Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2020 | 6 | 5% | 45,000 miles |
| 2019 | 7 | 3% | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 1% | 66,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 0% | 130,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 0% | 8,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2004 | 3 | 1% | 100,000 miles |
| 2003 | 9 | 4% | 108,000 miles |
| 2002 | 16 | 5% | 64,000 miles |
| 2001 | 45 | 9% | 99,000 miles |
| 2000 | 23 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 1999 | 12 | 2% | 47,000 miles |
| 1998 | 13 | 2% | 198,000 miles |
| 1997 | 9 | 2% | 106,000 miles |
| 1996 | 26 | 6% | 136,000 miles |
| 1995 | 17 | 5% | 94,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while parking and removing the seat belt, the belt retracted quickly wrapping around their child's neck. The contact was able to stop the vehicle and release the child; however, the seat belt still failed to retract properly. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V811000 (Seat Belts) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who stated the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
Possible Drivers side seat belt problem on 2019 Ford Ranger. Incident occurred on Monday 12/20/202, ABOUT 9:20 AM. After rounding a corner at low speed I hit a patch of ice and, spinning about 90 degrees, ran head on into a very tall power pole, anchored to its concrete base with many very large bolts. This stopped me. No damage to the post. Air bags did not deploy, but I was thrust forward, hitting the steering wheel hard. I bruised my chest, not visibly, in the sternum area. I think my seat belt must have failed. The force on the belt ripped the plastic paneling covering it from the sidewalls. My truck is now in the body shop being evaluated. I pointed out the seat belt problem and they said they can give me a new one if there is a problem.
Airbags: passenger rear and front side airbags did not deploy after being struck on the passenger side by another vehicle. Seatbelts: were ineffective Vehicle was sold due to system failures and equipment issues. Safety: Head and body trauma due to non deployment. Inspection: Unknown No system messages before collision
Seat belt problem. 2004 Ford Ranger 2 wheel drive. V-6, ext cab, the seat belt alarm does not work after it is driven a few hundred feet, can un-buckle belt with no indication it is un-buckled, driver and passenger belt, verified this problem with another Ranger at the dealer, Ford mt co knows of this problem because I notified them and receiver a phone call about this problem, this May be a systemic problem with 04 rangers and is safety related.
I was recently an accident during which 3 things occurred that contributed to my injuries. The first thing that happened was steering wheel lockup preventing me from turning out of the way. The 2nd & 3rd things occurred when the truck was in free fall. First of all the seatbelt failed to restrained my body during the accident sending me straight into the steering wheel during which time the air bag failed to deploy. So there was nothing to brake my impact to said steering wheel. All of the this took place on a freeway at high speeds I was lucky that my injuries were not worse then they are and in time they will heal. I was lucky, but the next person May not be so, you need to look into this matter thoroughly because the next person May die as a result of these safety failures, and that is something none us want.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Ranger. While driving approximately 5 MPH downhill in inclement weather, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch on the opposite side of the road. During the crash, the vehicle rolled over once and landed in the upright position. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The contact was wearing his seat belt prior to the crash; however, he noticed that the seat belt was unfastened as he attempted to exit the vehicle after the crash. He has not filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. The current and failure mileages were 40,700. Updated 02-07-08.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated and the seat belt warning light flashed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000. Updated 6/11/15
Related recalls (4)
Seat belts › Front › Webbing
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ford Ranger Super Cab vehicles. The front passenger outboard seat belt may not have been assembled properly, allowing the seat belt to be misrouted.
Remedy: Ford will provide owners with instructions to perform a preliminary inspection of their front seat belts. Owners that detect an issue with the driver's seat belt, are unsure of the results, or do not want to perform an…
Seat belts
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ford Ranger vehicles with a SuperCab body style. The front passenger seat belt may have been improperly assembled.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the right front seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 29, 2019.
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. Equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. It is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle May not fully latch. Ford crown victoria built at st.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the front outboard seat belt buckles and if the buckle fails the inspection process, it will be replaced. Owner notification began July 25, 2001.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and Mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on certain seat belt buckles of your vehicle and replace all seat belt buckles that fall within the suspect date code range. Owner notification began October 26, 2000.
NHTSA investigations
Safety belt assembly failure
Odi received 18 consumer complaints and Ford identified another four reports associated with the alleged defect.most of the complaints indicate inability to latch the driver seat belt buckle caused by a broken latch release spring.none of these 22 reports resulted in any injuries or crashes.no complaints have been received in the past 6 months.Ford conducted life-cycle testing on 6 field sample buckle assemblies.the…
Front seat belt
There is no summary currently available
Front seat belt buckle assembly
Under recall campaign (01V227), Ford recalled approximately 1.3 million vehicles to inspect and if necessary replace the front driver and/or passenger seat belt buckle.approximately 1.1 million owners responded by taking their vehicles to a dealer for inspection of the buckle using a specialized buckle test tool.Ford reported that 829,927 vehicles had both buckles pass the tool test and another 167,336 vehicles had…
Front seat belt buckle assembly
During the initial recall campaign in 2001, the subject vehicles were inspected by Ford dealerships using a test tool that would detect a defective front seat outboard seat belt buckle assembly.approximately one million vehicles passed the inspection test for one or both front buckles.subsequent to the recall service action, odi received 15 consumer reports alleging that a passed inspection buckle subsequently…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Ranger years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (45), 1996 (26), 2000 (23), 1995 (17) and 2002 (16) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Ford Ranger seat belt problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 21V-811 (webbing, Oct 15, 2021); 19V-518 (seat belts, Jul 10, 2019); 01V227001 (buckle assembly, Jul 16, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Ranger seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles; 20% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › buckle assembly (47 mentions), followed by the front › retractor (23).
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.