Seat Belt Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign number: 23v675000 (power train), 25v093000 (seat belts), 26v402000 (power train), and 26v451000 (seats) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.

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Nhtsa vehicle safety complaint narrative I am submitting this complaint to report a serious safety incident involving the rear seat belt of a Ford rental vehicle obtained from budget rent a car. My [xxx] grandson was properly restrained in a weight-appropriate booster seat and secured with the vehicle’s rear lap and shoulder seat belt in accordance with child passenger safety recommendations. There had been no collision, sudden stop, or other event that would normally activate the seat belt locking mechanism. While seated in the vehicle, the seat belt became tightly wrapped around my grandson’s waist and locked in a manner that prevented it from being loosened or released. Multiple adults attempted to free him by following the normal procedures for releasing and loosening the seat belt, but all attempts were unsuccessful. An off-duty emergency medical technician (emt) stopped to assist. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to release the seat belt, the emt determined that the only safe way to free my grandson was to cut the seat belt. The child could not be removed from the vehicle until the seat belt was cut. This incident caused significant concern because a properly functioning seat belt should not trap an occupant in a manner that prevents emergency release. My grandson had been properly restrained in a weight-appropriate booster seat and was using the seat belt as intended. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether this incident represents a defect in the seat belt restraint system and determine whether similar incidents have been reported involving this vehicle or seat belt design. If appropriate, I request that this information be shared with the manufacturer so that corrective action can be taken if a safety defect exists. My goal in submitting this complaint is to help prevent another child or other vehicle occupant from becoming trapped in a seat belt and requiring emergency intervention for release. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(.

On xxx, in the parking lot of o'reilly auto parts (store #2460, telephone number: [xxx]) [xxx], between 12:10 pm and 12:45 pm, my [xxx] daughter was seated in the rear driver's side seat of my parked 2022 Ford Explorer when the unbuckled seat belt unexpectedly became twisted around her body and would not release through normal operation. She was unable to free herself and the belt continued to tighten as we attempted to untangle her. She experienced difficulty hearing, breathing, lost sensation in her arms and nearly lost consciousness. Multiple adults attempted to release the seat belt using the buckle and by manipulating the belt mechanism, but the belt would not release. Because of the immediate risk to her safety, the seat belt had to be cut in order to free her. The failed component was the rear center seat belt assembly. The damaged seat belt is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction placed my daughter at risk of serious injury due to restricted breathing and the inability to exit the restraint. The vehicle could not be returned to normal operation because the seat belt had to be cut to release her. At the time of the incident, there were no warning lights, messages, or other indications that there was a problem with the seat belt system. Unknown whether there were any prior symptoms before the failure. The incident was witnessed by individuals who assisted in freeing my daughter. Two o reilly employees and my [xxx] daughter who was a passenger. They assisted during the emergency and can verify what occurred. The manufacturer and local dealership have been notified, and a customer service case has been opened. At the time of this report, the manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle or confirmed the cause of the failure. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's side front seat belt failed to click securely into the buckle. The seat belt warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (seat belts); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

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During a severe, multi-lane impact crash, the second-row outer seatbelts completely failed to maintain restraint and failed to retract. Both occupants in the second-row outer seating positions (ages 5 and 7) sustained visible seatbelt friction burns on their arms from the initial impact, but immediately following the crash, both seatbelts were found completely broken, with all slack pulled completely out and zero mechanical retraction. Both children were found entirely unbuckled and unrestrained immediately following the impact. This vehicle is a Ford Explorer, and this failure matches the exact criteria of an active manufacturer safety recall noted on my insurance documentation (NHTSA campaign 26v159000 / Ford recall 26c18) regarding second-row outer seatbelt anchor bolts being improperly secured. The vehicle has been declared a total loss, but the components are preserved and currently available for inspection upon request under a temporary insurance evidence hold. How safety was put at risk: the safety of two young children was severely compromised. Because the second-row seatbelt mechanisms or anchor bolts failed mid-crash, the children were left entirely unrestrained and unbuckled inside a moving, colliding vehicle after the initial impact, vastly increasing their risk of severe secondary impact injuries. Has the problem been confirmed by a dealer/independent center? unknown. The failure occurred during the crash, and the vehicle was towed directly to a holding lot. Has it been inspected by others? the vehicle has been documented by insurance representatives for valuation purposes, but a dedicated mechanical inspection of the failed seatbelt components has not yet been performed. Were there warning lamps or prior symptoms? no. There were absolutely no warning lights, messages, loose seatbelt components, or mechanical symptoms prior to the crash. The system appeared to be functioning normally until it failed under the stress of the impact.

