NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE03-030: SAFETY BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-030 on July 14, 2003 and closed it on December 31, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute for it and links recalls 03V-507 and 03V-515 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE03-030 (also written PE03030)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed December 31, 2003
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- Ford Motor Company; Mazda Motor Corp.
- Component
- Seat Belts — Front — Buckle Assembly
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-030.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON JULY 14, 2003 BASED ON 4 REPORTS ALLEGING THE DRIVER'S SAFETY BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO LATCH OR REMAIN LATCHED.MAZDA NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT TRANSFERRED ENGINEERING RESPONSIBILITY TO FORD WHEN THE VEHICLE DESIGN WAS BROUGHT TO THE UNITED STATES FOR PRODUCTION IN FORD'S ASSEMBLY PLANTS.FORD DETERMINED THAT THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IS SUBJECT TO LATERAL FLEXING DURING USE THAT COULD ALLOW A PORTION OF THE BUCKLE CABLE STALK CONVOLUTE TUBING THAT EXTENDS INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY TO CONTACT THE MOLDED PLASTIC ANTI-RATTLE POST ON THE UPPER BUCKLE COVER.THIS CONTACT MAY CAUSE THE POST TO FATIGUE AND FRACTURE, ALLOWING THE BACKSIDE OF THE LATCH TO WEDGE BELOW THE BROKEN EDGE OF THE POST.IN THIS ORIENTATION, THE BROKEN POST MAY HINDER THE INTENDED ROTATION OF THE LATCH DURING INSERTION OF THE LATCH PLATE RESULTING IN A NO-LATCH OR FALSE-LATCH CONDITION.FORD'S SUPPLIER AUTOLIV, INC. PROVIDED BUCKLE COVERS WITHOUT THE ANTI-RATTLE POST BEGINNING IN OCTOBER 2000.
RECALL SCOPE:THE AFFECTED VEHICLES ARE 2001 MODEL YEAR FORD ESCAPE AND MAZDA TRIBUTE BUILT AT THE CLAYCOMO (KANSAS CITY), MISSOURI ASSEMBLY PLANT THROUGH MAY 31, 2001.
RECALL REMEDY:FORD-LINCOLN-MERCURY AND MAZDA DEALERS, RESPECTIVELY, WILL REPLACE BOTH DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVERS WITH NEWLY DESIGNED SERVICE BUCKLE COVERS.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-030. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Ford
Ford Escape
Mazda
Mazda Tribute
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-030
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.