Problems · by component
2014 Ford Explorer seat belts problems
28 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Explorer cite seat belts, 2% of all 1,684 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
28
2% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
What owners say about the seat belts
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“My drivers seat belt will only fasten at the perfect angle about 10% of the time or less. I called form to open a claim but they said it was a “wear and tear” item. I don’t think a SEATBELL is a negotiable.”
“JUST LAST YEAR, I STARTED NOTICING THAT BOTH OF MY FRONT SEATBELTS ARE NOT FULLY RETRACTING WHEN I AM BUCKLED OR UNBUCKLED. WHEN I UNBUCKLE MY SEATBELT, I HAVE TO MANUALLY RETRACTED BACK TO ITS POSITION. ALSO, WHEN I HAVE BOTH SEATBELTS BUCKLED, I HAVE TO MANUALLY RETRACTED IN ORDER TO SECURE MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AS THIS IS NOT SAFE ENOUGH INCASE OF AN ACCIDENT. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I HAVE IN MY VEHICLE IS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR PANEL COMING APART. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AS THIS IS CAUSING OBSTRUCTION OF THE RIGHT REAR VIEW MIRROR BY THE PASSENGER DOOR PANEL. ALSO, THE DRIVER DOOR PANEL HAS CAUSED SCRATCHES TO MY ARM WHILE DRIVING WHICH CAN CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO DISTRACTION.”
“The driver's side seat belt latch does not automatically latch when you put the seat belt into it. I have to press the release button to get it to latch. If I don't press the release button to latch it, the seat belt won't stay latched. The dealership said they can repair it for $700 but I don't feel that I should have to pay for a safety device that is supposed to work especially since it has not been modified or damaged in any way.”
“The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after routine maintenance at a local independent mechanic, the second-row seat belt warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact attempted to buckle the rear second-row driver’s side passenger’s seat belt; however, the warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed and DTC: B141B-13; was retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21B11; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.”
“Ford explorer had known issues with connectors under the rear passenger seats which they did a recall for certain VIN numbers. They said it only effected certain VPN which were from a specific factory in Chicago I have the same issue and my VIN is not listed and Ford and the dealership will not do anything to help fix the problem. If I pay out of pocket they want 500 dollars to fix it. The issue is Certain 2014-2016 Model Year Explorer Vehicles 2nd Row Inflatable Seat Belt - In all of the affected vehicles, the air bag light may illuminate as a result of a worn or damaged connection to the rear inflatable seat belt connector and if the light is on that means the air bags will not work.”
“The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the air bag warning light was blinking off and on. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the vehicle needed to be taken to a dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the second-row seat belt harnesses had an electrical issue which was preventing the air bags from functioning as needed in the rear seat harnesses and the passenger and driver's frontal air bags. The dealer referenced Technical Service Bulletin Number: 16-0001 as a possible fix to repair the vehicle. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair but declined to pay for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.”
Showing 6 of 28 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.