2014 Ford Escape Seat Belts Problems

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her mother observed that the driver's seat belt failed to retract properly over time and failed to secure the driver as intended. The contact stated that the seat belt was very loose. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

the drivers seatbelt does not retract. The seatbelt is extended all the way loose in your lap. In an accident i don’t think it would work at all. Something is broken inside that doesn’t allow it to retract on its own at all.

Drivers side seat belt retractor or pretensioner does not work. You have to physically push the seat belt back into place. I feel if I were to get in an accident the seat belt would not help me. The vehicle only has 65,400 miles on it. I feel this is unacceptable and Ford should fix this as a safety issue. The dealer gave a estimate to fix this problem and I believe their estimate is unacceptable at $535 for parts and labor.

THE COMMUNITY I LIVE IS LANDLOCKED (JUNEAU, ALASKA) AND THE ONE FORD DEALERSHIP CLOSED ITS DOORS A YEAR AND HALF LATER; SINCE THIS TIME THERE IS STILL NOT FORD DEALERSHIP OR AUTHORIZED FORD GARAGE IN THE JUNEAU AREA TO CORRECT THESE SIX RECALLED ITEMS - FORD TELLS MY I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO DEALER MYSELF, HOWEVER THE COST TO TRANSPORT THE 2014 ESCAPE WOULD COST IN THE THOUSANDS IN TRANSPORTATION COST. I'VE CALLED FORD SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS, AND REFUSED TO SEND TO SEND A TECHNICIAN OR OFFER A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP TO FIX THESE RECALLED ITEMS; SOME OF RECALLED ITEMS ARE PRETTY SERIOUS (POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE, AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPING IN OR OUT GEAR). PLEASE HELP AS I TRY TO GET FORD TO FIX, BUT THEY OFFER NOTHING MORE EXPENSIVE COST TO ME FOR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE MIDDLE REAR SEAT BELT LATCH DROPPED BELOW THE FOLD DOWN SEAT WHEN IT WAS FOLDED DOWN. THIS MADE FASTENING THE SEAT BELT IMPOSSIBLE. THE LATCH IS INACCESSIBLE. CANNOT BRING IT BACK UP WITHOUT COMPLETELY REMOVING THE SEAT.

CAR HAS ONLY 30,000 MILES. DRIVER SEAT BELT DOES NOT MAINTAIN PROPER RECOIL TENSION. I HAVE TO HAND FEED BELT BACK INTO INCLOSEURE. I HAVE CLEANED THE BELT MULTIPLE TIMES WITH NO NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENT.

MY SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE BACK SEAT ARE HARD TO BUCKLE SOMETIMES WONT BUCKLE AND A FEW TIMES THE LOCKING MECHANISM DISENGAGES AND THE SEAT BELT WILL UNFASTEN WHILE IN USE. THE SEAT BELT HAS COME UNFASTENED THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING SINCE MARCH 2019

WHEN YOU FOLD THE REAR SEATS FORWARD ON THIS VEHICLE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES CAN FALL BELOW THE SEATS, THEN WHEN YOU RAISE THE SEATS BACK UP THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES STAY BELOW THE SEATS AND THE PLASTIC RECEIVER ENDS GET CRUSHED AND ARE UNUSABLE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE THAT IS STUCK UNDER THE SEAT AND IT CANNOT BE ACCESSED WITHOUT UNBOLTING THE SEAT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL ANOTHER BUCKLE UP FROM BELOW THE SEAT BUT THE BUCKLE IS BENT AND UNUSABLE. THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY.

