I was on my way to work the morning before thanksgiving. I shifted from 2nd to 3rd gear and the back tires hit a patch of water and I started fishtailing. I went off the road and hit a patch of oak trees. One head on. On impact, the seatbelt did not retract and I hit the steering wheel, the dash broke apart and the entire steering column moved with me and I hit the windshield. After hitting the windshield, then the airbag deployed. When the dash broke apart from the steering column moving, it cut my shin which required stitches. My knee hit around the emergency brake release which drove my femur into my hip fracturing it in 3 places which required 3 titanium plates and screws. I had an open fracture on my arm which was the head of my radius (elbow) broken off which had to be replaced with more titanium plates and screws. I broke the orbit over my left eye and sinus cavities behind it. I had stitches and staples in my forehead that will now leave me a scar for life. I spent 15 days in the hospital, I've missed a month and a half from work and don't know when I can go back, accumulated over$80,000.00 in medical bills, and I'm still in a wheelchair. All of these injuries are due to faulty seatbelts and airbags in a ford motor company's vehicle. The vehicle was bought brand new by my father and has been garage kept since it was bought in 1997. I work as a receptionist and office manager for a doctor's office. My face is the first one seen when patients come through the door. Now, it's mangled and scarred for life.
1997 Ford F-150: seat belt won't latch or retract
12 of the 2,746 complaints about the 1997 Ford F-150 describe seat belt won't latch or retract.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 0%
- recalls
- 1
Seat belt won't latch or retract by model year
What owners say
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford f-150. The contact stated while he was driving, another vehicle cut him off which caused him to apply extreme pressure to the brakes in order to stop the vehicle. Upon depressing the brakes, he noticed that the seat belt latch was very loose, and caused him to lunge forward into the steering wheel. The manufacturer stated they were unable to offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 166,000 and the current mileage was 168,000. Updated 08/31/2011 *ln
1997 ford f 150 pick up, 4x4 extended cab driver's seat nylon fabric is worn and frayed. I called local ford dealership and they said this was my responsibility to replace. I have never seen a seat belt get frayed and worn out in such a manner. I have 18 years as a fire fighter and have cut dozens of people out out cars and never come across a worn out seat belt before. If this belt fails in a crash it could lead to serious injury or death. I will get it replaced but I thinks this is a manufacture defect not operator's responsibilty.
Driver's seat belt had twisted, not allowing seat belt to retract all the way to the housing. Had contacted dealer for the problem. Please provide more information.
Latch plate of seat belt is not locking properly, consumer has trouble trying to lock seat belt. *ak
5 out of 6 seat belt latches will not easily latch into buckle, causing loss of protection. *ak aft center belt is currently malfunctioning and will not latch at all.
The seat belt retractors do not reel in the seatbelt. This allows the seatbelt to be caught in the door when it is closed. This will damage the seatbelt, making it ineffective in an accident. In addition the seatbelt has been caught in the lock mechanism making it impossible to open the driver side door from the inside of the truck. This a clear and present safety hazard to the occupants of the vehicle. The seat belt retractor needs to be fixed.
Driver seat belt does not retract properly, factory wiring harness for trailer has no running lights. 4 wheel drive failure have had in the shop 6 times. Center console does not lock in down position.
Vehicle was involved in a collision at 45mph. Upon impact, the airbags did not deploy, and the seat belt restraints did not retract, resulting in minor injuries. The manufacturer has been notified.
While driving 15 MPH and another vehicle traveling about 35 MPH had a frontal impact, and both airbags did not deploy. Also the passenger's seat belt buckle unlatched at the time of the accident which did not protect the occupant in the accident.
Consumer complains that rear seat belt latches are located too far from the seats, therefore when a child seat is placed in the seats, the belts don't adequately secure it.
Poor seat belt performance, the driver's side seat belt does not stay locked in place.
Related recalls
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- The seat elt anchorage attachments are missing or misinstalled on these vehicles.
- Risk
- A loose fastener can eventually detach and would not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair the seat belt anchorage attachments.
Recall number 96V256000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Ford F-150 seat belt
Is seat belt won't latch or retract a common problem on the 1997 Ford F-150?
12 of 2,746 owner complaints about the 1997 Ford F-150 (0%) mention seat belt won't latch or retract. The model year with the most reports is 2001.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Ford F-150?
There is 1 recall and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Ford F-150
Fire or smoke 210Tire blowout 127Engine failure 121Adaptive cruise 118Knocking 81Overheating 71Ball joint 69Wipers 62No deployment 60ABS 53Brake failure 51Fuel leak 51Power steering loss 36Stalling 32Check engine light 31Grinding brakes 21Misfire 20Sudden acceleration 18Water leak 18Door locks 17Won't start 17Pulling 16Hesitation 14Won't shift 14Headlights 13Fuel smell 12Airbag light 11Harsh shifting 11Transmission failure 11Coil spring 10Jerking 10Steering noise 10Steering lock-up 9Loss of power 8Premature wear 8Rollaway 5
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