NHTSA Investigation
EA96020
SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION
Key Takeaways
- Investigation EA96020 currently maps to 1 tracked vehicle-year page across 1 make.
- This page summarizes the public investigation subject, status, timing, and affected tracked vehicles linked from NHTSA source data.
- The linked component on this record is seat belts:front:anchorage.
- This investigation record also references recall campaign 96V256000.
What This Investigation Page Shows
This page summarizes a public NHTSA investigation record tied to one or more tracked vehicle-year pages in our database. Investigation records sit between owner complaints and recall campaigns: they can remain open, close without a recall, or connect to a later remedy action. Use this page to see which tracked vehicles are linked to the record, then open the individual vehicle pages for complaints, recalls, and crash test context.
Investigation Summary
FORD NOTIFIED ODI THAT THEY ARE CONDUCTING A RECALL TO INSPECT AND, AS NECESSARY, REPAIR THE SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE ATTACHMENTS ON 1997 FORD F150 VEHICLES BUILT FROM THE BEGINNING OF PRODUCTION THROUGH APRIL OF 1996.ODI'S DATABASE CONTAINS ONE COMPLAINT ALLEGING THE CENTER FRONT SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE WAS NOT BOLTED TO THE FLOOR.FORD HAS LOCATED 60 ADDITIONAL FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT APPEAR TO BE THE RESULT OF IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF OR MISSING SEAT BELT COMPONENTS ON VEHICLES BUILT AT BOTH THE KANSAS CITY AND NORFOLK ASSEMBLY PLANTS.COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT A SEAT BELT WAS NOT BOLTED TO THE FLOOR, NOT ATTACHED, NOT HOOKED UP, OR THE OWNER COMPLAINED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS LOOSE.THE CAUSES HAVE INCLUDED A MISSING BOLT, MISSING NUT, BOLT HOLE NOT THREADED, WELD NUT MISSING, OR BOLT NOT COMPLETELY TIGHTENED INTO ITS MOUNTING HOLE.THE ALLEGED CONDITIONS HAVE OCCURRED IN ALL POTENTIAL SEATING POSITIONS IN THE FRONT AND REAR SEATS IN BOTH THE REGULAR AND SUPER CAB MODELS.FORD'S ANALYSIS OF THEIR COMPLAINTS INDICATE THAT THIS SITUATION OCCURRED PREDOMINANTLY IN VEHICLES BUILT FROM AUGUST 14, 1995 THROUGH APRIL 30 1996.IN LATE APRIL, IN RESPONSE TO THE FIELD REPROTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS, FORD RETAINED LINE OPERATORS, LINE SUPERVISORS, AND PLANT REPAIR PERSONNEL.OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT WITHIN THIS TIME PERIOD WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE CONDITION AND INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO DEALERS FOR INSPECTION OF AND, AS NECESSARY, REPAIR OF SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE ATTACHMENTS.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.RECALL 96V-256
Manufacturer listed on the source record: Ford Motor Company
Component listed on the source record: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
Affected Vehicles (1)
| Year | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Ford | F-150 |
Browse Affected Vehicles
Affected Models
Affected Years
All data is sourced from NHTSA public records. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or any government agency. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and may not reflect confirmed defects. For official information, visit nhtsa.gov.
Latest vehicle import recorded anywhere on this site: Oct 8, 2026. Individual vehicles and datasets may have older records; this is not this page's update date.