Rear Middle Seatbelt Locking Issues?

[Sheri McDonough McGondel]

Hi There,

Just wondering if anyone else has had any issues with the seatbelts locking. My 9 year old son was in the middle of the back seat - seatbelt buckled; he was moving around doing something and it unbuckled (not a big deal for a few seconds)... He turned to get something and somehow the seatbelt became locked (would have been nice if he had told me then, not 30 minutes later when we stopped). I tried everything I could think of to loosen the strap... gently fed it back a little to release the locking mechanism - nothing worked and it was so tight around him there was not much slack to work with. God forbid there was an emergency, he was trapped. I tried with the car running, with it off, after driving a a short distance with gentle breaking. NOTHING worked. I finally just had to cut the strap to get him out... he had marks on his waist from it - like a burn - nothing bad, but enough that you could see it plainly.

 

Has anyone else had any problems w/their Fusion seatbelts? Ours is brand new - 2015; we've only had it since Sept 2014.

 

Thanks!

[Texasota]

I finally just had to cut the strap to get him out... he had marks on his waist from it - like a burn - nothing bad, but enough that you could see it plainly.

 

I went out and tried an experiment on my rear center belt. I pulled as hard as I could on the belt while it was buckled. I am a strong guy so I had it very tight but it still released easily when I pushed the red button.

 

After you cut it would it then release properly? If you still can't release it (after cutting), then it sounds like it is defective and may be defective regardless. I would suggest your have you dealer look at it.

 

There is another possibility here. It is easy to hook that center belt incorrectly into the receptacle for the right rear passenger and that make it harder to reach the button to release it. Any chance it was inserted into the wrong receptacle? I tried that on mine also, with lots of tension, and even though it was harder to reach the button with my finger it still released properly.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Texasota

[GrySql]

You'll need to see your Dealer about this. In your behalf I sent a PM to our Forum Ford Rep Meagan, she should contact you soon.

 

The only Ford reference I could find about any seatbelt issue was this one:

 

32292 2013 Fusion/MKZ Rear 60/40 Seatback Stuck In Folded-Down Position
Some 2013 Fusion/MKZ vehicles may exhibit the 60 percent section of the 60/40 split rear seat backrest stuck in the folded down position. This condition may occur when the rear center safety belt is buckled over an empty seat, and the 60 percent seat backrest is folded down. To release the seatback, lift the 60 percent seatback slightly to gain access to the center seat belt buckle. Release the belt buckle latch and allow the safety belt to retract. Fold up the seat backrest and latch into position. Inspect seat belt for damages to webbing or stop button and verify proper function. If stop button is damaged, use service kit YR3Z-6365070-AA. Advise the customer to ensure the rear center safety belt is not buckled before folding the 60 percent seat backrest down.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 27-JUNE-2013

[tr7driver]

Take it to the dealer. I that the same issue, had to cut the belt to get my daughter out, with a 5 year old Toyota and it was replaced under warranty even thought the car was out of warranty because the seat belts fall under different safety rules.

[FordService]

Hi There,

Just wondering if anyone else has had any issues with the seatbelts locking. My 9 year old son was in the middle of the back seat - seatbelt buckled; he was moving around doing something and it unbuckled (not a big deal for a few seconds)... He turned to get something and somehow the seatbelt became locked (would have been nice if he had told me then, not 30 minutes later when we stopped). I tried everything I could think of to loosen the strap... gently fed it back a little to release the locking mechanism - nothing worked and it was so tight around him there was not much slack to work with. God forbid there was an emergency, he was trapped. I tried with the car running, with it off, after driving a a short distance with gentle breaking. NOTHING worked. I finally just had to cut the strap to get him out... he had marks on his waist from it - like a burn - nothing bad, but enough that you could see it plainly.

 

Has anyone else had any problems w/their Fusion seatbelts? Ours is brand new - 2015; we've only had it since Sept 2014.

 

Thanks!

I did some research into this, and here's what I found. I highlighted the relevant parts.

 

 

Safety Belt Locking Modes

WARNINGS After any vehicle crash, the safety belt system at all passenger seating positions must be checked by an authorized dealer to verify that the automatic locking retractor feature for child seats is still functioning properly. In addition, all safety belts should be checked for proper function.

Belt and retractor assembly must be replaced if the safety belt assembly automatic locking retractor feature or any other safety belt function is not operating properly when checked by an authorized dealer. Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly could increase the risk of injury in crashes. All safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts.

 

The driver safety belt has the vehicle sensitive locking mode. The front outboard passenger and rear seat safety belts have both the vehicle sensitive locking mode and the automatic locking mode.

 

Vehicle Sensitive Mode

This is the normal retractor mode, which allows free shoulder belt length adjustment to your movements and locking in response to vehicle movement. For example, if the driver brakes suddenly or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of about 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the combination safety belts will lock to help reduce forward movement of the driver and passengers. In addition, the retractor is designed to lock if the webbing is pulled out too quickly. If this occurs, let the belt retract slightly and pull webbing out again in a slow and controlled manner.

