The problem
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. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
The risk
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant May not be properly restrained.
The fix
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. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Recall details
| NHTSA campaign | 00V228001 (00V228001) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer number | 00S21 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Component | Seat belts |
| Report date | August 18, 2000 |
| Owners notified | October 26, 2000 |
| Vehicles affected | 144,435 |
| Initiated by | Manufacturer |
Vehicles covered
Owner complaints about the seat belts
- 2000 Ford Contour seat belt problems 3
- 2000 Ford Escort seat belt problems 11
- 2000 Ford Explorer seat belt problems 16
- 2000 Ford F-150 seat belt problems 15
- 2000 Ford Ranger seat belt problems 23
- 2000 Ford Windstar seat belt problems 19
- 2000 Lincoln Town Car seat belt problems 4
- 2000 Mercury Mountaineer seat belt problems 1
- 2000 Mercury Mystique seat belt problems 1
- 2000 Mercury Villager seat belt problems 6
Frequently asked questions
Is the recall 00V228001 repair free?
Yes. Ford dealers will fix the problem at no cost: 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.
How do I know if my car is included?
Not every vehicle of the listed model years is affected — the recall covers 144,435 vehicles built in a certain window. Check your 17-character VIN with our VIN recall check or at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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.