1989 Ford Escort Seat belts Problems
- Complaints
- 19about this part
- Share
- 13%of 152 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 100,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 19 complaints about the seat belts of the 1989 Ford Escort, 13% of the 152 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 100,000 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The contact owns a 1989 Ford Escort. The vehicle was involved in a crash where she was rear-ended. The contact suffered injuries to her head area. She mentioned she was wearing her seat belts at the time of the crash and believed the failure of the seatbelts contributed to her injuries. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no recalls on the vehicle. A police report was filed for the incident. The current and failure mileages were 100,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10318126, filed 2010-03, 100,000 miles“Sometimes the automatic shoulder belt on the driver's side becomes extremely tight when closing the door. The consumer mentioned that he has to turn the ignition off in order for the belt to loosen. Dealer is not aware of the situation.”
NHTSA complaint #828997, filed 1998-10“Daughter was driving the vehicle to school, check engine light kept coming on, noticed smoke getting up the hill, vehicle died, pushed vehicle out of way, vehicle front engulfed in flames, driver stuck in seat belt.”
NHTSA complaint #801240, filed 1996-08“Motorized seat belts remained/locked up in forward position; hinge at top end gears have stripped; motor turns with no effect; according to dealer, entire system needs replacing.”
NHTSA complaint #819032, filed 1998-01Seat belts: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2 | 3% |
| 2000 | 11 | 11% |
| 1999 | 16 | 5% |
| 1998 | 17 | 5% |
| 1997 | 12 | 2% |
| 1996 | 77 | 38% |
| 1995 | 152 | 26% |
| 1994 | 79 | 28% |
| 1993 | 109 | 29% |
| 1992 | 28 | 17% |
| 1991 | 71 | 22% |
| 1990 | 10 | 10% |
| 1989 | 19 | 13% |
| 1988 | 17 | 12% |
| 1987 | 3 | 5% |
| 1986 | 1 | 2% |
| 1985 | 3 | 12% |
| 1984 | 4 | 19% |
| 1983 | 1 | 14% |
Other parts of the 1989 Ford Escort
64 complaintsEngine cooling
22 complaintsFuel system
12 complaintsExterior lighting
9 complaintsVehicle speed control
9 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsSteering
7 complaintsSeats
6 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1989 Ford Escort
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology