10 of the 243 complaints about the 1998 Mercury Sable are about the seat belts — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 92,000 miles.
10
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
THE AIRBAGS AND SHOULDER HARNESS BOTH FAILED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AT HIGHWAY SPEED RESULTING IN INJURIES TO THE DRIVER.
NHTSA complaint #10046792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS STUCK, IT ALWAYS GETS STUCK, AND NOW IT CAN'T BE USED AT ALL.
NHTSA complaint #10028752 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
ALL FOUR SEATBELTS WILL NOT CLICK IN/ RETRACT AND WILL NOT HOLD.
NHTSA complaint #10024519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
ALL FOUR SEATBELTS WILL NOT CLICK IN/ RETRACT AND WILL NOT HOLD.
NHTSA complaint #10024519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
CAR HANDELS POORLY AND GOES ALL OVER THE ROAD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG, CONTACTED FORD AND WAS IGNORED. NOW THE SEAT BELT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR SEAT ISN'T OPERATING PROPERLY AND IS UNSAFE TO USE.IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE?
NHTSA complaint #764832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WHILE IN PARK AND WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NLM DEALER REPROGRAM THE ENGINE PROCESSOR, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY AND CONSUMER DOES NOT REALIZE IT, UNTIL LEANING FOWARD.
NHTSA complaint #8007946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULD COME UNLATCH INTERMITTENTLY. NLM
NHTSA complaint #8007951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NEVER WORKED WELL, BUT LAST MONTH ONE FAILED COMPLETELY. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY MERCURY.
NHTSA complaint #760166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
THE FAILURE OF THE FIVE POINT HARNESS (MAKER: COSTCO, MODEL: 20448BNG, MADE: 03-03-00) FAILS IN THE REGARD THAT THE CHEST CLIP IS EASILY SLID DOWN BY THE CHILD ENABLING THEM TO FREE THEIR ARMS. THIS CREATES ENOUGH SLACK IN THE STRAPS THAT THEY CAN CONCEIVABLY FREE THEIR LEGS FROM THE RESTRAINT AND, INDEED, THEIR ENIRE BODY.
NHTSA complaint #737505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELT FAILED. YH
NHTSA complaint #608780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.