IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT, WHICH MAY raises the risk of PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy & full details
TRW WILL NOTIFY THE CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE.
THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 27, 2004.
CERTAIN TRW DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS MANUFACTURED ON DECEMBER 6 AND 9, 2002, FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR 1997 FORD ESCORT 4-DOOR AND STATION WAGON PLATFORM VEHICLES, FORD'S P/N F7CZ54611B09AAC. THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES EXHIBIT A NO-LOCK CONDITION WHICH DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.
Moderate99V276000
Power Train:Manual Transmission:Shift Pattern Indicator
THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION POSITION OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy & full details
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVE BACKED PLAQUE CONTAINING THE SHIFT PATTERN, ALONG WITH MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOCATING AND AFFIXING THE PLAQUE TO THE VEHICLE CENTER CONSOLE, JUST FORWARD OF THE SHIFT LEVER. OWNERS WILL ALSO BE ADVISED THAT THEIR DEALER CAN AFFIX THE PLAQUE IF THEY PREFER.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE S/R OPTION. THE S/R OPTION INCLUDES, AMONG OTHER FEATURES, A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT PATTERN IS NOT DISPLAYED IN THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT IN VIEW OF THE DRIVER. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT."
Complaint volume
Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.
What owners reported happened
99Crashes
14Fires
80Injuries
5Deaths
Across 413 complaints. Severity Index 1.48.
Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.
What owners report most
Air Bags:Frontal — 52 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 30 reports
Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 28 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 22 reports
Air Bags — 14 reports
Tires — 13 reports
Suspension:Rear:Springs — 13 reports
Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs — 13 reports
Exterior Lighting:Headlights — 10 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 10 reports
What to do
Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.
Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.
Questions
Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?
Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.
Do I pay for recall repairs?
No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.
Why are there complaints but no recalls?
Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.
From the same data desk
Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.