2013 Ford Explorer Seat Belts Problems

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the second-row driver’s side seat belt had malfunctioned and would not safely secure the passenger. The contact indicated that the seat belt buckle mechanism had failed and could not be latched. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were both notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 76,000.

HAVE LEAK AT 3RD ROW SEAT BELT AT ROOF ON LEFT HAND SIDE.SEAT BELT GETTING WET LEAKING DOWN ON SEAT AND FLOOR. FIRST NOTICED WHEN TILTING 3RD ROW SEAT ON SEPT. 29/2020. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT MOVING . HAD RAIN THE NIGHT OFSEPT. 28/2020.

RAIN WATER LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLES BACK HATCH AND COMING THROUGH THE SEAT BELTS, CAUSING WET SEAT BELTS, SEATS, SPARE TIRE EQUIPMENT, AND PERSONAL AND ITEMS IN CARGO AREA.

PURCHASED MY 2013 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED WITH 50 MILES ON IT IN NOVEMBER 2012.DURING 2015 HAD A STRONG MOLD SMELL,UPON INVESTIGATION FOUND APPROXIMATELY 3'' OF WATER IN MY SPARE TIRE STORAGE AREA, 3RD ROW SEAT SHOULDER BELT WET AND CARPET UNDER 3RD ROW SEAT PASSENGER SIDE SOAKED.TOOK TO FORD DEALERSHIP WHILE UNDER WARRANTY ON 4-27-2015 / 32,002 MILES,HAD 17 DAYS.TOOK IN UNDER WARRANTY 6-25-2015 WITH 34,460 MILES,HAD 4 DAYS.TOOK IN 3-11-16 WITH 44,501 MILES,DEALERSHIP SENT VEHICLE TO THEIR BODYSHOP FOR 4 DAYS.TOOK TO DEALERSHIP 2-14-18 THEY SENT IT OFF SIGHT TO JR'S AUTOMOTIVE TO REPAIR WATER LEAK.TOOK TO DEALERSHIP 1-20-19 FOR EXACT SAME ISSUE THAT I HAVE HAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 YEARS, FOUND WATER IN VEHICLE SAME AREA 2 DAYS LATER.IN THE APPROXIMATELY LAST 5 YEARS I HAVE HAD 2 CASES OPENED WITH "FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER"AS DESCRIBED IN THE MANUAL THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE PLUS FILED A CLAIM WITH BBB WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT I WOULD NEVER GET OFF OF THE MERRY-GO-ROUND WITH FORD.BBB TURNED ME DOWN BASE ON TOO MANY MILES ON VEHICLE WHICH REMEMBER IS NOT A MECHANICAL ISSUE BUT A WEATHER DEPENDENT ISSUE.I COULD HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP DOZEN OF TIMES DURING THIS PERIOD BUT BECAUSE OF INCONVENIENCE WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND WORKING 12 HOUR SHIFT WORK IT WAS JUST IMPRACTICABLE.ALL ISSUES WITH WATER INSIDE OF VEHICLE WAS WHEN I CHECKED IT AFTER IT WAS PARKED AND OF COURSE WITH RAIN OR MELTED SNOW INVOLVED AND ON A CITY STREET.

WHEN IT RAINS, WATER POURS IN FROM DRIVER SIDE 3RD ROW SEAT BELT. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON FORD EXPLORERS DUE TO POOR WELDING ISSUES, YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT FUTURE MOLD AND MILDEW ISSUES IN THE CAR. I DRIVE AROUND 3 YOUNG CHILDREN AND DO NOT WANT ANY HEALTH ISSUES BECAUSE OF THIS FLAW. FORD NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ISSUE A RECALL SO IT CAN BE FIXED. I DO NOT HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THEIR WELDING MISTAKES.

NOTICED WATER LEAK COMING OUT OF SEAT BELT HARNESS AREA IN THIRD ROW. WATER LEAK IS CAUSING ENTIRE AREA TO BECOME WET IN THIRD ROW. MILDEW SMELL IS NOW PRESENT. AFRAID THERE MAY BE MOLD GROWTH CAUSING HEALTH ISSUES. I PUT TOWELS AROUND THE SEATBELT TO CATCH WATER AND THEY ARE SOAKED WHEN I CHANGE THEM OUT. RAIN WATER COMES LEAKED ON WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED OR WHILE IN MOTION. I AM NOT AWARE OF WHERE THE LEAK IS STARTING OR HOW TO FIX.

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, NO PREVIOUS ISSUES NOTICED. TRIED TO LATCH SEAT BELT BEFORE DRIVING AND LATCH WILL NOT HOLD BUCKLE IN PLACE TO SECURE SEAT BELT FOR DRIVER.

BOTH OF MY REMOTE CONTROLS ARE NOT WORKING AT ALL AND HAVE TO BE PUTTING THE CONTROL IN THE LITTLE BOX TO GET MY VEHICLE STARTED AND CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES ARE PRESENT SO I STOP DRIVING MY VEHICLE FOR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS OF THE SMELL.

PASSENGER FRONT AND DRIVER BACK SEAT BELTS WILL NOT EXTEND

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT EXTEND

THE BUCKLE FOR BOTH INFLATABLE SEATBELTS IN THE SECOND ROW SEAT HAVE BROKEN A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES. ONCE THE BUCKLE CRUMBLED INTO MANY PIECES IN MY DAUGHTER'S HAND, ON BOTH BELTS A PROTECTIVE PLASTIC COVER HAS FALLEN OFF, AND NOW ONE OF THE BELTS GETS STUCK OCCASIONALLY IN THE BUCKLE. ALSO THE MIDDLE BELT LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT UNROLL. SO A TOTAL OF 5 ISSUES WITH ONE ROW OF BELTS AND BUCKLES. THIS IS THE ROW MY CHILDREN SIT IN. I REQUESTED FORD TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE BACK UNDER THE CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW AND THEY DENIED IT! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SECOND ROW PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO UN-LATCH WHEN OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE OTHER TWO REAR SEATS WERE NOT IN A FULLY RECLINED POSITION. THE DOWNWARD POSITIONING OF THE TWO SEATS COVERED THE SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200. UPDATED 10/26/12 *CN