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I have an airbag light on as well as the 2nd row inflatable seatbelt has stopped working. I took it into the dealership and they said it was generating codes b141b and b141c. Ford issued a customer satisfaction program 21b11 specifically to fix this problem in 2022 but it expired less than a year later. Now my air bag and my seatbelt don't work. Ford knows about the safety defect and their dealers are charging people to fix it ($2400 in this case) rather than stand behind the safety of their product and do the right thing. This is clearly a safety issue that Ford should be addressing yet they are trying to slide by and get their customers to pay for it. The car only has 49,000 miles on it.

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My back seatbelts are not working and my family feels unsafe without being able to put the seatbelts on.

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The rear reverse camera malfunctions and glitches. Often the screen turning green when reversing, sometimes screen is black or no color view and most times the camera if reversing to left or appear as to the right or vise versa and sometimes it’s normal but rarely. The control buttons for windows has a malfunction where it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. The seatbelts are not clicking and I have kids in the rear seats.

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I've received more than one recall notice from Ford (recall number: 25s09) but ever time I contact my dealer to schedule service, they say that Ford has not released the parts. I'm very concerned since this is a safety recall. I'm also baffled because the letter says it's a "improperly torqued" fastener. I don't understand why they need parts for that. But what the heck do I know? please help!.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (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.

This weekend the seatbelt on the driver seat gave out and now I am unable to buckle my seatbelt at all. I called larry h miller Ford in lakewood CO and they informed me that a diagnostic for the seat belt is 230$ which is out of my budget. The women I spoke with then stated that just the other day she had an Explorer (same make and model as my vehicle) came in with the same issues and the repair was about 1,200$ which is definitely not in my budget. Not only is it illegal to drive without a seat belt in colorado, it is extremely dangerous and posses an immediate risk to my safety. Like I stated I can’t afford Fords diagnostic however if I need to take it to insurance or police for inspection I will do that. There was no warning signals or indication this would happen. I would like further investigation if this has already happened to at least 2 of us in the denver area there has to be more and this is extremely dangerous and up to Ford to fix the problem.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Both of the inflatable seat belts in the back seat fail to latch. Have been checked for debris.

The middle row passenger side seatbelt randomly unbuckles when we drive. We have had Ford dealership look at it and are going to fix it as there is not a spicific recall for this but it is a saftey concern as the seatbelt doesn't stay fastened when driving.

Rear passenger side seat belt strap is twisted and stuck in fully extended position.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver side seatbelt unexpectedly unlatched. The dealer was contacted; however, it was diagnosed of repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 150,000.

I am driving and the second row seat is disengaging randomly and folding/sliding forward. These are the bucket seats. It appears that the button on top of the seat to do this is stuck in the down position. There is a current recall for the 2020 Explorer, but my VIN is not currently included. However, the exact situation in Ford recall 25s67 is happening to my vehicle.

One of my backseat seatbelt buckles is completely broken and the other side has a crack in the plastic casing in the same spot but not as big. And the insides of the buckle where it locks in there is nothing for it to lock onto. One still works as the other one has nothing for it to lock into. Yes it can be inspected. It puts my passengers at risk if they can't buckle up. It has never been inspected or looked at by anyone.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after routine maintenance at a local independent mechanic, the second-row seat belt warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact attempted to buckle the rear second-row driver’s side passenger’s seat belt; however, the warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed and dtc: b141b-13; was retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the customer satisfaction program: 21b11; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

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On a brand new 2025 Ford Explorer the 2nd row seatbelt was never bolted in. The seatbelt was hooked into the bottom so at a glance it looked correctly installed. But after having to remove a car seat the plastic covering looked like it was detaching. After gently pulling the plastic covering came up and the metal bottom of the seatbelt came out. Brought it to a Ford dealer and they confirmed that there is no bolt holding the seatbelt in and there were no threads, meaning there was never a bolt.