 

Automatic Locking Mode

In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt. The automatic locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt. When to Use the Automatic Locking Mode This mode should be used any time a child safety seat, except a booster, is installed in passenger front or rear seating positions. Children 12 years old and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position whenever possible. See Child Safety (page 13).

 

How to Use the Automatic Locking Mode Non-inflatable safety belts

1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.

2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until the entire belt is pulled out. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is now in the automatic locking mode.

 

How to Disengage the Automatic Locking Mode

Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and allow it to retract completely to disengage the automatic locking mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.

If you haven't already, I recommend heading to your dealer to have this looked into. Once you have an appointment set up, please send me a private message with your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

 

 

You'll need to see your Dealer about this. In your behalf I sent a PM to our Forum Ford Rep Meagan, she should contact you soon.

 

...

Thanks!

 

Meagan

[Jeepgeek77]

I just had this same issue. I couldn't raise the 60% seat and I took it to ford. They cut my seatbelt to get the seat up and now want to charge me $377 for a new seatbelt. Also, the driver side grab handle won't retract, a little spring broke. They want $170 for that. I'm not doing either but I am upset about the seatbelt issue. They cut it without asking me. I feel like this is a ford issue and I shouldn't have to pay for their engineering flaw. It is a 2013 with 47,000+ miles.

[hybridbear]

I just had this same issue. I couldn't raise the 60% seat and I took it to ford. They cut my seatbelt to get the seat up and now want to charge me $377 for a new seatbelt. Also, the driver side grab handle won't retract, a little spring broke. They want $170 for that. I'm not doing either but I am upset about the seatbelt issue. They cut it without asking me. I feel like this is a ford issue and I shouldn't have to pay for their engineering flaw. It is a 2013 with 47,000+ miles.

Get our local Ford rep involved. Search for username FordService and send her a PM. Have you communicated to the dealer that you did not authorize them to cut the seat belt and charge you for it? I would point out to the dealer the SSM listed in an earlier post to show that Ford recognizes this issue and does not instruct the dealer to cut the seat belt to fix it. The dealer did not follow Ford's diagnostic/repair procedure when they cut the seat belt.

Edited March 22, 2015 by hybridbear

[acdii]

The left seat belt in the new Focus did that yesterday. Locked up where it will not move. They ordered a new one and should have it in by Friday.

[Charrua]

I had the rear middle seat-belt locked up for many months (maybe even since it was new). Every time a passenger tried to use it they couldn't because it would not pull out. When I took it to the dealer for the 30,000 mile oil change and tire rotation I asked them to also fix the seat-belt. I went to show them how it was locked up but it worked perfectly fine.

 

I'm sure it will re-occur soon. At mile 36,001.

[jnash]

Hi There,

Just wondering if anyone else has had any issues with the seatbelts locking. My 9 year old son was in the middle of the back seat - seatbelt buckled; he was moving around doing something and it unbuckled (not a big deal for a few seconds)... He turned to get something and somehow the seatbelt became locked (would have been nice if he had told me then, not 30 minutes later when we stopped). I tried everything I could think of to loosen the strap... gently fed it back a little to release the locking mechanism - nothing worked and it was so tight around him there was not much slack to work with. God forbid there was an emergency, he was trapped. I tried with the car running, with it off, after driving a a short distance with gentle breaking. NOTHING worked. I finally just had to cut the strap to get him out... he had marks on his waist from it - like a burn - nothing bad, but enough that you could see it plainly.

 

Has anyone else had any problems w/their Fusion seatbelts? Ours is brand new - 2015; we've only had it since Sept 2014.

 

Thanks!

This exact same thing just happened to my daughter in a 2013 Fusion. I tried diligently to lift her to provide slack to slowly pull out more strap but the tightness of the belt was cutting in so tight. I tried to pull the seat back down hoping that might relieve enough tension. That made it worse so I cut the belt to free her as she was in pain.

I wish I'd taken a photo to show the problem.

Has anyone had success with ford replacing the centre belt under warranty?

[GrySql]

This exact same thing just happened to my daughter in a 2013 Fusion. I tried diligently to lift her to provide slack to slowly pull out more strap but the tightness of the belt was cutting in so tight. I tried to pull the seat back down hoping that might relieve enough tension. That made it worse so I cut the belt to free her as she was in pain.

I wish I'd taken a photo to show the problem.

Has anyone had success with ford replacing the centre belt under warranty?

This is the only reference to that type thing that Ford has published that I know of.

SSM 32292

[jnash]

Thanks for that GrySql, I'm pleased to report that Tommie Vaughn Ford here in Houston, TX has agreed to replace the rear center seat belt under warranty, it goes in to the shop this Friday!

[Benjamin Kenney]

I did some research into this, and here's what I found. I highlighted the relevant parts.

 

If you haven't already, I recommend heading to your dealer to have this looked into. Once you have an appointment set up, please send me a private message with your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Meagan

 

Im having this issue with my '13 Ford Fusion 2.0L EcoBoost... I put the seat down and the 60 of the 40/60 is stuck down, so I called ford and they said to leave it for a few days and they'd tell me how much it would cost to repair. I currently have about 70k, so he said it was out of warranty.

