2001 Ford Explorer Seat belts Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 3%of 375 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 102,347miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the seat belts of the 2001 Ford Explorer, 3% of the 375 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 102,347 miles. 6 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While involved in a collision rear middle seat belt latch plate separated. As a result the occupant was thrown out of the window. No major injuries reported.”
NHTSA complaint #10095424, filed 2004-10, 38,000 miles“My driver's side seat belt closes in the car door on a regular basis. I have brought this to the dealership attention but the response was that it retracted ok when they looked at it. My concern is that over time this may cause wear on the belt that would prevent it from working properly in the event of an accident.”
NHTSA complaint #10106336, filed 2005-01“I am not the owner of this vehicle, nor the driver. My brother-in-law was a passenger in the Ford Explorer and was killed at the scene. There is a question of whether he was wearing a seat belt and if it failed during the rollover of the vehicle. There is also a question of firestone tire failure. Both of the rear tires were missing the valve stems. We do not know if this occurred during the accident or if they blew out previously and that is what contributed to the accident. …”
NHTSA complaint #754358, filed 2001-11“The contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer. While driving, the front driver side seat belt would suddenly unlock. In addition, the driver side and passenger side front seats would move forward when making a sudden stop and the passenger side door and hatch door would not open. The vehicle was not diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 166,694.”
NHTSA complaint #10780714, filed 2015-10, 166,694 miles“The contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer. She stated that the driver seat belt buckle failed. She was not able to take the seat belt off.the contact stated she will take the vehicle to the dealer or a garage for repair. The contact stated she will contact the manufacturer .the failure and the current mileage was 172,236.”
NHTSA complaint #10304135, filed 2010-02, 172,236 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10014138Jun 7, 2005Safety belt retraction speed.
Seat belts: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 2% |
| 2025 | 1 | 1% |
| 2024 | 1 | 5% |
| 2023 | 5 | 4% |
| 2022 | 5 | 2% |
| 2021 | 3 | 1% |
| 2020 | 18 | 1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0% |
| 2018 | 8 | 1% |
| 2017 | 23 | 1% |
| 2016 | 40 | 2% |
| 2015 | 38 | 2% |
| 2014 | 28 | 2% |
| 2013 | 20 | 1% |
| 2012 | 14 | 2% |
| 2011 | 14 | 1% |
| 2010 | 1 | 1% |
| 2009 | 2 | 6% |
| 2008 | 4 | 3% |
| 2007 | 1 | 0% |
| 2006 | 6 | 1% |
| 2005 | 2 | 0% |
| 2004 | 7 | 1% |
| 2003 | 17 | 2% |
| 2002 | 34 | 1% |
| 2001 | 11 | 3% |
| 2000 | 16 | 2% |
| 1999 | 21 | 2% |
| 1998 | 38 | 2% |
| 1997 | 54 | 3% |
| 1996 | 78 | 5% |
| 1995 | 59 | 7% |
| 1994 | 13 | 1% |
| 1993 | 13 | 1% |
| 1992 | 24 | 4% |
| 1991 | 26 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2001 Ford Explorer
62 complaintsSuspension
43 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
42 complaintsEngine cooling
39 complaintsVehicle speed control
36 complaintsBrakes
33 complaintsElectrical system
29 complaintsBody and structure
29 complaintsAir bags
28 complaintsSeats
24 complaintsSteering
21 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
17 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Ford Explorer
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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