1991 MITSUBISHI 3000GT Seat Belts Problems

SEAT BELTS IN 1991 DODGE STEALTH RT/TT DID NOT RETRACT! THERE WAS EASILY ENOUGH SLACK IN SEAT BELT FOR ME TO HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MAKES ME FEEL VERY UNEASY ABOUT DRIVING MY CAR. ALSO, THE SRS LIGHT IS ON. THEY MAY BE RELATED. *AK

Mileage: 80,000

SEAT BELT DOES NOT FULLY RETRACT, LEAVING SLACK ON THE BELT. THE SLACK HAS TO BE MANUALLY REMOVED. THIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IN A CRASH. *JB

I HAVE PREVIOUSLY ENTERED A COMPLAINT CONCERNING THIS, BUT NO EVIDENCE HAS BEEN SEEN PROVING EFFORT BEING MADE TOWARD THIS ISSUE. SEAT BELTS WILL NOT PROPERLY RETRACT! MANY 3000GT AND STEALTH OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY! WHEN THE BELT IS BUCKLED USUALLY ONLY THE LOWER HALF IS TIGHT ENOUGH TO RESTRAIN PASSENGER AND DRIVER. FOR THE AVERAGE HEIGHT DRIVER THIS MEANS A SUDDEN STOP (OR CRASH OF COURSE) WILL RESULT IN HIS OR HER HEAD SLAMMING INTO THE TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL OR DASHBOARD FOR PASSENGER (YUM, BRAINS ALL OVER MY CAR, CANT WAIT). MANY 3000GT AND STEALTH OWNERS HAVE FILED THIS COMPLAINT NATIONWIDE AND WE WILL BE HEARD! THIS IS NOT OF COURSE A THREAT, BUT AN AFFIRMATION THAT WE WILL BE STAYING ON TOP OF THIS UNTIL IT IS PROPERLY HANDLED. MOST OF OUR BELTS OR NOT WORN, AND LOTS OF US HAVE FOUND (THOSE WHO HAVE CHECKED) THAT OUR BELT SPOOLS ARE IN FACT PROPERLY LUBRICATED BUT YET, STILL WE WOULD BE BETTER OF USING TWINE TO TIE OURSELVES TO THE SEATS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION BECAUSE IF OUR BELTS DON'T WORK, THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY REASON FOR US TO EVEN HAVE THEM. CANT SAY FOR SURE HOW MANY FAILURES, JUST THINK THIS...EVERY TIME. THANK YOU *JB

Mileage: 77,000

SEAT BELTS IN 1991 MITSUBISHI 3000GT VR4 DO NOT RETRACT!!! WIDESPREAD ISSUE AMONG 3000GT AND GTO OWNERS! PLEASE OPEN INVESTIGATION AS THIS IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS SINCE SEAT BELTS DO NOTHING IF THEY FAIL TO CINCH-UP AS DESIGNED. *NM

Mileage: 75,000

WHILE NOTHING SERIOUS HAS COME OF MY ISSUE YET, THE POTENTIAL IS THERE. MY 91 MITSUBISHI 3000GT (WITH 72,000 MILES) IS HAVING PROBLEMS RETRACTING IT'S SEAT BELT. I NOTICED IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN I WAS FORCED TO SUDDENLY STOP (DUE TO A CAT CROSSING THE ROAD) AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT WANT TO LOCK AND RETRACT IN SATISFACTORY TIME. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SLACK LEFT IN THE SEAT BELT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE INJURY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. WHEN I TALKED WITH MY LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE OUT THE MECHANISM THAT RETRACTS THE BELT, BUT THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AS A SAFETY ISSUE I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE A A RECALL AS I HAVE TALKED WITH MANY OTHER 3000GT OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

I AM ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF 3SI.ORG WHICH IS A WEBSITE COVERING THE 3000GT/STEALTH MODELS FROM 1991-1999. I HAVE NOTICED THAT A LARGELY SHARED MAJORITY OF US HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT INTO PLACE WHEN PULLED OUT. THE SEAT BELT IS THERFORE EITHER LOOSE ON THE DRIVER AND PASSANGER WHICH CAN LEAD TO DEATH/INJURY OR WHEN THE PERSON IS EXITING THE CAR THE PERSON HAS TO WIND THE BELT BACK INTO THE POSITION SO IT DOESNT FALL OUT OF THE DOOR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND I THINK A MUST FOR RECALL. I WAS IN A ACCIDENT RECENTLY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT ENGAGE IN TIME AND I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND HAD TO GO TO THE ER EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A SLIGHT FENDER BENDER. PLEASE ISSUE AN INVESTIGATION ON THIS BELT. BTW MY CAR HAS ONLY 65,000 MILES AND THE SEAT BELT WORE OUT AT 22,000 MILES.

