2003 MERCURY SABLE Seat Belts Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK, WHICH FORCED THE CONTACT TO STRIKE THE STEERING WHEEL DURING THE CRASH. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION, BACK, AND NECK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND THEN TOWED TO A JUNK YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NO ACCIDENT, BUT THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAS STARTED "LATCHING" ONLY ON SPORADIC OCCASIONS. IT DOESN'T LATCH MORE TIMES THAN IT DOES LATCH. THE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY LATCHED THE SEATBELT, IT WILL COME UNLATCH END WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. THIS HAS NOW BEEN OCCURRING FOR ABOUT A MONTH.

2003 MERCURY SABLE WAGON -- THE SEAT BELTS IN THE MIDDLE SEAT OF THE CAR NO LONGER RETRACT. THEY HANG LOOSELY AND WOULD CERTAINLY BE A GRAVE DANGER TO ANY PASSENGER SHOULD THE CAR EXPERIENCE A CRASH OR ROLLOVER. THEY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BY THE DEALER ALREADY, BUT NOW THE DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE RETRACTION MECHANISM. SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON AND VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM IN MERCURY SABLES AND TAURUS WAGONS FROM WHAT I'VE READ. HEY FORD, HOPE YOU GIVE A [XXX] ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMERS ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CONTACT STATES: WHILE DRIVING WITH PASSENGERS, CHILD SAFETY SEAT WITH PASSENGER IN TOW PULLED THE SEATBELT ACROSS HERSELF. THIS BECAME ENTANGLED AROUND THE PASSENGERS NECK CAUSING GREAT DISCOMFORT. CONCERNED OCCUPENTS TRY TO FREE AND DISENGAGE SEAT BELT ATTACHMENT WITH EVERY EFFORT THE SEAT BELT BECOMES TIGHTER AND SLACK IS DISAPPEARING CHOKING THE CHILD. FORTUNATELY THE CHILD WAS FREED WITH THE HELP OF A POCKET KNIFE, CHILD HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF THE RESTRAINT. CHILD SUBSTAINED DEEP TISSUE BRUISING AS DIAGNOSED BY DOCTOR. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE SEAT BELT.