26 problems related to seat belt have been reported for the 1996 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
While stationary and preparing to safely operate the vehicle, the driver's side seat belt receptacle does not retain the seat belt. It may hold for a brief moment, but then releases the belt rendering the seat belt system ineffective and unsafe.
Airbag disables due to a malfunction in driver seat belt buckle pretensioner . . . Jeep dealer/service charged a fee for air bag light.
Tl the contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the passenger side seat belt was jammed and would not unlatch. As a result, the contact had to cut the seat belt. Jim hudson Ford (1201 w main st, lexington, SC) was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 672,000.
The drivers seatbelt will not remain latched. I will be driving along when all of a sudden the seatbelt will release for no reason. It does it no matter if you are driving, sitting still or whatever. This has been happening since last month and it is getting worse.
The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the drivers seat belt failed. The vehicle was not taken for inspection or diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.
Drivers side seat belt no longer latches. Release button does not return to normal position.
The driver side seat belt no longer locks. The car has never been in accident and I feel that this problem needs to be addressed as I am not the only one with this problem.
My driver's side seat buckle stopped latching.
The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer sport. The contact stated that the driver side seat belt clasp could not be secured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since there were no recalls related to the failure. The failure and current mileage was 140,000. Updated 6/4/12.
Driver-side front seat belt will not stay connected. Door locks broken (will not lock), and lock key works in the door locks sporadically. In addition, driver-side exterior door handle recently (1/15/2114) will not open door.
Drivers side seat belt receiver does not clasp seat belt. We are taking the vehicle to a local shop to replace the receiver at $100 for the part plus labor. A seat belt receiver should be built to last normal driving conditions. This vehicle has not been in any kind of accident. The driver's side seat collapsed in the recline position on 8/24/2011, fortuneately this occurred when the vehicle was not in motion. The recline mechanism does not work, and the seat does not stay upright. These two items are definitely safety issues.
I had a accident on sept 10 2011. I had my seatbelt on when I crashed but it didn't catch and actually came undone. The deputy investigating also noticed that the seatbelt would not even catch into the receiving part of the seatbelt anymore. This is a real safety matter.
The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the seat belt suddenly became unlatched without force or assistance and he was unable to relatch the belt. The dealer did not offer any assistance and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the latch assmebley needed to be replaced. No repairs were performed. The current and failure mileages were 143,000.
The driver's seat belt has failed. The female part of the seat belt will not latch to the male section. The internal spring has broke. Dealership will not replace for free.
The seat belt just started popping out of the receiver on the drivers seat belt. And I have tried many things to fix it. . I guess im going to have to replace the part. It causes me to swerve on the road when it came off during driving. . Very dangerous!!!.
While driving, driver side seatbelt buckle released seatbelt due to failure of locking mechanism. This was entirely spontaneous and potentially deadly if it occurred during a traffic accident. The repair is still pending due to costs and delays as well as response from Ford motor company.
The seat belt rather suddenly quit working on the drivers side. I think the spring is broken and I am using the passenger seat belt assembly. I did nothing to cause this failure.
Driver seat belt broken; does not stay latched.
Drivers seat belt buckle failure.
Drivers side seat belt latch will not engage. Very unsafe!.
I have a '96 Ford Explorer. The driver side seat belt buckle fails to lock in the seat belt. This safety device should last longer than the vehicle itself.
The driver's side seat belt buckle broke at 120k miles. As a result the driver is not restrained while driving.
Seat belt caught the son and would not release him. Seat belt was cut. Consumer contacted dealer and manufacturer.
Both rear seat belts jam/lock repeatedly and have since 11/97. I have been to dealerships 6 times to have them fixed. They have been replaced two times by two different dealerships, yet they continue to jam/lock and are unusable until they are fixed. Over the past year I have been able to unjam them myself without going to the dealership. I have two children (ages 6 and 8) I must have properly working seat belts. Over the summer the drivers side seat belt also has been jamming occassionally. I have talked with several other Explorer owners and they have the same problems with their belts as well. If they are locking up, how can they possibly work effectively in the event of an accident?.
Passenger's side belt locked and would not release passenger. Had to cut belt to get out.
The drivers side seat belt did not latch properly and became unfastened while driving.