ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A POST WITHIN THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVERS COULD FRACTURE
— Recall Campaign #03V507000
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.
The recall was influenced by the Office of Defects Investigation with about 132,243 units affected.
NHTSA Safety Recall Notice
03V507000
| Manufacturer: | Ford Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Recall date: | December 05, 2003 |
| NHTSA Campaign #: | 03V507000 |
| Units affected: | 132,243 |
- Description:
- 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.
- Consequeces:
- IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
- Corrective action:
- DEALERS WILL HAVE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVER REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SERVICE BUCKLE COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 2, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
- Notes:
- FORD RECALL NO. 03S10.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).