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2024 FORD EXPLORER — SEAT BELTS

crash3 injured · 2217154 · 2026-06-17

Vehicle

Make
FORD
Model
EXPLORER
Year
2024
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
SEAT BELTS
Speed
35 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
3
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
Yes

Narrative

During a severe, multi-lane impact crash, the second-row outer seatbelts completely failed to maintain restraint and failed to retract. Both occupants in the second-row outer seating positions (ages 5 and 7) sustained visible seatbelt friction burns on their arms from the initial impact, but immediately following the crash, both seatbelts were found completely broken, with all slack pulled completely out and zero mechanical retraction. Both children were found entirely unbuckled and unrestrained immediately following the impact. This vehicle is a Ford Explorer, and this failure matches the exact criteria of an active manufacturer safety recall noted on my insurance documentation (NHTSA Campaign ID: 26V159000 / Ford Recall No: 26C18) regarding second-row outer seatbelt anchor bolts being improperly secured. The vehicle has been declared a total loss, but the components are preserved and currently available for inspection upon request under a temporary insurance evidence hold. How safety was put at risk: The safety of two young children was severely compromised. Because the second-row seatbelt mechanisms or anchor bolts failed mid-crash, the children were left entirely unrestrained and unbuckled inside a moving, colliding vehicle after the initial impact, vastly increasing their risk of severe secondary impact injuries. Has the problem been confirmed by a dealer/independent center? UNKNOWN. The failure occurred during the crash, and the vehicle was towed directly to a holdi

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
11744835
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown