2002 Ford Escape Seat Belts Problems

THE FRONT SIDE HARNESS SEATBELT FELL APART. ONLY THE LAP BELT RESTRAINT WORKS NOW. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, NOTICED THE HARNESS FELT VERY LOOSE, ONCE ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, WENT TO UNFASTENED THE SEAT BELT AND IT FELL APART IN MY HANDS, THE ENDS ARE FRAILTY LIKE IT BECAME UNSEWN. IT APPEARS TO HAVE COME UNRAVELED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST AROUND $300 TO REPAIR. *TR

SEAT BELT RETRACTORS DON'T WORK ON BOTH SIDE[WEAK [RETURN][SPRINGS CAUSING DOORS NOT TO SHUT WHEN EXITING VEHICLE METAL CONNECTOR BLOCKS AND DAMAGES DOOR LOCK MECHANISM AND PUNCHING LARGE HOLES IN WEATHER STRIPS I'VE REPLACED TWICE ON EACH SIDE. A RECALL ON THE SEAT BELTS RETURNS SHOULD BE ISSUED. THIS PROBLEM CHEWS UP THE SEAT BELT CONNECTION METAL AND DOOR LOCK MECHANISM WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY STOP WORKING AFTER REPEATED CLOSURES. SOME ONE COULD THEN FALL OUT OF THERE CAR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE SEAT BELT THAT HOLDS MY CHILD"S CAR SEAT IN PLACE BECOMES UNDONE. I HAD THE CAR SEAT INSTALLED BY A CERTIFIED CAR SEAT SAFETY SPECIALIST PRIOR TO GIVING BIRTH. THE SEAT BELT HAS COME UNDONE TWICE WITHIN 3 MONTHS WHILE MY BABY WAS IN THE SEAT. BOTH TIMES I LOOKED BACK IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SEE THE ENTIRE CAR SEAT LEANING OVER. IF MY 3 MONTH OLD BABY WASN'T STRAPPED IN HE WOULD HAVE FALLEN OUT. *JB

2002 ESCAPE ENGINE ACCELERATES WHILE DRIVING. *TS CONSUMER WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL NOTICE (04V574000) AND REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE PROBLEM RESURFACED AGAIN IN MARCH 2006. THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WHICH WAS REPLACED IN FEB 2005 WAS ONLY UNDER WARRANTY FOR 1 YEAR/12000 MILES. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP ADVISED THE CONSUMER THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR. THE SEAT BELTS LOCKED UP WHEN IN USE. *JB

2002 FORD ESCAPE ACCELERATES WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL NOTICE (04V574000) AND REPAIRS WERE MADE. PROBLEM RESURFACED AGAIN IN MARCH 2006.*KB THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WHICH WAS REPLACED FEB 2005 WAS ONLY UNDER WARRANTY FOR 1 YEAR/12000 MILES. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP ADVISED THE CONSUMER THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR. THE SEAT BELTS LOCKED UP WHEN IN USE. *NM UPDATED 09/11/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING A PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SEATBELT HARNESS. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED.

I HAVE A 2002 FORD ESCAPE XLT WITH APPOXAMATELY 48000 MILES ON IT. I FEEL THAT I NEED TO BRING TO SOMEONES ATTENTION WHAT I HAVE LEARN AT MY LOCAL FORD AUTHORIZED SEVICE FACILITY (PUTNAM LINCOLN-MERCURY) ABOUT THE PRETENSIONERS. I MUST NOTE THAT THE VEHICLE HAD RECENTLY HIT IN THE REAR BUMPER CAUSING VERY MINIMAL DAMAGE AND NOT CAUSING THE AIRBAGS OR PRETENSIONERS TO GO OFF. HOWEVER, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS ON A 400 MILE TRIP AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK ON AND OFF, FLICKERING OFTEN TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIIP UPON MY RETURN HOME FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT IT IS DUE TO BAD PRETENSIONERS, A PART OF THE SEATBELT, FOR BOTH FRONT SEATS AND ALSO THE HARNESS(S) NEED REPLACEMENT AS WELL. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMEN PROBLEM AND THAT FORD EVEN HAS A KIT FOR IT. THE PRICE THAT WAS QUOTED TO PROPERLY REPAIR THE PROBLEM WAS $460 PLUS TAX. THAT IS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ANYONE, ESPECIALLY SINCE ITS SUCH A NEW CAR. I AM A CONCERNED THAT NOT REPAIRING IT COULD BE BAD IF THE CAR IS EVER INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE TECHNICIAN TELLS ME THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND FORD HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL. I AM TOLD THAT THIS MAYBE DUE TO MOST ESCAPES ARE STILL UNDER WARRENTY AND HASN'T COME TO LIGHT YET AS MOST PEOPLE HAVEN'T HAD TO PAY FOR IT. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO ONE HURT. THE ONLY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE IS THAT I WILL BE ABOUT $500 POORER AFTER GETTING IT REPAIRED. THE REPAIR WAS QUOTED $460 PLUS TAX (9.38%). THE REPAIR IS SUPPOSED TO CONSIST OF 2 KITS, DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE PRETENSIONER KITS. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IT MAY NEED NEW SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES, NOT INCLUDED IN THE QUOTE, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE NESSICARY. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO SAID THAT THE MILD REAR IMPACT HAD NO EFFECT ON THESE GOING BAD.

CONSUMER STATES AFTER TESTING THE SHOULDER HARNESSES, THE FRONT HARNESS CAME OUT OF THE WALL WHILE INSTALLING STRESS TEST EQUIPMENT WITH ONLY THE TENSION TAKEN OUT OF THE CHAIN, THERE WAS NEVER A PULL APPLIED TO THE HARNESS, THE CENTER HARNESS HAD PREVIOUSLY CAME OUT OF THE VAN AND THE BRACKET HOLDING THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY PULLED OUT OF THE WALL, CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE UNIT WAS ATTACHED WITH AN ALUMINUM ANCHOR AND ONLY THROUGH THE FIBERGLASS WALL OF THE VAN, THAT IS WHY THE TESTS WERE BEING COMPILED. THE SEATS THAT WERE INSTALLED WERE WRONG. THESE ARE FORD VANS USED TO TRANSPORT ELDERLY AND DISABLED PERSONS. *SLC