1996 Ford Escort

THREE SEAT BELTS OF 5 IN MY 1996 FORD ESCORT DO NOT WORK. THE SPRINGS OF THE SHOULDER HARNESS OF THE TWO REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT WORK. THE ESCORT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT FORD REFUSED TO FIX WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL COST FOR THE PARTS BECAUSE SEAT BELTS WERE NO LONGER COVERED. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS MOTOR DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, CAUSING THE SHOULDER HARNESS TO NOT BE IN A SAFE POSITION. NO INJURIES AT THIS POINT. IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT PASSENGERS AND DRIVER WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY PROTECTED BY SEAT BELTS. INCIDENT DATE BELOW IS APPROXIMATE DATE REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED. *JB

I DO NOT HAVE ANY EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONSISTED OF MY SEAT BACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SNAPPING AT THE BASE. AFTER PULLING THE SEAT COVER OFF I NOTICED THAT THE STAINLESS STEEL FRAME ON THE SEAT COMPLETELY BROKE/SNAPPED ALLOWING THE SEAT TO FALL BACK UNCONTROLLABLY. I WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME AND ALMOST WRECKED. I REPLACED THE SEAT WITH A LIKE SEAT FROM A USED VEHICLE. *NM

WE ARE THE OWNERS OF A 1996 FORD ESCORT WAGON VIN: [XXX]. WE HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. WE ARE WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE LAP SHOULDER SAFETY BELTS IN THE REAR SEAT ON BOTH SIDES. BOTH OF THE REAR LAP SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR MECHANISMS HAVE FAILED WITHIN A SHORT TIME OF EACH OTHER. THIS MEANS THE SEAT BELTS WILL NO LONGER RETRACT OR PULL TIGHT WHEN SOMEONE TRIES TO USE THE REAR SEAT BELTS. THE REASON WE FEEL COMPELLED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS FAILURE IS THAT UNTIL AROUND 9 MONTHS AGO, WE RARELY (A HANDFUL OF TIMES AT THE MOST) USED THE REAR LAP SHOULDER SEAT BELTS. IN AUGUST 2004 WE SWITCHED OUR SON'S CAR SEAT OVER TO A BOOSTER SEAT, MOVED THE SEAT FROM THE MIDDLE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND STARTED USING THE LAP SHOULDER SAFETY BELT. IN EARLY NOVEMBER WE WERE FORCED TO MOVE OUR SON'S BOOSTER SEAT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE BECAUSE THE DRIVER'S SIDE BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND WAS UNUSABLE. TODAY WE WERE DRIVING HOME IN OUR CAR WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD METALLIC NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR, AND WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR SON'S LAP SHOULDER SEAT BELT. WHEN WE STOPPED TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WE DISCOVERED THAT THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE LAP SHOULDER SEAT BELT HAD HAPPENED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE ONE AS WELL. SO, IN THE NINE MONTHS SINCE WE SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWO POINT SYSTEM ON OUR SON'S BOOSTER SEAT, WHERE THE SEAT BELT WAS REGULARLY DEPLOYED AND RETRACTED, THE RETRACTOR MECHANISM HAS BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SUSPICIOUSLY CONCURRENT EVENT. WE BELIEVE THE RETRACTOR MECHANISMS ON THE REAR SEAT BELTS WERE EITHER DEFECTIVE OR WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY WHEN OUR CAR WAS BUILT. BOTH MECHANISM BROKE WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS ON OUR SON, NOT WHILE WE WERE PUTTING ON THE SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT WAS ALREADY BUCKLED AND IN PLACE WHEN THEY FAILED. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MY 1996 FORD ESCORT'S DRIVER SIDE SHOULDER BELT WON'T MOVE TO THE LOCKED POSITION ON THE B-PILLAR. IT IS STUCK TOWARD THE REAR OF THE TRACK JUST PAST THE UPPER BEND IN THE TRACK. *AK I DISCONNECTED THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS FOLLOWING THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SHOULDER BELT WOULD NOT MOVE MANUALLY WHEN I USED THE EMERGENCY HANDLE TURNING IT CLOCKWISE. EVERYTHING I TRIED TO MOVE THIS INTO POSITION HAS NOT WORKED. I WENT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID IT ISN'T A RECALL ITEM BUT THE PERSON IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT SAID THE SHOULD HARNESS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH ESCORTS. HE DID NOT HAVE ALL OF THE PARTS IN STOCK. I WENT TO SEVERAL CAR REPAIR FACILITIES INCLUCING SUBURBAN FORD IN WATERFORD, MI. EVERYONE SAID THIS IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR BECAUSE THE INTERIOR BODY WOULD HAVE TO BE DISMANTLED TO GET TO THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. I ALSO SPENT A GOOD DEAL OF TIME ONLINE TONIGHT RESEARCHING WHETHER THIS SHOULDER BELT PROBLEM IS COMMON. BINGO. STUCK, STALLED, STICKING DRIVER SIDE SHOULDER RETSTRAINT COMPLAINTS ARE COMMON FOR THE 1996 FORD ESCORT. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND ESCORTS SHOULD BE RECALLED TO REPAIR THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WORK FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A MALFUNCTIONING OR NON-FUNCTIONING SHOULDER HARNESS DURING AN ACCIDENT COULD BE THE CAUSE OF DEATH OR SERIOUS DISABILITY. MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS I REVIEWED COMPLAINED THAT THE SHOULDER HARNESS WAS STUCK IN THE SAME POSITION MINE IS. THIS STINKS OF A DESIGN FLAW. HOW DO I GET FORD MOTOR TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND MAKE THIS REPAIR AT THEIR EXPENSE?

RIGHT BEFORE I WAS DUE FOR MY SAFETY INSPECTION, MY AUTOMATIC SAFETY BELT MECHANISM STOPPED WORKING, SO WHEN I WENT TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AT DOBBS AUTO CENTER, OF COURSE, IT DID NOT PASS BECAUSE OF THIS AND I HAD TO HAVE A NEW MOTOR INSTALLED AT A COST OF $363.77. EVEN THE GUY WHO INSPECTED IT SAID THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL BECAUSE OF SAFETY ISSUES AND THAT I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED. I CAN FAX YOU A COPY OF THE BILL IF NECESSARY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *JB