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 2001 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I had a severe t-bone type crash with a vehicle-not my fault as the other vehicle lost control and ended up in front of me-traveling approximately 45 to 50 MPH. On a local highway. Our airbags, neither drivers nor passengers, did not deploy nor did the shoulder harnesses keep us from being thrown forward. Only the fact that we braced ourselves kept both of us from being badly injured.
ABS operated poorly. When the brakes were applied vehicle did not come to a stop immediately. Vehicle moved about 50 feet before stopping after brakes were applied. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and no work was done. They charged the consumer, and kept the vehicle for an extended period. But when the consumer picked up the vehicle, the consumer was assured that the work was done. Then, consumer took the vehicle to Goodyear, and consumer was told that nothing was done to the vehicle. Ak the consumer stated the drivers seat belt did not retract and the passengers front door was hard to open from the outside.
Dt*: the contact stated that the driver seat belt buckle tongue would not eject from the buckle assembly. The contact arrived to a destination, parked, and attempted to unlatch the seat belt which would not unlatch. The seat belt buckle tongue was wiggled while the release button on the seat belt assembly was depressed. The seat belt unlatched after 10 minutes, but is now unable to buckle. The buckle was free of contaminants and there are no pictures available. The dealer was contacted on 07/21/06 and determined that the vehicle's VIN was not included in a recall on the same problem for the same vehicle.
Dt*: the contact stated while preparing to back the vehicle out of the driveway, the child unbuckled the seat belt and was able to unlock the door. The contact stated the door alarm did not sound. As the vehicle was backed out and to the left at 5 MPH, the 4 year old child was thrown out the rear right door. The child became pinned under the front right wheel of the vehicle, and sustained abrasions and swelling of the ankles, knees, and left thigh. The child was taken to the emergency room. A police report was taken. The manufacturer of the booster seat and vehicle were not notified.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that all of the seat belts in the vehicle failed and could not be dislodged from the buckle assembly. The dealer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there was a recall for the failure under NHTSA campaign id number: 01V144000 (seat belts: front: buckle assembly) but the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 75,000.
The consumer had a concern that both frontal seat belts will not retract from the retractors. The dealer informed the consumer that the parts was not covered under a manufacturer recall. The right seat belt would not retract from the retractors and the left seat belt would lock up and would not retract. The front passenger side seat belt was locked and the driver's seat belt would intermittently lock up when trying to uncoil. The part was worn.
My wife while driving a rental 2001 Ford Taurus on ventura freeway attempted to brake at some point,the brake pedal went to the floor she exited the freeway at off ramp and crashed into a concrete retaining wall.both air bags did not deploy,my wife's shoulder harness gave way, resulting in massive injuries to my wife and serious injuries to my 2 daughters which after surgery had to be redone on one of them.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact was notified about a recall, but was informed that his vehicle was not included. He was experiencing seat belt failure and stated that when he buckles the belt, the seat belt indicator light still illuminates on the instrument panel. When he unbuckles the belt, it will not buckle properly again. The failure and current mileages were 137,000.
Tl*- the contact stated that before driving the 2001 Ford Taurus ( he proceeded to fasten the passenger's side front seat belt, but the seat belt would not retract enough to fasten. The webbing was out, far enough to restrain a passenger in the seat safely. The contact will pay to repair the seat belt because Ford stated they would not.*
1)the seat belt buckle worked fine, until 2) the buckle started sticking and it's impossible to unbuckle, causing 3) possible death if the seatbelt buckle is not replaced. This is similar to NHTSA campaign id number : 01V144000, however, my car was not built until December 2000.
Related recalls
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Vehicle description: passenger cars. The seat belt buckle tongue May not fully eject from the buckle assembly when the release button is pushed slowly. This condition could also result in a partial latch of the tongue in the buckle.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and right front passenger seat belt buckles. Owner notification began May 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The child safety seat anchor latch (iso-fix anchor) fasteners do not have adequate residual torque. The anchors are secured to the floor pan with a reinforcement plate that has two studs that extend upward through the floor pan and the iso-fix anchor.
Remedy: Dealers will remove and re-install the bracket nut using a torque retention material (red loctite). Owner notification began September 11, 2000.
Seat Belt complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2001 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the seat belts of the 2001 Ford Taurus, 2% of the model year's 1,037 complaints. The component named most often is front › retractor (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford Taurus seat belt problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 01V-144 (buckle assembly, Apr 27, 2001); NHTSA recall 00V-240 (anchorage, Aug 24, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Ford Taurus seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 8 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.