Ford Motor Company: Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 16, 2001 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,400,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND MINIVANS. EQUIPPED WITH SEAT BELTS SUPPLIED BY TRW. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DRIVER'S AND/OR FRONT PASSENGER'S OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLE MAY NOT FULLY LATCH. FORD CROWN VICTORIA BUILT AT ST. THOMAS ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 5/29/01 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS BUILT AT ST. THOMAS ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 5/29/01. LINCOLN TOWN CARS BUILT AT WIXOM ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 3/27/00 - 5/30/01. LINCOLN NAVIGATORS BUILT AT MICHIGAN TRUCK PLANT FROM 4/11/00 - 5/31/01. FORD WINDSTARS BUILT AT OAKVILLE ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 3/23/00 - 5/30/01. FORD RANGERS BUILT AT TWIN CITIES PLANT FROM 3/28/00 - 5/30/01, AND ALSO AT THE EDISON PLANT FROM 3/13/00 - 5/25/01. FORD F-150 TRUCK BUILT AT NORFOLK PLANT FROM 4/18/00 - 5/25/00; AT ONTARIO PLANT FROM 5/10/00 - 5/28/01; AT KANSAS CITY PLANT FROM 9/11/99 - 5/25/01; AND AT CUAUTITLAN PLANT FROM 5/16/00 - 6/9/01. FORD SUPER DUTY F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS BUILT AT KENTUCKY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 5/27/01; AND AT CUAUTITLAN PLANT FROM 5/16/00 - 6/19/01. FORD EXCURSIONS BUILT AT KENTUCKY PLANT FROM 4/17/00 - 10/2/00. FORD EXPEDITIONS BUILT AT MICHIGAN TRUCK PLANT FROM 4/11/00 - 5/31/01.
The risk
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE OCCUPANT PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLES AND IF THE BUCKLE FAILS THE INSPECTION PROCESS, IT WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 25, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
13 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Ford Crown Victoria | 53 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| 2001 Ford Excursion | 209 | 7 | 19 | 17 |
| 2001 Ford Expedition | 578 | 10 | 95 | 38 |
| 2001 Ford F-150 | 1,236 | 19 | 248 | 91 |
| 2001 Ford F-250 | 220 | 9 | 24 | 16 |
| 2001 Ford F-350 | 160 | 6 | 11 | 21 |
| 2001 Ford F-450 SD | 23 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 2001 Ford F-550 SD | 29 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 2001 Ford Ranger | 515 | 9 | 9 | 62 |
| 2001 Ford Windstar | 1,686 | 16 | 62 | 66 |
| 2001 Lincoln Navigator | 81 | 6 | 11 | 6 |
| 2001 Lincoln Town Car | 161 | 6 | 4 | 21 |
| 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis | 157 | 5 | 3 | 26 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 01V227001.
Full record for the 2001 Ford Crown Victoria → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →