NHTSA Complaint #10025664 — 1997 FORD F-150

HOOD POPS UNLOCKED WHILE DRIVING.SEAT BELTS ON FRONT SEATS DO NOT RETRACT FULLY WHEN UNBUCKLED, HANG ON FLOOR BETWEEN SEAT AND DOOR. UPON OPENING OF DOOR, THE LOOSE BELT LOOP FALLS PAST THE DOOR SEAL AREA AND UPON DOOR CLOSURE BECOMES LODGED BETWEEN DOOR AND JAMB. WHEN VEHICLE RE-ENTRY IS MADE BY DRIVER OR PASSENGER, AND BELT IS PUT ON, A FALSE TENSION IS ACHIEVED BY DOOR JAMB SEAL. THIS LEAVES UP TO 10 TO 14 INCHES OF LOOSE BELT THAT FEELS LIKE IT IS ACTUALLY TENSIONED AS TO PROTECT THE OCCUPANT. THIS LOOSE BELT SLACK CONTINUES AS THE BELT EXTENDS AND RETRACTS IN NORMAL, NON INERTIA LOCKED MODE. ONLY UPON HEAVY BREAKING, OR FORWARD FORCE BY OCCUPANT DOES THE BELT SLIP PAST THE LOWER DOOR JAMB SEAL AND EXTENDS THE BELTS REACH. THIS CAN CAUSE A FATALITY FOR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR REASONS. FIRST, ON FRONTAL IMPACT, THE BELT ALLOWS THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER TO BE THRUST FORWARD AND EITHER COME INTO UNDUE CONTACT WITH THE DASH OR STEERING WHEEL. SECONDLY, THE FALSELY TENSIONED BELT ALLOWS THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER TO BE PROPELLED TOO CLOSE TO A DEPLOYING FRONT AIRBAG, CAUSING UNDUE FRONTAL CONTACT WITH AIRBAG WHICH CAN RESULT IN INCREASED INJURY OR DEATH. THIRDLY, ON PICKUP TRUCK MODELS EQUIPPED WITH KEY DEACTIVATED FRONT SEATS OCCUPIED BY CHILDREN, THE LOOSENING BELT CAN REACH THE YOUTH PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT RIGHT INTO WINDSHIELD. AND FOURTH, IN PASSENGER PICKUP TRUCK MODELS, WITH THE AIR BAG TURNED OFF BY KEY SWITCH, UNTENSIONED BELT DOES NOT RESTRAIN A BABY / CHILD CAR SEAT, LIKELY CAUSING THE SEAT TO BE RENDERED INEFFICTIVE AND POSSIBLY MORE HAZARDOUS IF IT WERE NOT USED AT ALL.HE BELT ASSEMBLIES MADE FOR FORD BY TRW. THIS CONDITION WAS EVIDENT WHEN VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN YEAR OLD , GOT PROGRESSSIVELY WORSE , FIRST INCIDENT FALL 1997. I WAS FIRST TITLED OWNER, BOUGHT DEMO. ELBOW INJURY IN 2003. I'M A FORMER MI. LIC.MASTER MECHANIC .I HAVE TESTED FOR THIS PROBLEM IN SIMILAR FORD VEHICLES ON USED CAR LOTS AND HAVE OBSERVED SAME EFFECT IN MANY FORD F-150'S. *AK