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. DEALER SAID PRE-TENSIONER DEVICE WAS DEFECTIVE. CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. *JS

THE REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES ARE STUCK UNDERNEATH THE SEATS. I WAS ABLE TO FORCE ONE UP BY REACHING MY ARM UNDERNEATH BUT THE PLASTIC IS BENT UP AND THE LATCH DOES NOT PUSH IN MAKING IT INOPERABLE. IT APPEARS THERE IS METAL PIECE ON THE EDGE OF THE SEAT CUSHION THAT KEEPS THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES FROM COMING UP TO TOP SIDE OF SEAT WHERE THEY WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO PASSENGERS. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS PROBLEM WAS LIKE THIS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE OR IF IT OCCURRED WHEN THE SEATS WERE FOLDED DOWN AT SOME POINT. I ONLY DISCOVERED IT WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER WAS RIDING IN BACK SEAT AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE SEAT BELT LATCHES.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WHEN PUTTING THE REAR SEAT DOWN IT CAUSED THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES TO GET STUCK UNDER THE SEAT CUSHIONS WITH NO WAY TO GET THEM OUT. NOW THE SEAT BELTS IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS CANNOT BE USED SAFELY AS THERE IS NO WAY TO BUCKLE PASSENGERS IN WITH THE BUCKLE STUCK UNDER THE SEATS. THIS TO ME IS A SAFETY RISK AND FLAW IN THE DESIGN AS THERE SHOULD BE NO WAY FOR THE SEAT BUCKLE TO BECOME STUCK UNDER THE SEAT CUSHION ESPECIALLY NOT ON A VEHICLE WITH UNDER 40,000 MILES.

SEATBELT DOES NOT RETRACT. ONCE PULLED OUT SEATBELT HANGS OUT OF DOOR AND DOES NOT PULL BACK IN TO RETRACTOR.

FRONT DRIVER SEAT FEMALE END OF SEAT BUCKLE NOT LOCKING SEATBELT TONGUE INTO PLACE. NO VISIBLE ISSUES WITH BUCKLE OR TONGUE.

AFTER FOLDING THE BACK SEAT FORWARD IN DOWN POSITION, THE SEAT BELT LATCHES ARE NOW STUCK UNDER THE SEATS. YOU CAN'T GET THEM BACK OUT WITHOUT UNBOLTING THE SEAT. SO NOW NO ONE CAN RIDE IN THE BACK IF THEY ARE TO BE BELTED IN FOR THEIR SAFETY.

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT.

SPRING IN MECHANISM THAT LATCHES DRIVER SEAT BELT HAS FAILED AND THE ENTIRE MECHANISM IS FAILING STARTING AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WAS UNSTABLE AND MADE RATTLING AND POPPING NOISES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE CAUSED THE SEAT BELTS TO LOCK IN ONE PLACE AND WOULD NOT ADJUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND A REGIONAL INSPECTOR WAS DISPATCHED TO INSPECT THE FAILURE. THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AGAIN, INCLUDING ADDING INSULATION TO REDUCE THE NOISE. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES AND WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES, BUT THE NOISE COULD STILL BE HEARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

MY CAR WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC AND SOME ONE HIT IT FROM BACK COMING AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 35-40 MILES/HOUR. DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGERS HIT THEIR FACES AND KNEES ON DASHBOARD. BOTH SEAT BELTS (DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE) DID NOT RESTRAIN AND STOP PASSENGERS MOVING FORWARD. WE HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM ON BOTH SEAT BELTS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE) ON THIS CAR (2014 FORD ESCAPE SE) SINCE WE HAVE OWNED THIS CAR THAT BOTH SEAT BELTS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE) ARE VERY LOSE AND DOES NOT RESTRAIN WHEN PULLED SUDDENLY. THIS CAUSED THE BRUISING OF FACES AND KNEES OF PASSENGERS IN THIS ACCIDENT. IF SEAT BELTS WERE WORKING PROPERLY AND RESTRAINING PROPERLY THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE OR LIFE THREATENING IF A SIMILAR ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY. I NOW HAVE TOLD A FORD DEALER TO CHECK IT. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS PROBLEM IS ONLY ON MY CAR OR OTHER 2014 FORD ESCAPE SE MODEL OF CARS. THIS NEEDS TO BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF MANUFACTURER(FORD) TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM IF IT IS TRUE FOR ALL OF THIS MODEL OF CARS. *TR