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 Mercury Grand Marquis owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front seat belt was inadvertently unlatched. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
While driving the car the drivers and passengers seat belts release. I took it to a mechanic and they said the spring in the seat belt holder is failing. It isn't very unsettling to be driving the car and the seatbelt releases for no reason. It could be related to the 2000 seatbelt recall. We just bought the car for my college student. I don't want to wait for a death to get a recall.
Attorney represented the family of wallace petro who had died in an automobile accident while driving a 2001 Grand Marquis the attorney alleged that the driver's side seat belt buckle failed, and caused mr. Petro to be ejected during the roll over incident. The vehicle was previously serviced under recall 01V227000. Information as told to odi.
The driver's side seat belt disengages while driving, on its own, without any undue influence or strain. The previous owner informed me of the same problem that goes bacl to when they purchased the car in 2003(?).
Driving down the highway, seat belt on, when all of a sudden the seat belt unlatches itself. This has happened over and over. In the meantime, I went on the internet to see if there had been any recalls of the Grand Marquis. Sure enough, there is one on the seat belt. I called Ford right away, went in and set up an appointment. Ford claims there is no recall on my vehicle. It is a 2001, and I just recently bought it from a family member. Just prior to all of this happening, I was hit while waiting at a red light in my small Honda. Ironically, if it wasn't for the fact that my son and I had on seat belts, we would have been seriously injured. Now, I'm depending on the Grand Marquis to get around. Imagine how I feel knowing that there is a defective seat belt around me that isn't secure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that the vehicle was inspected for a possible recall by the previous owner for a seat belt and passed the inspection. The contact reported that the seat belts were unlatching while he was driving. The contact called autonation Lincoln clearwater (2085 gulf to bay blvd, clearwater, fl 33765, [phone]) and left a message for them to call him back. The contact did not receive a response from the dealer. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that the seat belts were inspected by the previous owner and was no longer their issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
The driver seat belt buckle on my 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis unbuckles on its own. I buckle up, pull on it, and start out on the road. Next thing I know is the buckle comes apart and then its just a repeat of the same thing for the rest of the trip. Took the vehicle to cortese in rochester, ny and was told there was no recall on it. They buckled the belt but couldn't get it to fail in the shop. If I have an accident I will sue based on all the issues I am seeing on this site, and Ford's unwilling to fix it. I bought the car a year and a half ago and it has been an off and on problem. I have 97,000 miles on it.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis ls. The contact stated that the front driver side seat belt buckle failed to latch securely. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they informed that the buckle assembly would need to be replaced. There was a recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 01V227001 (seat belts front: buckle assembly); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The technician ordered the part, and informed that when the part became available the vehicle would be repaired. The failure mileage was 98,000. Updated 03/07/11 updated 03/14/11
Fatal accident in 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis resulting from vehicle rollover. The highway patrol concluded that the driver was not wearing seat belt. The driver was killed as a result of injuries sustained when he was ejected from his vehicle. After the accident deceased family learned of a seat belt buckle recall (01V227001). The deceased had taken the vehicle to have the recall repaired on nov 21 2002 and the dealer determined that the buckle did not need to be replaced. After the accident a Ford tool test was performed and it was determined that the buckle had failed.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact started the ignition and noticed that the driver's side front seat belt failed to latch. The failure occurred without warning. The authorized dealer was notified and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. The technician discovered NHTSA campaign id number 01V227001 (seat belts; front buckle assembly); however, the VIN was excluded from the recall. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 55,000.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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…
Seat Belt complaints in other Grand Marquis years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the seat belts of the 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis, 15% of the model year's 157 complaints. The component named most often is front › buckle assembly (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis seat belt problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 01V227001 (buckle assembly, Jul 16, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury and 2 deaths 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.