One problem related to front seat belt has been reported for the 1997 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
I own a 1997 Ford Explorer awd 5. 0 liter. The seat belt latch on the driver's side no longer holds the seat belt in place after I buckle up. In order to drive, I have to insert the seat belt into the latch on the passenger's side. When I do this the seat belt now crosses my neck, and I am very concerned. It also means I cannot safely drive the auto with a passenger because the driver's side seat belt won't work. On a normal latch, I can push down the red release button and can feel the spring action. On my driver's side, there is no spring tension on the red release button.