I was rear ended while parked at a stop light, the force of the impact drove me into the vehicle in front of me. During the accident my seatbelt pretensioner failed to work at the same time my sun visor unexpectedly dropped down swung towards me and my head struck the edge of the visor which made a gash in my forehead down in between my eyes, there was blood visibly running down my nose at the scene of the accident. I went to the ER afterwards to seek medical attention. 3 days after the accident i suffered a seizure, i have no prior seizures before this incident. Since the accident i’ve continued to have headaches, signs of short term memory loss, and having trouble finding words sometimes.
Ford Fusion seat belt problems
88 of the 22,468 owner complaints about the Ford Fusion describe seat belt won't latch or retract, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 88
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical mileage
- 55,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
No deployment 7Airbag light 6Jerking 3Overheating 2Door locks 2Transmission failure 1Sudden acceleration 1Stalling 1
What owners say
Rear seat belt plastic clasp has broken on both sides and no longer function. Additionally, replacement parts are not available. Children are no longer able to sit in the rear seat. This issue has been reported in online forums.
The power steering module/rack, passenger side air bag Safety is a risk due to steering not working properly/ seat belt constantly locking Yes Yes others inspected Seat belt sensor has been on several months Service steering assist/Lane keep system malfunction service required and steering assist fault - all came on when it got cold and steering won’t work now
The locking mechanism that keeps the seat belt safely locked into place is malfunctioning. I have to ensure the belt is firmly in place and will not tug out of the lock before going anywhere. The seatbelt will not lock in place properly.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a front driver's side seat belt and seat belt retractor failure. The contact was informed that the front driver's side seat belt retractor and seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts needed to be ordered. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,500.
Rear seatbelt driver side seat belt does not click or buckle at all. Nothing is stuck in it and it has never buckled as long as I’ve had the car
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while wearing the driver's side seat belt, the seat belt failed to retract and was locked. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred after the vehicle had been parked outside in extreme heat, but the seat belt operated as needed in the morning after the vehicle had been parked in the garage overnight. The contact was unable to secure herself inside the vehicle using the seat belt. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V875000 (Seat belts); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Rear passenger seat belt will not release lock/tension/broken. Will not allow rear occupants to buckle in. Safety issue. Seems to happen on most 2013+ ford vehicles specifically trims like titanium with a 'inflatable belt" This issue should be recalled free of charge, It is a major safety issue not to be able to use a seatbelt. The best remedy would be inspect and replacement of broken components. Both occurred over 80k miles one being a truck (entirely different vehicle)
The contact owned a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the front driver side seat belt did not buckle appropriately, another vehicle driving at an unknown speed moved to the left lane, then the other vehicle changed lanes again moving in front of the contact, and the other vehicle abruptly depressed on the brakes causing the contact to rear end him. The vehicle came to a stop and merged into the shoulder. The vehicle was damaged on the front driver's and passenger's side. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did deploy however the seat belt did not retract the contact, causing the contact to be injured. There was no property damage. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a concussion and his eyes swelled shut. It was unknown if the other driver in the other vehicle sustained any injuries. The insurance company towed the vehicle to an impound lot and then towed it to Copart. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that one of the passengers was unable to properly engage their seat belt. The contact stated the seat belt remained locked and could not be removed from the base. The contact became aware of a failure with the hardware body of the seat belt after inspecting the vehicle. The contact was concerned that the middle seat belt section of the vehicle posed a safety hazard for his children. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact to call the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NSHTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 136,179.
Related recalls
Seat belts: front
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
- Risk
- A failed seat belt anchor cable cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S25. Note: This recall is an expansion of a recall 16V‑875.
Recall number 19V590000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
- Risk
- If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.
Recall number 16V875000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured from March 10, 2016, through March 16, 2016. The front driver seat track assembly's rear riser may have been improperly welded to the seat track rail, and as a result, the driver may not be adequately restrained in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 207, "Seating Systems" and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
- Risk
- An improperly welded driver seat riser may fail to adequately restrain the driver during crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Ford quarantined the affected vehicles at dealerships prior to their sale. Dealers will replace the front driver seat track rail, free of charge. The recall began on May 19, 2016. Ford's number for this recall is 16C05.
Recall number 16V250000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.
- Risk
- The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S21.
Recall number 14V597000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Fusion seat belt
Which Ford Fusion years have seat belt won't latch or retract problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (29 complaints), 2014 (19 complaints) and 2015 (10 complaints).
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