2002 Ford F-150 Seat Belts

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE UNLATCHES SPONTANEOUSLY. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE THAT DESCRIBE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELTS IN THIS TRUCK MODEL. UNBELIEVABLY, FORD WILL NOT REPAIR THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AT IT'S EXPENSE. I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN OFFICIAL RECALL OF THESE VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE JUST PURCHASED THIS USED VEHICLE, AND UPON INITIAL INSPECTION IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT THERE ARE 2 SEATBELTS IN THE VEHICLE THAT ARE FAULTY AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE PREVIOUS OWNER INDICATED THAT THE DRIVER SEATBELT HAD PREVIOUSLY RELEASED DURING NORMAL OPERATION WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BUTTON ON THE BUCKLE. IN MY INSPECTION, I OBSERVED THAT THE SEATBELT BUCKLE'S BUTTON WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY RELEASE AFTER BEING PRESSED. IT APPEARS THAT THE SPRING IS TOO WEAK TO FORCE THE BUTTON UP TO ENGAGE THE CLASP IN THE BUCKLE. IN SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT SEATBELT, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM BEING TALKED ABOUT IN DISCUSSION BOARDS ONLINE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS ITEM IS OUT OF WARRANTY. AS I PREPARE TO REPLACE THE BUCKLE, I AM HESITANT TO REPLACE WITH ANOTHER OEM PART SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE ONLINE. I PLAN TO SEARCH FOR AN AFTERMARKET PART, BUT WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. IS FORD AND THE NHTSA AWARE OF THIS ISSUE? WHAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR REPLACING THE FAULTY SEATBELTS IN THIS VEHICLE? *TR

DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT UNLATCHED WITHOUT DEPRESSING BUTTON. USUALLY I TURN MALE END OVER TO AVOID. PROBLEM. HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE 2009 90000 MI. *TR

DRIVERSIDE FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY LATCHED. COMES APART DURING DRIVING *TR

SEAT BELT BUCKLE - RECEIVER END INTERMITTENTLY RELEASES WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, WHEN COMING TO A SHORT STOP, OR MAKING A HARD RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. I CHECK EVERY TIME I AM IN VEHICLE THAT MY SEAT BELT IS SECURELY FASTENED AND IT IS, BUT I CAN BE DRIVING ALONG AND I HEAR A "CLICK" AND IT HAS RELEASED ON IT'S OWN. NOTHING IS PRESSING ON THE RED RELEASE BUTTON AND AREA IS KEPT CLEAR FOR THAT REASON. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY YESTERDAY AND WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED HAD TO STOP RAPIDLY. THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE RELEASED ON IT'S OWN AND I NEARLY SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE SPOKEN TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO STATES THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES HAVE A 50,000 MILE/5 YEAR WARRANTY AND, UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL, THEY WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF REPAIR. I HAVE READ ON FORD TRUCK FORUMS MANY REPORTS OF THIS OCCURRING TO OTHER OWNERS OF THIS YEAR AND MODEL, AND THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2001 SEAT BELT BUCKLES BUT NOT ON THE 2002. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THE DOT TO ISSUES A RECALL - EVEN 1 DEATH WOULD BE TOO MANY! MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD COST BETWEEN $150-$200 WITH LABOR TO REPLACE THE PART, BUT IF THE PART IS DEFECTIVE, I DON'T WANT THE SAME THING PUT IN THE VEHICLE! I SEE OTHERS COMPLAIN THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE SAME PART RESULTED IN A REPEAT OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AND MAKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECALL THESE DANGEROUS SEAT BELT BUCKLES! *TR

FORD F-150 SUPER CREW 2002. DRIVER SEAT BELT POPS OFF WHILE DRIVING. FREQUENCY IS INCREASING. NOTIFIED FORD DEALER AT 28,177 MILES AFTER SEVERAL OCCURRENCES. DEALER COULD NOT REPEAT PROBLEM AND DISMISSED ISSUE. SEAT BELT ISSUE INCREASING IN FREQUENCY. DEALER AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SAY SEAT BELT IS NOT UNDER RECALL AND WILL NOT PAY TO REPLACE. THERE IS A 2001 F-150 RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE -- SEAT BELT INTERMITTENTLY FAILING, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE 2002 MODELS. SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME FORD F-150 2002 MODEL HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE VOLUNTARILY REPAIRED WHEN FIRST DETECTED BY OWNER, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. INSTEAD, FORD CHOSE TO WRITE IT OFF AS NOT DEFECTIVE AND NOW WILL NOT REPLACE AT THEIR EXPENSE. DEFECTIVE SEATBELT PARTS WILL BE REPLACED AT OWNER COST AND PARTS WILL BE KEPT AS EVIDENCE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 F-150. HE STATED THAT ON JUNE 2, 2010, THE SEAT BELT FOR THE DRIVER SIDE AND THE MIDDLE SEAT FAILED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED AT HIS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 147,000.

