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 Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I recently was traveling on the interstate late after work on interstate 10 at 60 MPH when I was struck from behind at a high rate of speed which caused the car to spin out of control , hit a guard rail and thrown into onto oncoming traffic. As stated in police report. Both front and rear of the car sustained severe damage however none of the airbags deployed causing facial trauma seatbelts failed, as it did not hold my 100 lb body in place.causing injury. From being thrown all over the car causing loss of conciousnous. Back driver side wheel and hub was torn off from impact and axle was broke. Car had 96 k miles and well maintained.and cared for. However this car has faulty airbags, seatbelts, among other issues that ca result in a human life!
There was a vehicle in front of me. Both vehicles were traveling at the same speed. The car in front of me anchored the brakes. I was 3 car length behind. Th ABS failed and did not allow the brakes to resume. We hit the back end of the car in front at 35mph. The passenger seatbelt broke ending my fiance head into the windshield. The airbags did not deploy car was totaled and the Toyota did not have a scratch: myself and my girl are both injured. I purchased this car 5/14. I believe there May not be airbags and I also think this car escaped having to have a salvage title. We are upset to say the least. As it is one thing but to put a consumers life at risk is another. This is the second car from this dealer since March 2014 that we had been given a death trap.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Mustang gt. While driving at 62 MPH, the contact lost control when trying to avoid a deer on the road. The vehicle then flipped over when the seat belts broke from the latch. The vehicle was totaled and the contact sustained internal bleeding, torn ligaments to the shoulder and arms and bruising. A police report was filed. The vehicle had not been inspected when the complaint was filed. The VIN was unavailable at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 122,000.
While driving north at 45 MPH a vehicle traveling south hit consumer's vehicle head on. Front air bags did not deploy, and driver's seat belt did not lock. Driver's head hit the steering wheel. Driver was transported to the emergency room for treatment of neck pain and injuries to the legs.
Dt*: the contact stated the front passenger side seatbelt webbing did not release more than 3 inches. The vehicle was parked when the seatbelt became unusable. The vehicle has not been inspected concerning the seatbelt. Additionally, while driving 30mph the windshield wipers would not move smoothly across the windshield. The wipers made a thumping sound when in use. The wiper blade assembly was replaced previously by the dealership during a routine inspection. The dealership determined the wipers were the correct type for the vehicle. It is also difficult to see through the front windshield when it is raining. Upon inspection the dealership did not determine there was a problem with the windshield for visibility.
The seat belts on my 2002 Mustang gt broke, this has been an ongoing problem as I've asked others about theirs. The ratchet mechanism stops working and / or the seat belts become entangled severely in the mechanism and fail to work anymore, resulting in replacing the ratcheting mechanism and seat belt. I brought my car to a Ford service center to see if they offered a fix and was told they do not and that my warranty was expired. This is a safety concern especially when so many Mustang owners have the same problem.
We have had a 2002 Ford Mustang for one year. The passenger seat belt will not function properly. It will not come out all the way making it useless. I had the dealership look at it. It was fixed for approximately a week. It is now unusable again. From my search on this issue there seems to be a lot of complaints about it. Why should I pay for a new assembly for something that occurs frequently with similar cars and is not being taken care of by Ford.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the passenger side seat belt retractor was jammed. The seat belt would not move and the contact felt that it was a safety issue that the manufacturer should repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no known similar failures. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Mustang. He stated that since the date of purchased he noticed that the seat belt retractors were defective. He has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. He will not have the failure repaired, he will sell or trade in the vehicle. The failure mileage was 62,000 and the current mileage was 7400. Updated 5/17/2010 * cn updated 06/17/10
Passenger side seat belt has always been slow to retract. Now it will not release at all. Dealer refuses to fix or replace as a defect. Will charge over $500 to fix. The vehicle has never been in an accident, has been taken care of, and has not been abused as the car has less than 83K miles. I thought seat belts were guaranteed for the life a vehicle!
Seat Belt complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2002 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the seat belts of the 2002 Ford Mustang, 13% of the model year's 166 complaints. The component named most often is front › retractor (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Mustang seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for the 2002 Ford Mustang. 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 Mustang seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 6 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.