat belt to witness that it was latched. Both passengers confirmed that the seatbelt become unlatched randomly while driving. Passenger and driver safety is at risk. If driver seatbelt comes unlatched while driving or during accident, the driver could loose control of truck and put other drivers at risk. The unlatching does not show any warning signs as to when it will become unlatched. Seatbelt just becomes unlatched and starts to recoil without warning. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. The contact stated that the driver's seat belt was not properly securing into the buckle to click, lock, and secure the driver. The vehicle was taken to mullinax Ford of mobile (7311 airport blvd, mobile, al 36608, [phone]) and autonation Ford mobile (901 east interstate 65 service rd s, mobile, al 36606, [phone]). Both dealers indicated that a seat belt kit needed to be purchased as a unit, which included all of the seat belts in the vehicle. The driver's seat belt was not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure to determine if they could approve just the driver's seat belt being replaced. The manufacturer had not issued any seat belt recalls for the year, make, and model vehicle; however, they issued two tsbs for the seat belts. The approximate failure mileage was 174,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. While driving 50 MPH, the contact noticed that the driver's seat belt unbuckled randomly. The failure also occurred on the front passenger side. The dealer (simi valley Ford, 2440 1st st, simi valley, ca 93065) stated that there were no recalls attached to the VIN and, with the vehicle being a different year than what was in the recall, the failure would have to be paid out of pocket at a cost of $700. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure through email. The contact was awaiting a response from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 180,000.
My son was driving our 2002 Ford f-150 the first time the seatbelt disengaged. It happens often. I called the local dealership and they told me there is no recall on this seatbelt. I have let this go long enough. I am calling Ford to see what they can do about this potentially deadly problem. I just hope this helps others that have had problems with their f150 as well. There is numerous complaints about the seatbelts coming un- buckled on there own, what has to happen to get this problem fixed?
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. While driving at approximately 5 MPH, the front passenger side seat belt unlatched independently without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Front passenger seat belt randomly disengages while in motion. Rear passenger seat belt buckle broken - black "sleeve" slides down exposing spring mechanism inside which is missing some plastic pieces. Front passenger has been a problem for a coupe of years. Backseat is fairly new.
Front driver and passenger seat belt buckles randomly unbuckle themselves. When fastened, the buckles seems secure. Pull severe times on them and they do not unbuckle. But, while driving, they unbuckle themselves periodically. This has been occurring for a long period of time.
Seat belt buckle - receiver end intermittently releases while vehicle is in motion, when coming to a short stop, or making a hard right or left turn. I check every time I am in vehicle that my seat belt is securely fastened and it is, but I can be driving along and I hear a "click" and it has released on it's own. Nothing is pressing on the red release button and area is kept clear for that reason. I was on the highway yesterday and while driving at highway speed had to stop rapidly. The seat belt buckle released on it's own and I nearly slammed into the steering wheel. I have spoken to Ford motor company who states that the seat belt buckles have a 50,000 mile/5 year warranty and, unless there is a recall, they will not cover the cost of repair. …
Both locking pawls on manual seat adjustment mechanism do not lock into place when seat adjustment lever is released. One or the other pawl locks into place and a large amount of shifting force is then required to move the second pawl into a position where it will engage. This would only be a minor inconvenience if it were not for the seat belt configuration of this vehicle. This seat belt attaches not to the sub floor or pillar but to the seat itself. If (as has happened many times to me) you are under way and reposition the seat, you May not realize the seat is not safely locked into position. If you were then involved in an accident the strain on the engaged pawl might be beyond design parameters. …
I have just purchased this used vehicle, and upon initial inspection it was identified that there are 2 seatbelts in the vehicle that are faulty and will need to be replaced. The previous owner indicated that the driver seatbelt had previously released during normal operation without depressing the button on the buckle. In my inspection, I observed that the seatbelt buckle's button would not immediately release after being pressed. It appears that the spring is too weak to force the button up to engage the clasp in the buckle. In searching for a replacement seatbelt, it seems that this is a very common problem being talked about in discussion boards online. It appears that this item is out of warranty. As I prepare to replace the buckle, I am hesitant to replace with another OEM part since there are so many people discussing this issue online. …
Seat Belt complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2002 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 50 complaints about the seat belts of the 2002 Ford F-150, 6% of the model year's 821 complaints. The component named most often is front › buckle assembly (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford F-150 seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for the 2002 Ford F-150, though it has 2 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 2002 Ford F-150 seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries 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.