Seat Belt Problems of Ford Expedition - part 1

As I was driving down the road, my passenger seatbelt popped and exploded, filling my car with smoke. My son yelled fire although I didn’t see a flame. My passenger seatbelt is no longer functioning. Leaving me with one less seat in my car. Ford refuses to fix or give a loaner.

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Expedition 🔎.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 26v344000 (seat belts) and 26v368000 (structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Expedition 🔎.

Took my car in for the seat belt recall and an oil change and the dealership said the recall has been paused. They are still looking into it for me but, this recall should not be paused. It is a real issue. Real people are having. My seat belt never retracts all the way back into place. I have to manually tighten it when I put it on and it randomly locks up while I’m driving even if brakes were not hit or it wasn’t yanked on. I worry in the event of an accident it wouldn’t do the job that’s needed to protect me.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Expedition 🔎.

He contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 35mph, occupied with his wife in the vehicle, the contact heard a loud bullet noise and his wife thought she has gotten injured from a weapon. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and he noticed the passenger seat belt had retracted independently the exposed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they informed the recall was paused and they were nothing they could do at this time. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 26v344000 ( seat betls) the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate mileage was 73,000.  .

While backing up the vehicle, the front passenger seat belt retractor pretensioner suffered an inadvertent, spontaneous pyrotechnic deployment. There was a loud pop resembling a firecracker, immediately followed by smoke in the cabin and the odor of gunpowder. The force of the explosive deployment dislodged the interior b-pillar trim panels. The passenger front seatbelt has been locked into place. Following this, the dashboard displayed a check engine light and a battery charging system warning light, indicating the electrical system was damaged. The vehicle is rendered undriveable due to the disabled charging system and the compromised passenger seat belt. There were absolutely know warning lamps, messages, or unusual symptoms prior to the failure. At this time, the incident has not yet been physically inspected, as corporate customer service lines indicated a remedy hold on the active safety recall (recall 24s06).

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition max. The contact received a recall notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v099000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's seat belt retractor pretensioner unexpectedly deployed while the contact's minor son was seated in the front passenger seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not inspected. The contact was informed of an inspection fee and was informed that the parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v197000 (seat belts). However, the parts required to complete the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that both front seat belt retractors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer that the original seat belt retractors would be reinstalled and would not be replaced due to the manufacturer advising that the recall remedy is currently on hold. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer has exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide a remedy for the recall. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v099000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer sent a mobile mechanic to place of employment to inspect the vehicle and the contact was informed that the seat belts were in proper working order. Recently while attempting to park the vehicle, there was a loud booming sound coming from the vehicle. The contact discovered that the front passenger's side seat belt retractor pretensioner had unexpectedly deployed. The contact stated that 30 minutes after the failure, there was an abnormal burning sulfur odor coming from the vehicle. The contact called the dealer, and a mobile mechanic arrived to inspect the vehicle. The mechanic advised the contact to drive the vehicle to the dealer for additional inspection. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it remained. The contact was later informed that a second recall, NHTSA campaign number: 26v344000 (seat belts), was added to the VIN and that parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Complaint: while driving at normal road speed with no collision or impact, I experienced a sudden loud “pop” from the driver-side seatbelt area. Immediately after, I noticed a burning smell coming from the same location. I initially believed I had a tire blowout and pulled over to inspect the vehicle. When I attempted to unbuckle and then re-extend the seatbelt, I found that the seatbelt was locked and would not retract or extend normally. The restraint system is now inoperable. This incident appears to be an inadvertent deployment of the seatbelt pretensioner without a crash event, resulting in a restraint system malfunction. The failure occurred during normal driving conditions and without any external trigger. This creates a serious safety risk because: * the seatbelt is no longer functional and cannot properly restrain the occupant * the unintended deployment could startle the driver and lead to loss of vehicle control * the presence of a burning smell raises concern for thermal or electrical hazard within the restraint system I am aware of similar complaints involving unintended seatbelt pretensioner deployment in Ford Expedition vehicles of similar model years. This incident should be investigated as a potential defect affecting occupant restraint systems. I’ve contacted Ford with no help to resolve the issue injury: no crash: no fire: no (burning odor present, no visible flames) speed at time of incident: 35 mileage at time of incident: 170xxx the vehicle’s seatbelt system remains in a failed/locked condition and requires repair.

I was in a head on collision and my airbags did not deploy. Also when I looked at my seat belt after the crash it was fully extended out and did not retract.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Expedition 🔎.

Had a passenger in my vehicle and the seatbelt would open/work. I took my vehicle to confidence Ford in norman,ok and was told the second row passenger seat lower retractor assembly needs to be replaced and it was not covered by the recall/warranty.

While I the vehicle was on, the seat belt malfunctioned. The issue appears to be the same one described in the recall. During the incident, the belt tightened / locked unexpectedly and caused significant pressure to my chest. Since then I’ve been experiencing chest pain. The air bag light in the car is now on.

