The defect
AUTOMATIC RETRACTOR FOR SEAT BELTS FOR DUAL FACING REAR SEATS MAY BE INSTALLED IN AN IMPROPER LOCATION.
The risk
SEAT BELT COULD BIND BETWEEN SEAT CUSHION AND SEAT BACKCAUSING THE RETRACTOR TO BE SLUGGISH OR UNABLE TO TAKE UP EXCESS BELT SLACK.
The remedy
REMOVE AND PROPERLY INSTALL THE RIGHT AUXILIARY SEAT BELTS.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Crown Victoria | 1987, 1988 |
| Mercury Grand Marquis | 1987, 1988 |
Components: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Crown Victoria | 1987 | 41 | 4 |
| Ford Crown Victoria | 1988 | 42 | 2 |
| Mercury Grand Marquis | 1987 | 43 | 4 |
| Mercury Grand Marquis | 1988 | 73 | 2 |
Other seat belts recalls in 1988
20 of the 197 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1988 concerned the seat belts; FORD MOTOR COMPANY filed 963 campaigns in all.
| 88V196000 27 Dec 1988 | FLXIBLE CORPORATION |
| 88V191000 13 Dec 1988 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 88V186000 1 Dec 1988 | FERRARI NORTH AMERICA |
| 88V181000 18 Nov 1988 | AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP. |
| 88V176000 8 Nov 1988 | THOMAS BUILT BUSES, INC. |
| 88V163000 18 Oct 1988 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 88V150000 13 Sept 1988 | VOLVO GM HEAVY TRUCK CORP |
| 88V147000 6 Sept 1988 | MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1988