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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 30-45 mph, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly. On another occasion while driving 25-35 mph, the transmission was shifting and the vehicle bucked. There was an abnormal thumping and metal-against-metal sound coming from the vehicle. There was a grabbing coming from the vehicle. The seat belt became tight while the pretensioner had deployed after detecting the failure. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train). While preparing to tow the vehicle, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer informed the contact to pick up the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

Recall action soon issue since 06-20-2025 unrequested second-row seat movement for more information telematics generated issue.

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My middle row airbag seat belts on both sides are broke. You can not hook them into the bottom piece. One does not stay hooked and the other is completely apart. ( see attached picture) it is a law to wear seatbelts and this is has to be fixed or m family can not ride in my car. I went to dealership and it is very expensive to replace. This should be a recall on this for it is a law to wear seatbelts and several other people have had the same problem.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

We received a recall stating that one or more of our seat restraint fasteners may have been improperly secured which may not effectively restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. However, there are no parts or fix available.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Passenger side/right side second row bucket seat = seat belt broke. Called numerous dealerships and were on a waiting list of over 350 that need a seatbelt. No seat belts available. Unable to fix problem. Safety issue due to no seat belt. No warning lamps or messages.

Just last year, I started noticing that both of my front seatbelts are not fully retracting when I am buckled or unbuckled. When I unbuckle my seatbelt, I have to manually retracted back to its position. Also, when I have both seatbelts buckled, I have to manually retracted in order to secure myself and my passenger. This has become a safety issue for me and my family as this is not safe enough incase of an accident. Another issue that I have in my vehicle is the driver and passenger door panel coming apart. This is a safety issue for me as this is causing obstruction of the right rear view mirror by the passenger door panel. Also, the driver door panel has caused scratches to my arm while driving which can cause me to have an accident due to distraction.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Passenger seatbelt frayed, inside electrical goes haywire when cold weather, transmission slipping was rebuilt under warranty lasted one week and is slipping again shifting hard, b panels falling off a panel was recalled but panel wasn’t?.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was leaking oil near the front wheels. Additionally, the vehicle was shaking while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the rear seat belts failed to secure the passengers. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the right and left bearings were leaking oil and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no additional recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, her grandson who was occupying the second-row driver's side seat informed the contact that the seat belt had failed to remain buckled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and moved her grandson to the second-row middle seat. The contact stated that the plastic on the second-row driver's side seat belt clip was fractured and had detached, which caused the seat belt to not buckle as needed. The contact also stated that the plastic on the second-row passenger's side seat belt clip was fractured, but the seat belt was able to be buckled. The local dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and assisted the contact in scheduling an appointment with another dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v031000 (structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the passenger's side and driver's side windshield exterior a-pillar trims had fractured and had partially separated from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

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The driver's side seat belt latch does not automatically latch when you put the seat belt into it. I have to press the release button to get it to latch. If I don't press the release button to latch it, the seat belt won't stay latched. The dealership said they can repair it for $700 but I don't feel that I should have to pay for a safety device that is supposed to work especially since it has not been modified or damaged in any way.

The problem remedied by TSB 21b11-s2 did not occur in my vehicle while the TSB was in effect. It has now surfaced.

On 11-21-24, I was traveling down the interstate going at 60mph when a car began to urgently brake, I proceeded to hit the brakes as well and my car would not stop, at the time of the impact no air bag deployed, driver seat belt did not lock, my driver seat moved, no pre-collision assist came up for this accident. No prior issues or lights on dash.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Explorer 🔎.