TRW Occupant Safety Systems: Seat Belts › Front
TRW Occupant Safety Systems reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 12, 2004 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 388. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
CERTAIN TRW DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS MANUFACTURED ON DECEMBER 6 AND 9, 2002, FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR 1997 FORD ESCORT 4-DOOR AND STATION WAGON PLATFORM VEHICLES, FORD'S P/N F7CZ54611B09AAC. THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES EXHIBIT A NO-LOCK CONDITION WHICH DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.
The risk
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT, WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
The remedy
TRW WILL NOTIFY THE CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 27, 2004.
14 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Ford Escort | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 Ford Escort | 33 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2002 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 Ford Escort | 68 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| 2001 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 Ford Escort | 98 | 2 | 2 | 22 |
| 2000 Mercury Tracer | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 Ford Escort | 325 | 2 | 11 | 79 |
| 1999 Mercury Tracer | 20 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1998 Ford Escort | 375 | 1 | 11 | 84 |
| 1998 Mercury Tracer | 44 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1997 Ford Escort | 543 | 2 | 83 | 67 |
| 1997 Mercury Tracer | 142 | 2 | 17 | 15 |
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 04E048000.
Full record for the 2003 Ford Escort → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →