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Recall 00V-228: 2000 Ford Contour, 2000 Ford Escort and 8 more

FORD MOTOR COMPANY recall for seat belts, reported to NHTSA on Aug 18, 2000, covering about 144,435 vehicles.

NHTSA number
00V-228
Report date
Aug 18, 2000
Vehicles affected
144,435
Owners notified
Oct 26, 2000

The problem

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."

The risk

In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained.

The fix

Dealers will inspect the date code on certain seat belt buckles of your vehicle and replace all seat belt buckles that fall within the suspect date code range. Owner notification began october 26, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.

Notes

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Recall details

ManufacturerFORD MOTOR COMPANY
ComponentSeat Belts
Recall started bythe manufacturer
NHTSA campaign number00V228001

Vehicles in this recall

VehicleModel years
Ford Contour2000All years
Ford Escort2000All years
Ford Explorer2000All years
Ford F-1502000All years
Ford Ranger2000All years
Ford Windstar2000All years
Lincoln Town Car2000All years
Mercury Mountaineer2000All years
Mercury Mystique2000All years
Mercury Villager2000All years

Not every vehicle of these model years is included. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls ↗ or ask a dealer.

Frequently asked questions

What is recall 00V-228?

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."

How is recall 00V-228 fixed?

Dealers will inspect the date code on certain seat belt buckles of your vehicle and replace all seat belt buckles that fall within the suspect date code range. Owner notification began october 26, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Check whether your vehicle is included with its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.