1999 FORD ESCORT Seat Belts Problems

DURING THE USE OF THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT BELT, IT BECAME JAMMED AND WILL NOT COME OUT ENOUGH TO USE OR ROLL BACK UP TO TRY AND REUSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD ESCORT. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE FRONTAL SEAT BELT WEBBINGS DID NOT LOCK (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04E048000) AND THE FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED SEVERE STRAIN, SPRAIN, AND BRUISES TO HER CHEST AND NECK. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 104,308. UPDATED 09/12/07 *TR

Mileage: 104,308

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED, THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS GOING 45-55 MPH. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE FUEL SYSTEM DID NOT SHUT OFF, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RETRACT. THE ENTIRE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE WAS CRUSHED; THE CONTENTS OF THE TRUNK STRUCK THE CONTACT CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE REAR END WAS REPLACED.

Mileage: 8,000

NOTICED THAT ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS COMING UP ON AND OFF, CHANGED SPARK PLUGS,WIRES, LIGHT WOULD GO OFF FOR A PERIOD AND THAN COME BACK ON. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY BETWEEN 65-70 MILES/HOUR WHEN I HURED A LOUD BANG , PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, I HAD THE CAR TAKING TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THAT THE VALVE SEAT IN THE HEAD HAD SEPERATED AND FELL INTO THE MOTOR. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE 1.9 MOTOR HAD A FLAW IN THE HEAD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY NEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS. THAN HE SHOWED ME ANOTHER ESCORT THAT6 HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST CAR HE SEENED WITH THIS PROBLEM. SECOND PROBLEM: I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 TRANSMITIONS WITH IN A YEAR, WHICH WAS COVERED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND POSSIBLY A 4TH. I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THE MOTOR WENT. THIRD PROBLEM: WHILE AT A STOP SIGN A WAS REAR ENDED AN ABOUT 30-35 MILES/HOUR, MY SEAT BELLT DID NOT HOLD ME AND MY SEAT COLLEPSED ON TOP OF MY CHILD WHO WAS IN A CAR SEAT BEHIND ME. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOPE ABOUT THE WEEK BEFORE THE MOTOR WENT AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM HAD TO DO WITH THE TRANSMITION BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPUTER IN THE CAR NEW THAT THE VALVE WAS PREPERING TO FAIL. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAD REDESIGNED THE HEAD, SO THIS PROBLEM COULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

Mileage: 8,300

THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT POPED OUT AFTER IT WAS FASTENED. THE PASSENGER CAN NOT BE SECURED IN THE VEHICLE. NOT INCLUDED IN THE SEAT BELT RECALL NHTSA O4E048000 *JB

Mileage: 76,000

REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. DEALER REPAIRED IT TWICE, THEN REPLACED IT. AT THIS TIME, DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT.*AKTHE PROBLEM WITH THE BELTS ARE STILL OCCURING. *JG

WEATHER WAS 74 DEGREES, I T-BONED VEHICLE IN THE WRONG @ 25MPH. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON IMPACT, SEATBELT UNFASTENED CAUSING ME TO HIT WINDSHIELD AND GET LEG CAUGHT UNDER STEERING COLUMN. POSSIBLE PERMANENT INJURIES. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON ROAD AND CHILD WAS INSIDE CAR BUCKLED UP. SEATBELT HAD WRAPPED AROUND HER STOMACK,WAIST AND CHEST. EVERY MOVE SHE MADE SEATBELT WOULD GET TIGHTER AND RETRACT UP INTO VEHICLE AND CHOKE HER. *AK

MY CAR WAS BROADSIDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS. MY 13 YR. OLD SON WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, WITH HIS SEAT BELT ON. WHEN WE HIT THE CAR SPUN, HIS DOOR SWUNG OPEN EJECTING HIM. HE LANDED ABOUT 6 FT. FROM THE CAR ON THE GROUND. THERE WERE MARKS LEFT ON HIS NECK FROM THE SEAT BELT. FORTUNATELY HIS INJURIES WERE NOT SERVERE. HE HAD A HUGE LUMP ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS HEAD FROM WHEN HE HIT THE GROUND. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCASED THE CAR, AND HAVE HEARD FROM A LADY IN CHICAGO. MY MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY INVESTIGATE FOR MALFUNCTION/DEFECTS ON THE SEAT BELT. I WAS ASKED WHAT HIS INJURIES WERE (THE DEALER SHIP NEVER ASKED, JUST TOLD ME THAT IF THE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE THEY WOULE REPLACE IT) WHAT TYPE OF COMPENSATION I WAS LOOKING FOR AND I TOLD HER "NONE, AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF MY SON WILL HAVE SOMETHING COME UP 6 MONTHS FROM NOW. SHE STATED THAT I WILL RECEIVE INFORMATION IN THE MAIL, REQUESTING A COPY OF THE ACCIDENT REPORT, MEDICAL RECORDS AND PICTURE OF MY SONS NECK SHOWING THE SEAT BELT MARKS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS INVESTIGATED, DOCUMENTED AND TOLD OF THE RESULTS. THE CAR IS NOW IN LUFKIN TX. SENT BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY.

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY. ALSO, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BY HITTING A SNOW DRAFT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND INTO A DITCH AND STRIKE A CONCRETE BARRIER UPON IMPACT, SEAT BELT AND AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK

VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHILE TRAVELING AT 20MPH BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING OVER 60MPH. BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BELTS FAILE D TO OPERATE PROPERLY, AND THEY WERE THROWN TO THE BACKSEAT OF VEHICLE .VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THERE WAS ONE FATALITY, AND ONE INJURY. *AK

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT IS TOO TIGHT AND KEEPS MOVING UPWARD TO THE NECK. YH

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED, AND NONE OF THE VEHICLES SEAT BELTS, FRONT OR REAR, HELD THE PASSENGERS. ALL 3 PASSENGERS WERE THROWN FORWARD. DEALER SAID THE OWNER WAS AT FAULT FOR SEATBELTS NOT WORKING. *AK

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT GOT VERY LOOSE AFTER IMPACT. YH

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT GOT VERY LOOSE AFTER IMPACT. YH

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT GOT VERY LOOSE AFTER IMPACT. YH

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH CONSUMER REAR ENDED A PARKED VEHICLE. SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HER BACK, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK