2004 Ford Escape: seat belt won't latch or retract

Filed Jun 8, 2016 · Airbags, Seat belts · 100,000 miles · GA

The SRS airbag light was blinking-the code said that the seatbelt connector had failed-they had to remove and replace the seatbelt connectors costing us 493.13, and this is a safety issue that ford should cover under a warranty or safety recall. I am out 493.13 plus the 100.00 diagnostic fee and need to be compensated for this. I have attached the services performed by the repair shop. Ford said it was not covered by warranty or any recall. That is ridiculous. Please advise. Thanks

Filed Aug 27, 2015 · Airbags · 74,508 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving at 35 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician replaced two front seat belt buckles and terminals. Also, the air bag warning fault code was cleared. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,508.

Filed Mar 30, 2015 · Airbags, Body · 28,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving at 30 MPH, the contact heard a noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the air bag and seat belts warning lights illuminated and the front driver side seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the rear passenger inner fender well corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the seat belt pretensioner connectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.

Filed Mar 20, 2015 · Acceleration, Seat belts · 148,000 miles · WA · crash · 2 injuries

Was driving 25 miles an hour down small hill, the car in front of me stopped. I hit the brakes and the car didn't stop it felt as if I was pushing the accelerator like when pushing button! To speed up cruise control and it slowly increases speed. I slammed both feet to the brake and went to reach for emergency brake but never made it. I hit the other car. Last thing I remember is hearing metal crunch, the next thing I remember is smoke, top of my head on left side hairline ached looked in mirror and saw blood. Started looking for my phone on the dash but it was broken.could hear someone talking, then people were walking up to car. When the officer got there he asked what I hit my head on I didn't know, he asked if I had my seatbelt on I said yes. I told him my car wouldn't stop. Realized when e.m.t asked same question I knee I had it on but couldn't remember taking it off, and I told him that. He looked at chest didn't see marks or bruising, he asked again if I was sure, I was sure I put it on. After crash, when got to tow yard next day saw my seat belt broke, I cracked the windshield with my head and broke all under steering wheel with my knees...but the airbags deployed must have been after I hit everything because it hit me in the arm only based on that stinging red raised rash that later bruised on my forearm, no airbag to face injuries, just hit top of head on windshield and knees on lower dash under steering wheel, bruising on stomach lower abdomen near pelvic bone may have been steering wheel. My car kept going faster brakes didn't slow me at all witness said and my seatbelt latch is in pieces, my airbag went of late. My bumper is folded like a flat piece of metal about one inch wide hit it pushing it into my radiator. My SUV was going 25 miles an hour, my SUV bumper hit a small car bumper, that car was stopped. What went wrong?

Filed Feb 28, 2010 · Seat belts · 64,474 miles · CT

1. The rear passenger seat belt was not retracting the way it should when my son would unbuckle from his booster seat. I would have to feed the belt through to have it retract. 2. It happened every time we unbuckled his seat. 3. We switched his seat with my daughter's, as she is still in a car seat and is latched to the car itself, and was not using her seat belt. We called ford and it was no longer under warranty and they recommended that we get the part fixed through them because if it fails again, it will be under warranty. It cost us $223 to have his seat belt replaced. I asked ford to check the other seat belt, on the driver's side (back seat) and they agreed that one has to be replaced too, because it too retracts slowly and catches when trying to buckle it. We didn't know that it wasn't right, until we moved our son to that side. Again, we don't use the seat belt because of the latch system on our daughter's car seat. It will cost us another $223 to have that one fixed too. We are going to wait until we have to move our daughter to a booster before having it fixed. But we find it interesting that both rear seat belts need to be replaced and when for the majority of the time we've owned the car, the 2 car seats were latched in and we didn't use the seat belts.