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moderate 13 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $500 · see seatbelts across all vehicles →
Vehicles with seat belt buckles that are not properly secured may fail to restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Owners report two categories of active failures and one category tied to a pending recall. In the first category, seat belt retraction and restraint are failing: a driver-side belt failed to retract properly and hung loose at 49,000 miles, and a passenger-side buckle unlatched itself at 62 mph (approximately 64,000 miles), then unlatched again when re-fastened. A middle-row passenger-side belt randomly unbuckles during driving, and one passenger-side retractor is completely inoperable, leaving the Ford dealer to source a replacement that's now back-ordered.
In the second category, owners have received NHTSA Recall 25V093000 notices for improperly torqued seat restraint fasteners. Multiple complainants report that Ford has not released the repair parts despite recall notifications and dealer requests, with owners stating the manufacturer has exceeded a reasonable timeframe.
Additionally, owners report a second-row bucket seat that randomly disengages and slides forward while driving—a condition matching Ford Recall 25S67, though some VINs are not yet included. One owner also notes that the automatic shift-to-park function fails when using a seat belt extender, a compatibility issue he was not informed of when purchasing the vehicle.
Same Ford Explorer seatbelts reports on nearby years: 2017
Driver's side seat belt did not fully retract upon exiting the vehicle, then hung loose without proper restraining tension when fastened. Owner reported the belt provided little to no actual restraint during driving.
When: 49,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt does not fully retract; Seat belt hangs loose when fastened; Inadequate or no restraining tension
Passenger-side front seat belt unlatched itself while vehicle was moving at 62 mph without passenger input. When re-buckled, the failure recurred. Dealer diagnosed the seat latch needed replacement, but repair was not completed.
When: Approximately 64,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt unlatches without passenger input while driving; Failure recurs after re-buckling
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosis: seat latch replacement needed
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer referred contact to NHTSA Hotline
Middle row passenger-side seat belt unbuckles randomly while driving. Dealership confirmed it is a safety concern and agreed to repair it, though no specific recall exists for this issue.
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt unbuckles randomly during driving; Buckle does not remain fastened
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership repair being scheduled
Passenger-side seat belt retractor is inoperable, making safe passenger occupancy impossible. Ford has the part on back order with no availability timeline.
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt retractor does not function; Inability to safely restrain passenger
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement retractor on back order from Ford
Recall 25V093000 addresses improperly torqued seat restraint fasteners that may not effectively restrain occupants during a crash. Multiple owners report the recall repair parts have not been released by Ford despite receiving recall notices and requests for service. Owners report Ford has exceeded a reasonable timeframe for providing parts.
Symptoms owners cite: Received recall notice 25V093000; Unable to schedule recall repair
Repairs/costs cited: Parts unavailable; VIN tool confirms lack of parts availability
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 25V093000 issued; parts not yet available; manufacturer referred some contacts to NHTSA Hotline
Second-row bucket seat randomly disengages and folds or slides forward while driving. The top button that controls this fold function appears stuck in the down position. Owner reports this matches the condition described in Ford Recall 25S67, but their VIN is not yet included in that recall.
Symptoms owners cite: Seat disengages and folds forward randomly; Seat button stuck in down position; Occurs while driving
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 25S67 exists but does not yet include owner's VIN
The knob shifter's automatic shift-to-park function does not operate correctly when the driver uses a seat belt extender. The system works normally without an extender. Owner reports drivers are not made aware of this compatibility issue.
Symptoms owners cite: Automatic shift-to-park fails with seat belt extender in use; System functions normally without extender
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 13 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
Based on the 13 complaints filed, seatbelts issues most often appear around 41,667 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
Independent shops typically charge around $500 for seatbelts repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover seatbelts issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.