MY FATHER OWNS A 2002 FORD F150 PICK-UP TRUCK. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT FREQUENTLY COMES UNDONE. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR RECALLS ON THIS BUT I HAVE FOUND NOTHING. WILL FORD PAY THE BILL TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THE SEAT BELTS COME UNDONE OFTEN ENOUGH IT IS MORE TROUBLE THAN IT IS WORTH TO PUT IT ON. I HAVE NO FAITH IN IT WORKING WHEN IT IS NEEDED. *TR

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MY PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BUCKLE TO THE SEAT BELT BECOMES UNSECURED WHILE TRAVELING. I TOOK IT TO THE LOGANVILLE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED ON THE ITEM. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WERE MADE ON THE NHTSA SITE, HOWEVER, NO RECALLS ARE NOTED. A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE 2001 FORD F150 AND SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDED 2002. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE DEATH OF A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

DRIVER'S SEATBELT SIMPLY DISCONNECTS ITSELF OFTEN WITHOUT EVEN BEING TOUCHED AT ALL, WHILE DRIVING! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F-150. THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT REMAIN LATCHED INTO THE BUCKLE. THE DRIVER-SIDE SEAT BELT AND BUCKLE WERE REPLACED AT AN EXPENSE OF $53.00. AFTER THE SEAT BELT AND BUCKLE WERE REPLACED, THE FRONT SEAT BELT FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS POP OPEN DURING RIDE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS UNFASTENED APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. FORD STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVER 50,000 MILES AND NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT BE OF ASSISTANCE. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, PURCHASE DATE, AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY, MY DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT POPS OPEN WHILE DRIVING. MY CONCERNS HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS AT THE DEALERSHIPS. NUMEROUS FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND WORK ASSOCIATES HAVE WITNESSED THIS HAPPENING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A LOT OF OTHER FORD OWNERS THAT THEIR DRIVER SIDE SEATBELTS IN THEIR TRUCKS AND SUVS DO THE SAME THING. WHY HAVE THEY NOT MADE AN EFFORT TO FIX THIS SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY DEFECT? *JB UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB UPDATED *JB

THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT HAS OCCURRED SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2002 FORD F-150 SPORT NEW. MY DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT UNBUCKLES ON ITS OWN AS I DRIVE. I HAVE WORN SEATBELTS SINCE THE LATE 1960'S AND DO NOT EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM IN THE OTHER 4 VEHICLES I DRIVE. IT IS TERRIFYING TO THINK THAT THE SEATBELT MAY NOT WORK IN A TIME OF EMERGENCY WHEN IT IS NEEDED. UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER SEEM TO THINK OF THIS PROBLEM WHEN I TAKE THE TRUCK IN FOR FORD DEALER SERVICE. I WILL MAKE A POINT TO DO SO NEXT TIME I AM IN FOR SERVICE. THIS EVENT HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN THE PAST WEEK. FOR NOW, I TUG ON THE SEATBELT WHEN I BUCKLE UP TO SEE IF THE BELT IS LOCKED OR I THINK IT IS LOCKED.

THE REAR PASSENGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE HAS BROKEN THROUGH NORMAL USE. THE DEALERSHIP STATES IT IS NOT COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS A RULING PERTAINING TO SAFETY BELTS THAT STATES ANY VEHICLE LESS THAN 7 YEARS OLD, THOSE SAFETY BELTS WOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *NM

PASSENGER SEAT BELT COMES UNLATCHED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED. SEAT BELT FEMALE END WILL NOT ALLOW MALE END TO CONNECT. VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SENT IN FOR REPAIRS.

CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED, AND THE FRONT SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER. THE DRIVER HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THE PASSENGER HIT HIS HEAD ON THE DASH. AMOUNT OF DAMAGE UNKNOWN. *JB

FRONT RIGHT SEAT BELT RELEASED FROM THE BUCKLE FOUR TIMES DURING A FORTY MILE TRIP ON 8/7/02, THIS HAD HAPPENED TWO TIMES BEFORE, BUT WE ARE UNABLE TO RECALL THE DATES. *AK

WHEN A TURN WAS MADE, THE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP. *JB

SHOULDER HARNESS EXTREEMLY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS. *AK