The drivers seat belt does not latch (lock) properly. The belt has on numerous occasions became unfastened when driving. The drivers belt also does not retract after use.
2001 Mercury Sable: seat belt won't latch or retract
10 of the 430 complaints about the 2001 Mercury Sable describe seat belt won't latch or retract.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Seat belt won't latch or retract by model year
What owners say
I own a 2001 mercury sable. At approximately 70,000 the driver's seat belt began to retract sporadically. At about 75,000 miles the seatbelt no longer retracted at all. The seatbelt still locks when pressure is put on it, but I am concerned about its safety.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. While examining the front passenger side seat belt, the contact noticed that the seat belt would no longer retract back to its original position. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer and no repairs had been performed. The failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 87,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The seat belt retraction systems in almost all vehicles will fail to retract the seat belt after a few years of use. The seat belts then hang out the car or truck door and get smashed when the door is closed. The seat belt eventually gets frayed and loses some of it's ability to properly restrain when needed. The retraction spring weakens and no longer retracts the seat belt.
Tl*- the contact stated that the seat belt retractor on the passenger's side of the 2001 mercury sable will not retract. The dealership informed the contact the retractor was folding the belt over, which caused it to jam. The dealership advised the contact the seat belt retractor needed to be replaced. The contact spoke with the manufacturer. And they informed him this was not covered under the warranty. The current mileage on the vehicle was 28,000. *ak the consumer provided the invoice for repair and pictures before the repair. Update 05/04/07
Front passenger seat belt locked and won`t release contacted ford about recall #01s16 they say car not on that recall the problem is the same as the recall,car made at same plant, same time frame as problems were found.
The consumer noticed that the passenger seat belt did not retract properly. While pulling the seat belt it broke. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and the mechanic determined that the retractor needed to be replaced. *ak
Seat belt retractor failure. Dealer will not replace.
The dealer replaced the right rear seat belt retractor twice, however the problem recurred. *jb scc
All of seat belt buckles are of poor quality and need to be replaced. Dealer notified. *ak
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger cars. The seat belt buckle tongue may not fully eject from the buckle assembly when the release button is pushed slowly. This condition could also result in a partial latch of the tongue in the buckle.
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the vehicle occupant may not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver and right front passenger seat belt buckles. Owner notification began may 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 01V144000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The child safety seat anchor latch (iso-fix anchor) fasteners do not have adequate residual torque. The anchors are secured to the floor pan with a reinforcement plate that has two studs that extend upward through the floor pan and the iso-fix anchor. The sealer on the floor pan could cause a soft joint and, even if the nuts are properly torqued, road vibrations could cause the nut to work its way completely off the stud.
- Risk
- The anchor may not hold the child safety seat in position during an accident, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant of the child safety seat.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove and re-install the bracket nut using a torque retention material (red loctite). Owner notification began september 11, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 00V240000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2001 Mercury Sable seat belt
Is seat belt won't latch or retract a common problem on the 2001 Mercury Sable?
10 of 430 owner complaints about the 2001 Mercury Sable (2%) 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 2001 Mercury Sable?
There are 2 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2001 Mercury Sable
Coil spring 147Sudden acceleration 15Tire blowout 15Adaptive cruise 13Brake failure 11No deployment 9Fire or smoke 9Won't start 8Transmission failure 7Grinding brakes 6Check engine light 5Jerking 5Wipers 5
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