[FordService]

 

Im having this issue with my '13 Ford Fusion 2.0L EcoBoost... I put the seat down and the 60 of the 40/60 is stuck down, so I called ford and they said to leave it for a few days and they'd tell me how much it would cost to repair. I currently have about 70k, so he said it was out of warranty.

 

Thanks for reaching out. I want to check out some additional assistance. Please private message me your VIN, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

 

Meagan

[Benjamin Kenney]

 

Thanks for reaching out. I want to check out some additional assistance. Please private message me your VIN, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

 

Meagan

Thank you! Just replied

[Benjamin Kenney]

 

Thanks for reaching out. I want to check out some additional assistance. Please private message me your VIN, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

 

Meagan

 

 

PMed you

[John Angelotti]

I am really sad to report, but I have had the same issue with the 60/40 seat in the rear of my 2013 Fusion Energy. But because I have 60K miles on the car, the dealer has informed me that the seatbelt is no longer covered.

This issue is well reported around the internet as being a problem. Of course, I would not have thought to look BEFORE folding the seat down, since you would not expect this to be a problem.

 

I was able to get the issue resolved buy moving the front seats out of the way, removing the bottom of the seat from the car, unbolting the lower seat belt mount and then return the seat back to the correct location. Then I was able to re-produce the issue of the belt going into autolock every time I lower the seatback.

 

I am really sad that Ford, who has been using/making/buying seatbelts for a very long time, is not willing to replace this device as a safety issue.

 

Being a father that takes my child, in her car seat, with me many places, if I had taken the car seat out, folded down the seatback and tried to return the back, it would not have, leaving me with no place to put the car seat and take my daughter home with me. She is too small to sit in the front seat, the 40% side of the back seat is too small to fit her car seat in... I would have been stuck. Waiting for my wife to show up. How is this OK with Ford? Something as simple and basic as a seatbelt.

 

Anyhow, I was able to also confirm that if I buckle the center belt before I lower the back, when I go to lift the back, the belt stops the seat, but I can at least reach under and unbuckle the belt so I can return the seat upright and the autolock turns off.

[tr7driver]

I am really sad to report, but I have had the same issue with the 60/40 seat in the rear of my 2013 Fusion Energy. But because I have 60K miles on the car, the dealer has informed me that the seatbelt is no longer covered.

This issue is well reported around the internet as being a problem. Of course, I would not have thought to look BEFORE folding the seat down, since you would not expect this to be a problem.

 

I was able to get the issue resolved buy moving the front seats out of the way, removing the bottom of the seat from the car, unbolting the lower seat belt mount and then return the seat back to the correct location. Then I was able to re-produce the issue of the belt going into autolock every time I lower the seatback.

 

I am really sad that Ford, who has been using/making/buying seatbelts for a very long time, is not willing to replace this device as a safety issue.

 

Being a father that takes my child, in her car seat, with me many places, if I had taken the car seat out, folded down the seatback and tried to return the back, it would not have, leaving me with no place to put the car seat and take my daughter home with me. She is too small to sit in the front seat, the 40% side of the back seat is too small to fit her car seat in... I would have been stuck. Waiting for my wife to show up. How is this OK with Ford? Something as simple and basic as a seatbelt.

 

Anyhow, I was able to also confirm that if I buckle the center belt before I lower the back, when I go to lift the back, the belt stops the seat, but I can at least reach under and unbuckle the belt so I can return the seat upright and the autolock turns off.

This is a safety issue and should be covered. PM the Ford Service contacts (I think they are away "temporarily"; whatever that means) when they get back.

[corncobs]

This is a safety issue and should be covered. PM the Ford Service contacts (I think they are away "temporarily"; whatever that means) when they get back.

Auto show duty .... maybe?

 

But good advice to get Ford Service involved.

[John Angelotti]

I dont have a problem getting them involved, but last time they said take it to the dealer... Well that worked well for me... The customer. The Dealer sucks and Ford wants me to let them deal with it. lol

 

This car / service has been trying on me, that is for sure.

[tr7driver]

Yep, that's all she can tell you, "take it to the dealer." But armed with your info, she will have a Ford rep contact the dealer service manager, and that rep will throw the BS card on the service manager and it will get fixed. This is the type of BS that can harm a dealer's relationship with Ford and, and the dealer principal won't want that. Safety items like air bags and seat belts carry different warranties and huge liability for both the dealer and manufacturer. Ford will fix it, usually cheerfully.

 

The other option would be to go to another dealer, which is probably a good idea based on the way you have been treated.

[John Angelotti]

Who is "She"? Sorry, new to the forum and I have not learned everyone yet.

 

Thanks.

[tr7driver]

She is Megan, the ford service rep on this site.

[Barsoom]

OMG! This just happened to me. Just when I thought it was finally fixed for good.

 

I folded down the 2/3rds back seat to load a box and when I got home I can't get the seat to lift back again.

 

Of course, it's a 2013 FFH.

 

Is there any way to jiggle it loose?

Edited February 21, 2016 by Barsoom

[Barsoom]

I brought my car to Ford today. They replaced the seatbelt retractor assembly in the middle. It was covered under warranty.