Problems · by component

2001 Ford Escape seat belts problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Escape cite seat belts, 3% of all 1,027 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
30
3% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the seat belts

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I put money down on the vehicle the next day when I drove it I noticed that the seat belt doesn’t work. I told him about it and he told me to se if it stays clicked on the passenger side. It does but I couldn’t drive that way it was choking me. He said he would put a new one in it but never did. I have gone there several times a week and several times in a day for a couple of weeks. It has airbags or they don’t work. Because the light will flash a bunch of times and then stay on. I can’t drive it because there are no safety devices to keep me from being killed in the event of an accident. I would like help getting my down payment back so I can get a road worthy vehicle. I have spent all if this time trying to find away to get my money back. I have lost almost all of my clients due to not having reliable transportation to get to my the homes to clean them.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 25, 2026Air bags, Seat beltsODI 11739858
“AFTER STARTING THE CAR, THE DASH LIGHT FOR AIRBAG/SEATBELTS FLASHES CONTINUOUSLY OR FLASHES AND THEN STAYS LIT. WAS TOLD THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE AND WAS A WIRING/SENSOR ISSUE WITH THE SEATBELTS. ASSURED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SEATBELT OR AIRBAG. THIS WAS INTERMITTENT IN LATE 2016 AND BECAME CONTINUOUS BY JUNE 2017. AS THIS NOW HAPPENS CONTINUOUSLY, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHEN OR IF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR AIRBAG OR SEATBELT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2017Seat beltsODI 11018924
“I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIGHWAY SPEED MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT. I REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN THE ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELT PRE-TENSIONER (OR RETRACTOR) DID NOT LOCK THE BELT IN POSITION. WHEN I UNBUCKLED AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE BELT RETRACTED BACK INTO THE SIDE PANEL.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 1, 2017Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 10948917
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED INTO ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CUTS AND BRUISES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WEBBING WOULD SEIZE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO EXTEND THE SEAT BELT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/14/12*LJ UPDATED 11/15/12”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 3, 2012Air bags, Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 10478452
“IN NOV. OF 2006, I TOOK MY 2001 FORD ESCAPE TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE MY RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SEATBELT WAS TWISTING AND WAS NOT RETRACTING. MY CHILD'S BOOSTER SEAT WAS HELD WITH THIS BELT AND WAS NOT WORKING. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT DUE TO A FLAW, CONDENSATION WAS ABLE TO GET INSIDE AND THAT IT HAD CAUSED AN INTERNAL SPRING TO RUST AND BREAK. THEY TOLD ME THAT IN 2002 + MODELS, IT WAS REDESIGNED AND THAT COIL OR SPRING IS NOW PROTECTED WITH A PROTECTIVE COVERING. I CALLED FORD MOTOR CORP AND THEY COVERED THE REPAIR AND I HAD TO PAY A $75.00 DEDUCTIBLE. NOW 13 MONTHS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM HAD RE- OCCURRED. THIS TIME FORD MOTOR CORP. SAYS THEY WILL NOT COVER IT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I AGAIN REMINDED THEM THAT THIS FAULTY SEATBELT IS BEING USED TO SECURE MY SEVEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER'S BOOSTER SEAT AND IT TERRIFIES ME TO THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER IF I WAS IN A SERIOUS COLLISION. FORD DID HAVE A SAFETY SEATBELT RECALL ON A FRONT SEATBELT LATCH AND I COMPLIED AND I THINK THAT WAS IN 2004. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS THE PROPENSITY TO LEAD TO A SERIOUS INJURY IF IT IS NOT RESOLVED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 6, 2008Suspension, Seat belts, StructureODI 10217068
“I WAS WRITING THIS FOR MY SISTER WHO IS NO LONGER HERE. SHE DROVE A 2001 FORD ESCAPE GOING 60 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF HER STOPPED AND SHE REAR ENDED THEM. HER CAR FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES AND SHE WAS EJECTED. ALTHOUGH THE STATE TROOPERS SAID SHE WASN'T WEARING HER SEAT BELT SHE CLEARLY HAD A 2" BY 4" ABRASION ON HER LEFT SHOULDER EXACTLY THE SIZE AND LOCATION THAT HER SEAT BELT WOULD HAVE BEEN. THE SUV WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, NOT A PANEL ON IT WASN'T SMASHED - AND YET THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. IT WAS SO BAD THAT I WENT BY THE ACCIDENT AND DIDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THE CAR UNTIL A POLICE OFFICER CALLED OUR HOUSE AND TOLD US ABOUT THE ACCIDENT AND LOCATION. MY SISTER WAS 22 YEARS OLD WITH A HUSBAND AND A DAUGHTER AND NOW SHE IS NO LONGER HERE. I REALIZE THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE SEAT BELT, WE GOT A LETTER 2 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL WAS 2 YEARS BEFORE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THE AIRBAGS THOUGH. R.I.P. AMANDA WHITMORE.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 12, 2007Air bags, Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 10196164

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Seat belts: buckle assembly

Free remedy

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A POST WITHIN THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVERS COULD FRACTURE, WHICH COULD AFFECT LATCH FUNCTION, RESULTING IN EITHER A "NO LATCH" OR "PARTIAL LATCH" CONDITION. IN THE "PARTIAL LATCH" CONDITION, THE BUCKLE TONGUE CAN BE INSERTED INTO THE BUCKLE AND APPEAR TO BE ENGAGED, BUT WILL RELEASE FROM THE BUCKLE WITHOUT THE PUSH BUTTON BEING DEPRESSED WHEN A RELATIVELY LOW LOAD IS APPLIED, SUCH AS WHEN AN OCCUPANT MOVES SLIGHTLY IN THE SEAT.

Seat beltsReported Dec 5, 2003NHTSA 03V507000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.