While driving down the highway I suddenly heard a loud bang and what looked like smoke came out from the area by the front passenger seatbelt. The seatbelt had suddenly retracted fully and locked. Thankfully the seat was unoccupied at the time, so nobody was injured by this. When calling the local Ford dealership we were told we needed to bring vehicle in for inspection before parts could be ordered. When we called back to schedule the inspection we were told the recall was paused so we needed to wait to even have the inspection. After contacting Ford corporate we were finally able to bring in for inspection 06/01/2026 to confirm what we already knew about the broken seatbelt retractor. The dealership relayed this info to Ford, and Ford told them not to fix it at this time. When we called the dealership 06/08 they relayed that info to us. We then requested that Ford provide us a loaner vehicle. The dealership called us back 06/09 to let us know that Ford would not be providing a loaner vehicle. Our front passenger seat is occupied about 95% of the time, and that seatbelt is completely unusable. We have not been given any kind of timeline for when it can be repaired, and have no other option but to drive it the way it is. It is illegal and we are forced to put the life of one of our family members at risk because we do not have any extra seats or the money to buy yet another vehicle or pay for a rental as we are still paying for this vehicle that we bought less than a year ago.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front driver’s side seat belt failed to latch as intended. The failure was intermittent. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the front driver's side seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while depressing the lock panel with the numbers on the driver’s side door, the seat unintendedly moved forward, and the seat belt retracted, and the driver was squeezed in the seat. The contact turned off the vehicle and seat belt to returned to the original position. The contact stated that coolant was added to the coolant reservoir; however, the vehicle was leaking coolant. The contact was unsure if the cap was positioned correctly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 26v344000 (seat belts) and 26v368000 (structure). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and remained for five days. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the seat needed to be adjusted. The dealer informed the contact that the coolant reservoir tank needed to be inspected. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 106,920.

The seatbelt strap malfunctioned ( locked) and and I was unable to loosen the straps . . Resulting in having to cut the strap to get my child out.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Expedition 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the contact heard a loud bang noise coming from the left driver's side, and afterwards her seat belt retracted independently, causing the contact to have bruising to her left collarbone. There was an unknown odor present during the failure. The contact stated that the seat belt performed as if the vehicle were involved in an impact; however, there was no impact. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The approximate mileage was 93,672.

I have a recall for my seatbelt that my local Ford dealership still has been completed. I've been waiting for months and they tell me the parts aren't available yet. I researched these parts online and they show that they are indeed available for my 2019 Ford Expedition limited max. I'm leaving for a 4,000 mile vacation on 2/19/2026 and would like this recall taken care of before I leave [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and with the engine idling, the front passenger side seat belt pretensioner erroneously deployed, causing the passenger to be forcefully retracted into the seat. During the incident, an explosion had occurred, and smoke filled the cabin of the vehicle. The contact sustained an injured neck during the seat belt deployment. No medical treatment was required. After the incident, the air bag warning light had remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that the failure had previously occurred on the front driver's side seat belt, also. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 25v197000(seat belts). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 135,000.

I was driving and the seatbelt exploded. Started smelling like it was burning super loud explosion it’s a good thing I didn't crash and hit somebody . I’ve never had anything like that in my life happen before.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v197000(seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 40 mph, the front driver’s side seat belt retracted and tightened unexpectedly, and then detached. Additionally, the front driver’s side air bag deployed unexpectedly. The contact’s wife sustained bruises and a head injury; however, no medical assistance had been received. The insurance company assisted in towing the vehicle to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer related the failure to the recall and confirmed that the recall parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to confirm when the parts would be available. The contact also stated that no loaner vehicle was provided. The contact expressed concerns that the failure posed a serious risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v197000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while refueling the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal firecracker-like sound coming from the vehicle. The contact later noticed that the front driver's side seat belt had retracted and was locked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the seat belt pretensioner had deployed, causing the seat belt to be locked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to continue driving the vehicle even though the front driver's side seat belt was inoperable. The failure mileage was approximately 121,992.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Expedition 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v197000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Seatbelts have been recalled but no fix has been approved, Ford says 3rd quarter of 2025, but we are now nearly in the 4th quarter.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, the contact heard a loud banging sound coming from the driver’s side seat belt. An independent mechanic or a dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 24v099000 (seat belts); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

I was parked sitting with my babies in the car and my mom in the passenger seat. I heard an explosion and felt like I had been shot or electrocuted. I was dazed and didnt know what happened. The sound was traumatizing. I rushed to get everyone out of the car. My neck and head were hurting and had friction type burn from the seatbelt. Called 911 and they sent the fire department to make sure no explosives were in the car. They thought it was the seatbelt. Went to urgent care. No warning lights were on. Happened out of the blue. I can’t even imagine how this would have affected someone driving or an elderly person. Extremely dangerous. Terrifying.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, there was a loud pop, and smelled a burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the contact’s child cried out in pain, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. Upon inspection, the contact observed that the front passenger’s side seat belt had tightened excessively and locked, causing a small cut on the child’s chest. The air bag warnig light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt locking mechanism. The vehicle was not repaired due to the recall being a "advance notice recall" which was not yet an official recall, and the contact would have to pay out of pocket for the repairs. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 25v197000 (seat belts). The VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 82,000.

Yesterday, while I was driving to pick up my kids from school, my 2019 Ford Expedition, the driver’s side seatbelt literally exploded — it went off like it would in a crash (but there was no crash). I was driving when it exploded and tightened so tight on me. Now the seatbelt doesn’t work at all. It was terrifying, so loud and painful. This is part of a known recall issue. When the dealership had my car back in may to replace my cam phasers, they told me the seatbelt recall parts weren’t available yet. Fast forward to now — the seatbelt has gone off, the vehicle can’t be driven safely, and Ford (both the local dealership and customer service) is saying there’s nothing they can do for me right now. The dealership told me I would have to pay to have it towed and pay for a rental. Also, they aren’t sure how fast they can get parts or diagnose it. I’m honestly at a loss. This is a safety recall, and I can’t use my car because of it. I literally just paid $2400 in may for my cam phasers and now this.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph with the driver's seat belt fastened, she observed a loud explosion inside the vehicle, and then she felt what she thought was an impact to her chest, and the wind was knocked out of her as she began gasping for air. The contact stated that she believed she had been shot. The contact added that she steered the vehicle to the side of the road and where she observed that the driver's seat belt did not extend or retract, and the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after 20 minutes, she observed a swollen imprint of the seat belt, which eventually scabbed over. 911 was called, but medical attention was not needed. The contact stated that she continues to drive the vehicle, but had to buckle the seat belt behind her while driving so that the notification chimes do not go off continuously while driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

Seatbelt pretensioner inadvertently exploded while driving the vehicle and locked the seatbelt.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 20 mph, the front driver's side seat belt exploded, making a loud popping sound, and the seat belt tightened and pulled the driver back into the seat. Additionally, the automatic emergency braking system engaged, causing the vehicle to stop. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband stated that the cabin was filled with smoke and an electrical burning odor was noticed. The driver pulled over, but the seat belt had significantly retracted and was able to be unbuckled after several attempts. The contact’s husband sustained a seat belt mark on the left shoulder, but no medical attention was received. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed of that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 25v197000 (seat belts); however, the contact stated that the recall notification had not been received and the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 26,600.

My vehicle is having the exact same issue addressed in recall 24s06. Although Ford’s system indicates that my VIN is not included in the recall due to its manufacturing date, my vehicle is exhibiting the same safety defect that the recall resolves. My vehicle was manufactured 2 months prior to the date of manufacture that was included in the recall. My vehicle is the same year, make and model of the vehicles included. Specifically: the airbag light is on and received a message that says: the restrains control module has detected a fault with the passenger seatbelt retractor pretensioner circuit , causing drivability and safety concerns.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition max. The contact stated that after the wife started the vehicle and while the gear shifter was in the parked position, the front driver's side seatbelt pretensioner erroneously deployed. During the incident, the wife sustained a left shoulder abrasion, which required medical treatment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in the NHTSA campaign number: 24v099000(seat belts). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.

One of the anchor points for car seats in the 3rd row fell off when we tried to attach a car seat to the anchor point. We have owned the vehicle since 2022 and have not tried to use that anchor until now. There was no damage to the vehicle to cause this.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Expedition 🔎.

On [xxx], the seatbelt pretensioner on my 2019 Ford Expedition max platinum suddenly discharged without warning while the vehicle was stationary. It emitted a loud noise, caused the seatbelt to lock, and released a strong burning smell, consistent with prior reports linked to recall 24v099 / 25v197000. I purchased this vehicle used on [xxx] from taverna Infiniti of north miami (FL). At the time of sale, the dealership: •did not disclose any active recalls •provided an inspection form stating the seatbelt and warning systems were “ok” •sold the vehicle with an illuminated airbag (srs) warning light •delivered the vehicle with a non-functional driver-side tail light four days later ([xxx]), the dealer sent me a carfax report showing the vehicle had an active NHTSA safety recall (24v099), issued in February 2024, with a known remedy available. The dealership knowingly sold a vehicle with an unrepaired safety defect, and the defect has now resulted in an actual pretensioner discharge — which could pose a fire risk and compromised occupant protection. I am currently working to have the vehicle serviced at a Ford-authorized dealer. I am reporting this event to document: •the failure of the seatbelt pretensioner •the dealer’s noncompliance with safety disclosure obligations •the risk posed to other consumers information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).