My son was driving my 1998 ford escort lx on a 35 MPH road when the driver in front of him slammed on his brakes. My son immediately tried to stop the car, but he rear-ended the other car before he could come to a complete stop. During the impact, the driver's seat belt did not lock in place and the dual airbags did not deploy - allowing my son's upper body to continue forward until his face hit the steering wheel. The lap belt functioned properly, holding my son's lower body in place.
1998 Ford Escort: seat belt won't latch or retract
7 of the 374 complaints about the 1998 Ford Escort describe seat belt won't latch or retract.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 1 service bulletin covers this area of the car. See below
Seat belt won't latch or retract by model year
What owners say
Dt: 1998 ford escort. Both of the rear seat belts do not work. The seat belt straps will not pull out from the seat, which makes it impossible to use them. About a year ago the driver's side rear seat belt stopped retracting. This was in june of 2004. And on 7-25-05 the passenger side rear seat belt stopped retracting. The consumer had taken it to two different dealerships and they told her that the seat belts were not covered under warranty. When she contacted the manufacturer, they told her the same thing. There were no other known problems with the vehicle at this time. Consumer's vehicle was involved in an accident in 2002. But, it was just a fender bender type issue. No one was in the rear of the vehicle at that time.
Seatbelt retractors in the back of vehicle continually tighten, and will not allow for consumer to lean or move forward. Consumer has to release buckle and reattach buckle in order have freedom of movement. Please provide any additional information/attachments.
Vehicle was involved in an accident. Vehicle spinned out of control, hitting another vehicle by the passenger's side right rear wheel. Before the impact, consumer noticed speed of 50 MPH. Driver's side seat belt failed to lock in place, and air bags failed to deploy. Manufacturer. Notified.
Seatbelt will not retract from the door.
No deployment of driver's air bag during a collision. Also driver's seat belt failed to lock. Driver sustained injuries. Entire front part of vehicle wa scrushed when vehicle hit a pole.
While turning at 15 to 20 MPH vehicle was struck at a 45 degree angle on passenger's side, there was no deployment of driver's or passegers side airbags. Also driver's side seat belt failed to restrain occupant.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1998 Ford Escort seat belt
Is seat belt won't latch or retract a common problem on the 1998 Ford Escort?
7 of 374 owner complaints about the 1998 Ford Escort (2%) mention seat belt won't latch or retract. The model year with the most reports is 1995.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Ford Escort?
There are 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Ford Escort
No deployment 42Stalling 20Coil spring 19Grinding brakes 11Fuel pump 11Ball joint 7Hesitation 7Fire or smoke 6Loss of power 6Slipping 6Knocking 5
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