2001 Ford Ranger Air Bags & Restraints Problems

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt would not latch properly. The contact also stated that the vehicle would hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator while driving at various speeds. The contact noticed that the temperature gauge would indicate the vehicle was hot once the hesitation started. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where both failures were linked to recalls. The mechanic linked the seat belt failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 01V227001 (Seat Belts) and the overheating failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V399000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The dealer was notified of both failures and informed her that the VIN was not included in either recall. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

PASSENGER SEATBELT RELEASES RANDOMLY FOR NO REASON.

THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT DOESN'T LATCH AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES SPORADICALLY. OCCASIONALLY FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP AND SOMETIMES IT GOES ON AND OFF THROUGHOUT THE TRIP, YET OTHER TIMES IT FUNCTIONS PROPERLY!

SEAT BELTS CONSTANTLY COMING UNBUCKLED. WHILE DRIVING AND STOPPED

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MY SEAT BELT POPS OUT RANDOMLY ANY PHASE OF DRIVING AFTER I LATCHED IT AND PULLED ON IT TO CHECK. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES NOW. *TR

I CAN'T BUCKLE MY SEATBELT. THE MECHANISM JAMES WHEN I ATTEMPT TO BUCKLE MY SEAT BELT.

THE DRIVER SEAT BELT BUCKLE UNEXPECTED UNLOCKS WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE.

"TAKATA RECALL" I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR-BAGS ON MY 2001 FORD RANGER EDGE 2WD EXTENDED CAB SMALL PICKUP TRUCK. I AM AFRAID THEY'RE AIR DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. COULD YOU PLEASE INFORM ME WHAT I NEED TO DO. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO DO *PM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER EV. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULD ERRONEOUSLY UNLOCK. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V227001 (SEAT BELTS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TO BEGIN WHEN I GOT THE TRUCK THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD NEVER GO OFF WHEN EVER I TURNED THEM ON AND OFF. WHICH MADE ME WONDER WEATHER THEY WERE EVER REALLY OFF AND CONSIDERING YOU CAN'T FIT A CAR SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT I HAD TO PUT IT IN THE FRONT SEAT. THEN WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF THE TRUCK WHILE SHE WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. HERE RECENTLY SHE WAS DRIVING AND SOME ONE STOPPED HER TO TELL HER THAT SOMETHING FELL OFF THE TRUCK ABOUT 2 FOOT LONG. SHE CALLED ME AND SAID THE TRUCK WAS STILL RUNNING SO I TOLD HER TO JUST TRY AND MAKE IT HOME AND I WOULD LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THAT SERIOUS. ONCE I STARTED LOOKING AT IT, A CANISTER HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE TRUCK BECAUSE THE FRAME BROKE IN HALF WHERE THE CANISTER WAS CONNECTED TO THE TRUCK BECAUSE THE TRUCK WAS SO ROTTED. SHE GOT THE TRUCK INSPECTED IN OCTOBER. I FEEL THAT THE DUDE THAT INSPECTED IT SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE FRAME ALMOST BROKE IN HALF. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS TRUCK I HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT PUT MONEY INTO IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DETACHED FROM THE BUCKLE WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RE-ATTACH THE SEAT BELT INTO THE BUCKLE, THE LATCH FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT AND SEAT BELT BUCKLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 017V227001 (SEAT BELTS) DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE FAILURE EXPERIENCED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 02/26/16*LJ UPDATED 03/14/16.*JB

BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS CAME UNLATCHED WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE INFORMED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER THEY HAD REPLACED THE BELTS WITH DEFECTIVE ONES THAT SPORADICALLY COME UNDONE WHILE DRIVING. CUSTOMER SERVICE INDICATED THAT THEY ARE NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AT THIS TIME. WHY ARE THEY NOT RESPONSIBLE TO REPLACE WITH ONES THAT WORK. IF I BUY NEW ONES, WILL THEY BE DEFECTIVE. CUSTOMER SERVICE COULD NOT RESPOND WITH AN ANSWER AND IS AVOIDING ANSWERING. *TR

AIRBAGS PARTIALLY DEPLOYED WHEN I STOPPED QUICKLY. THERE WAS NO CONTACT OR EXTERIOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BUCKLE COULD NOT BE SAFELY SECURED WITHOUT MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT EACH TIME THE SEAT BELT WAS USED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT SECURED AND ONCE THE ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE MANUALLY BY THE CONTACT THE WARNING SENSOR WOULD GO OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT BUCKLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15000.

SEATBELT UNLATCHES AT RANDOM. SEEMS TO BE MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE. *TR

CONSTANT PASSENGER AIRBAG ISSUES SINCE PURCHASE. AIRBAG LIGHTS ARE ON AND DEALER WILL NOT CORRECT ISSUE. CONCERNED DUE TO RECENT ISSUES WITH AIRBAGS ON PREVIOUS FORD RANGERS. *TR

NO ACCIDENT. MY COMPLAINT IS BOTH SEAT BELTS UNBUCKLE INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. I AM PAYING OUT OF MY OWN POCKET FOR THIS DEFAULT. THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP CLAIMS MY VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER DOES NOT APPLY TO THE RECALL...STATING BOTH BUCKLES WERE FIXED BEFORE THE TRUCK WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD. I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT THESE BELTS WERE REPLACED. THE COSTUMER SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT IS A COINCIDENCE... ?? I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FOR MY TEENAGE SON SO I AM HAVING THEM PUT IN TOMORROW. THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT ALONE IS $250.00 THE PASSENGER'S SEAT IS $185.00 AND LABOR $150.00. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF CARS/TRUCKS HAVING SEATBELT ISSUES...AND THEN TO BE SO COSTLY. JUST VERY DISAPPOINTED. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RECEIVER UNLATCHES SEEMINGLY AT RANDOM WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE RED BUTTON DOES NOT FULLY RETURN TO THE TOP OF THE UNIT WHICH MAY CAUSE THE UNLATCHING. BODILY INJURY COULD OCCUR IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL ON SOME 2001 FORD RANGERS FOR THE SAFETY BELT BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THERE IS NO OUTSTANDING RECALL OR PROGRAMS ON THIS UNIT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD, COMING UP TO A THIRD SPEED BUMP. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND MY ENGINE REVVED AND STARTED GOING FASTER. I HIT THE BRAKES AND MY TRUCK SPUN OUT, OFF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. THE SEAT BELT HARNESS DID NOT LOCK UP; THE SHOULDER STRAP STAYED LOOSE, AND MY HEAD WAS BEING HIT AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL. THEN, SOMEHOW I FELL OUT OF THE TRUCK. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. 05/17/13 I TOOK MY TRUCK IN TO GET THE RECALL FIXED, AND GET EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT. *TR

AT FAULT DRIVER TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 40 MPR. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP. TOTALED THE FRONT END OF MY 2001 RANGER. I SUFFERED BROKEN KNEECAP AND STERNUM. AIRBAGS DID NOT OPEN. RANGER TOWED .. *TR