1997 Ford Explorer Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer, 3% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 144,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “seat belt” (65% of reports).
- 54seat belts complaints
- 144,000median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 0related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Seat belt: mentioned in 35 of 54 complaints (65%)
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 19 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 54 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 5 an injury.
Ford Explorer seat belts complaints by model year
| Model year | Seat Belts complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 5 | 5% | 5,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 5 | 2% | 12,994 |
| 2021 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 51,103 |
| 2020 Explorer | 18 | 1% | 43,500 |
| 2019 Explorer | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2018 Explorer | 8 | 1% | 28,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 23 | 1% | 46,750 |
| 2016 Explorer | 40 | 2% | 47,000 |
| 2015 Explorer | 38 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 27 | 2% | 70,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 20 | 1% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 14 | 2% | 60,400 |
| 2011 Explorer | 14 | 1% | 69,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 50,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 84,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2006 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 27,575 |
| 2005 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 14,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 7 | 1% | 189,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 17 | 2% | 43,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 34 | 1% | 60,528 |
| 2001 Explorer | 11 | 3% | 102,347 |
| 2000 Explorer | 16 | 2% | 48,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 21 | 2% | 58,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 38 | 2% | 97,825 |
| 1997 Explorer | 54 | 3% | 144,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 78 | 5% | 140,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 59 | 7% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists seat belts for the 1997 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The drivers side seatbelt will not engage to the lock position.
Driver side seat belt buckle will no longer securely latch. *tr
1997 ford explorer driver's seat belt latch receiver failure. After owning the car for 12 to 13 years, the latch/receiver would not engage the strap. I replaced it with one from a salvage yard and after three years this replacement latch/receiver has failed also. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford Explorers have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 54 owner complaints about seat belts for the 1997 Ford Explorer (3% of the 1,731 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Explorer seat belts?
No recall currently lists seat belts for this vehicle.
At what mileage do seat belts problems start?
The median reported mileage is 144,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “seat belt”, in 35 of 54 complaints.
Other 1997 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1997 Ford Explorer problems or seat belts problems across all Explorer years.