2003 Ford Focus Seat Belts Problems

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS COMING TO PIECES. IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING IS CHEWING ON IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND RETRACTOR WAS INOPERABLE. THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

THE LEFT REAR SEATBELT SHOULDER STRAP HARNESS CAUSED MY PASSENGER, A YOUNG CHILD, TO ALMOST BE STRANGLED, LEAVING MARKS AND BRUISES TO THE NECK. CHILD WAS UNABLE TO UNBUCKLE SEAT BELT ON THE RIGHT HE PULLED WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE PART OF THE SEATBELT THAT CROSSED OVER HIS NECK, TO GET OUT, THE TENSION ON SEATBELT RELEASED, AND STRETCHED AS HE TURNED TO THE LEFT AND THEN TIGHTENED UP, THE SEATBELT HAD TO BE CUT TO SAVE HIM. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT IS STUCK AND WILL NOT MOVE, CAN NOT PUT SEAT BELT ON TO DRIVE. PULLED ON BELT IT WILL NOT BUDGE.

MY DRIVER'S SEATBELT IS NOT PROPERLY CLICKING SHUT, SO THE SEATBELT IS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND 3 OUT OF 5 OF MY SEAT BELTS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. MY PASSENGER SEAT BELT SOMETIMES HAS TO BE RIPPED OUT IN ORDER FOR IT TO COME UNBUCKLED WHICH COULD LEAD TO SOMEONE DYING IF THEY CANNOT UNBUCKLE AFTER A CRASH. TWO OF MY BACK SEAT BELTS WILL NOT BUCKLE AT ALL. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM FIXED. I HOWEVER FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY SHOULD FIX IT. I HAVE ALSO SEEN ONLINE THAT OTHERS HAVE THESE SAME SEAT BELT ISSUES. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AT LEAST A YEAR. THANKFULLY THERE HAVE BEEN NO WRECKS YET SO NO ONE WAS STUCK IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BUT I AM VERY FEARFUL OF THIS HAPPENING. I HAVE EVEN TRIED CLEANING OUT THE BUCKLES AND IT DID NOT WORK AT ALL. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCKS AGAINST THE PASSENGER AND DOES NOT ALLOW SLOW GENTLE MOVEMENT IN A NON-CRASH ENVIRONMENT. THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT BELT WORKS FINE AND LIKE NORMAL. HAVE BEEN TO ORIGINATING DEALER TWICE TO CORRECT - NO CHANGE IN OPERATION. SAFETY DEFECT AS CRUSHING LOAD CAUSES PASSENGER TO HOLD BELT PHYSICALLY OUT WHEN SEATED OR OTHERWISE DEFEATING BELTING ARRANGEMENT. *NM

TRIED TO PUT ON DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT AND FOUND IT TO BE LOCKED IN PLACE. FULL SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SEAT BELT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY ALL OF THE TIME. SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT BUCKLE, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT UNBUCKLE. THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT IT TWICE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE REAR SEAT BELT BECAUSE THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THIS APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS AGO.*AK

FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE CUTTING INTO THE PILAR MOLDING. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE MOLDING HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN TWO YEARS. FORD STATES THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO OTHER FORD EXPLORERS IN PARKING LOTS AND SEE THAT IT IS HAPPENING IN MOST OF THE VEHICLES. MY FEAR IS THAT THERE IS NOT A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THIS DEFECT. BY CUTTING INTO THE MOLDING, THE SEAT BELT COULD GET STUCK AND NOT WORK PROPERLY IN AN ACCIDENT, ETC.

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SECOND ROW MIDDLE SEAT BELT BUCKLE BECAME UNLATCHED WHEN DRIVER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES CAUSING THE CHILD SEAT TO BE TRHOWN INTO THE BACK OF FRONT SEAT .*AK

REAR SEAT BELT FOR THE MIDDLE SEAT IN A 2003 FORD ZX2. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD INSTALL THE SEAT BELT BUT IT WOULD VOID MY WARRANTY AND WOULD BE VERY COSTLY. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME THE SAME THING. *JB