15 of the 858 complaints about the 1996 Ford Contour are about the seat belts — 2% of everything reported for this model year.
15
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
THE REAR SAFETY BELTS DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, THE LEFT REAR BELT BUCKLE DID NOT LOCK INTO THE LATCH PLATE WHEN CONNECTED AND THE RIGHT REAR BELT ONLY PULLED FAR ENOUGH FROM HOUSING TO COVER A SMALL CHILD.
NHTSA complaint #10015623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
BOTH REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED TO EXTEND OUTWARD WITH ONE OF THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS TRAPPING A CHILD AT ONE POINT. SECOND FAILURE WAS THAT SEAT BELT BUCKLES/LATCHES HAVE FALLEN APART. REAR SEAT BELTS WERE NOT USABLE AT ALL EXCEPT MIDDLE LAP BELT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #8011208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
BOTH REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED TO EXTEND OUTWARD WITH ONE OF THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS TRAPPING A CHILD AT ONE POINT. SECOND FAILURE WAS THAT SEAT BELT BUCKLES/LATCHES HAVE FALLEN APART. REAR SEAT BELTS WERE NOT USABLE AT ALL EXCEPT MIDDLE LAP BELT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #8011208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELTS REAR HAVE COMPLETELY FALLEN A PART. THERE WERE NO ATTACHMENT T0 CLICK ON. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #897967 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT HAS BECOME JAMMED WITHIN RETRACTING MECHANISM, AND WOULD NOT RELEASE, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #886271 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
CONSUMER WAS AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF HIM HAD SLOWED DOWN, BUT THE CAR BEHIND DIDN'T COMPLY. CAR HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE FROM BEHIND, AND SMASHED IT IN. SEA TBELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES.
NHTSA complaint #856069 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR, AND DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT CAME LOOSE FROM THE PANEL, FORCING THE DRIVER INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #853302 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
REAR SEAT BELT CLIP FELL OFF/REPAIRED.
NHTSA complaint #548027 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
THE BELT IS FAR TOO LONG TO BE USED WITH A CAR SEAT - WE HAD TO TIE IT IN A KNOT IN ORDER TO USE OUR CHILD SEAT!
NHTSA complaint #704291 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WHERE THE CAR ROLLED OVER AND HIT NUMEROUS TREES. BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT OPEN AND THE SEAT BELT BROKE AWAY... MIRACOUSLY MY SON ENDED UP IN THE BACK SEAT WITH ONLY A MODEST BUMP ON HIS HEAD. .... WITNESSESS AS WELL AS THE TOWING/WRECKING YARD COULD NOT BELIEVE THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE... WHEN PURCHASING THE AUTO I RECALL THAT SAFETY REPORTS WERE GENERALLY FAVORABLE... GIVEN THE IMPACT OF THIS ACCIDENT IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT OPEN AND THAT THE SEAT BELT BROKE AWAY...
NHTSA complaint #700890 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHEN USING REAR SEAT BELTS, BELTS PULL HALF WAY OUT, WILL NOT RETRACT BACK. BELTS ARE TWISTED OR WRAPPED AROUND MECHANISM INSIDE DOOR PANEL. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP.
NHTSA complaint #824464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #527023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
PASSENGER'S SAFETY BELT FAILED IN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #524002 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SIDE AND THE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. ALSO, THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG KNOCKED DRIVER OUT OF SEAT AND HEAD HIT THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW.
NHTSA complaint #804118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
FRONT LAP SEAT BELT FAILED TO SECURE CHILD.
NHTSA complaint #506274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.