2016 Ford Transit Seat Belts

ONE OF THE REAR SEATBELTS WILL NOT LATCH, RENDERING THAT SEAT UNUSABLE. THERE IS ALREADY A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE MADE AT THE SAME ASSEMBLY PLANT, ASSEMBLED DURING THE LISTED TIME PERIOD, YET MY VEHICLE DOES NOT SHOW THAT IT IS COVERED BY THIS RECALL. THE DESCRIPTION IN THAT RECALL MATCHES EXACTLY THE PROBLEM THAT I AM EXPERIENCING. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CALL FORD MOTOR COMPANY, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS RESULTED IN BEING HUNG UP ON DESPITE THIS OCURRING DURING THEIR LISTED BUSINESS HOURS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD TRANSIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TWO SEAT BELTS LOCATED IN THE LAST ROW OF THE TWELVE PASSENGER VAN FAILED TO LATCH. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO COUGHLIN FORD OF CIRCLEVILLE (24001 US-23, CIRCLEVILLE, OH 43113) TO BE SERVICED FOR ANOTHER RECALL. WHILE AT THE DEALER, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE ISSUES WITH THE SEAT BELTS AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO WHETHER THE SEAT BELTS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V111000 (SEAT BELTS) WHICH HE LINKED TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CALLED BACK THE SAME DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER BUT EACH TIME THE CONTACT WAS PLACED ON AN EXTENDED HOLD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,200.

REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS CONSTANTLY BINDING UP AND BECOMING TOTALLY UNUSABLE THESE VANS ARE USED FOR SPECIAL NEEDS INDIVIDUALS- THESE ARE INSTALLED STATIONARY PRIOR THE VEHICLE MOVING OR AFTER UNIT IS PARKED

AFTER ARRIVING HOME IN OUR 2016 FORD TRANSIT VAN, WE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND PLACED THE TRANSMISSION INTO THE PARK POSITION AND SET THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. OUR FAMILY OPENED THE DOORS AND PROCEEDED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. OUR FOUR YEAR OLD SON, HOWEVER, HAD UNBUCKLED AND TWISTED AROUND IN HIS SEAT SUCH THAT HE BECAME TRAPPED IN HIS SEAT BELT. THE MORE HE STRUGGLED TO GET FREE THE MORE IT RATCHETED TIGHT... TO THE POINT THAT HE COULDN'T BREATH. DESPITE US TRYING EVERYTHING TO FREE HIM, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE HIM. FEARING THAT HE WAS IN REAL MEDICAL DANGER, I CUT HIM FREE THEREBY RENDERING THAT SEAT BELT UNUSABLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE SEAT BELTS ARE DEFECTIVE IN THAT THEY FAILED TO RELEASE PROPERLY WHEN THE VAN WAS PLACED IN PARK AND THE DOORS WERE OPENED.

SEAT BELT LATCH FAILURE. THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE SEAT BELT LATCH RECEIVER DETACHES FROM THE ASSEMBLY DURING NORMAL USE. THIS RENDERS THE SEAT BELT UNABLE TO LATCH COMPLETELY, AND RENDERS THE SEAT BELT INOPERABLE. THE PASSENGER MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THE LATCH IS NOT SECURED. THIS WAS NOTED ON TWO SEPARATE BELTS IN THE REAR SEATS OF A RENTED 12-PASSENGER TRANSIT. BASED ON MY INTERVIEW WITH THE PASSENGER, IT MOST LIKELY OCCURRED BY SITTING ON THE LOWER RECEIVER WHILE HAVING A MOBILE PHONE IN THEIR BACK PANTS POCKET. ON ONE OCCASION, THE PASSENGER STATED SHE HEARD A "CRACK" OR "POP." IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE LESS THAN 150 LBS. THE PLASTIC COVERS DID NOT COMPLETELY FAIL, BUT WERE SHIFTED TOWARDS THE ANCHOR OF THE LOWER ASSEMBLY. THIS DID CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE PASSENGER WAS UNPROTECTED.