Mileage: 20,000

ON MY 1991 DODGE STEALTH R/T TT I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OF A SLACK IN BOTH OF MY SEAT BELTS. THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT PROPERLY AT ALL. MOST OF THE TIME THE SEAT BELTS JUST HANG LOOSE AND YOU HAVE MANUALLY TRY AND RETRACT THEM (NOT EASY). THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH SAFETY. IF I WAS TO GET IN A CRASH THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THIS IS SCARY FOR MY PASSENGERS AND MYSELF. IT COULD CAUSE DEATH AND NEEDS ATTENTION. THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM. MY SEAT BELTS AND OTHER OWNERS SEAT BELTS OF THE DODGE STEALTH AND MITSUBISHI 3000GT'S ARE HAVING THE SAME SEAT BELT PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE FIXED UNDER A RECALL. *NM

Mileage: 158,000

I HAVE A 91 MITSUBISHI 3000GT SL. THE SEAT BELTS IN IT HAVE A PROBLEM LOCKING UP AND NOT RELEASING. THE SEAT BELTS IN MY CAR DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY SOMETIMES. WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS PULLED ON IT DOES NOT RETRACT, LEAVING ENOUGH SLACK IN THE BELT THAT IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR, IT WOULD NOT SERVE ITS PURPOSE AS A SAFETY RESTRAINT. IN MY OPINION THIS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A LIFETIME WARRANTY. SAFETY WAS AN ISSUE WHEN BUILDING CARS OF THESE TYPES SO THEY SHOULD ALWAYS BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE HEARD MANY PEOPLE SAY PUT ARMOR ALL ON THE BELTS AND THEY WILL WORK JUST FINE, BUT LIKE MANY OTHER 3000GT OWNERS I HAVE TRIED THIS AND IT DOESN'T WORK. I HAVEN'T OWNED MY CAR LONG BUT THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I NOTICED ABOUT MY CAR. IT WOULDN'T BOTHER ME THAT MUCH IF I DIDN'T WEAR MY SEAT BELT THAT OFTEN BUT I NEVER GO SOMEWHERE WITHOUT MY SEAT BELT ON. I ALSO HAVEN'T REALLY DROVE ANYBODY AROUND IN MY CAR SO IM NOT REAL SURE ON HOW THE PASSENGER SIDE OR BACK SEAT BELTS WORK. RIGHT NOW IM JUST HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT. *JB

Mileage: 155,000

THE SEAT BELT RETURN MECHANISMS ON MY 1991 3000GT VR-4 NO LONGER WORKS PROPERLY WHICH LEAVES SLACK IN THE SAFETY BELT. IF AN CRASH WERE TO OCCUR WITH THIS SLACK IN THE SEAT BELT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NO LONGER SERVE ITS PURPOSE AS A SAFETY RESTRAINT. *JB

SEAT BELT FAILS TO RETRACT PROPERLY WHEN SECURED OR UNBUCKLED. THIS IS THE 3RD MITSUBISHI 3000GT AND STEALTH THAT HAS HAD THIS ISSUE. *JB

WHEN I PURCHASED MY 1991 MITSUBISHI 3000GT VR-4 IN JUNE OF 2004. THE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT ON THEIR OWN AND WOULD HAVE TO BE FED BACK INTO THE REEL BY HAND. BOTH THE DRIVERS SIDE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE DO NO RETRACT. I HAVE DISASSEMBLED THE ENTIRE UNIT AND ATTEMPTED TO FREE UP AND LUBRICATE IT, BUT THE MECHANISM WAS NOT REPAIRED. IT SEEMS THAT IT IS A FAILURE IN THE DESIGN OF THE SEATBELT AND A STRONGER SPRING IS NEEDED. THE SEAT BELT NOT RETRACTING POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK AS IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THERE WOULD BE NO SHOULDER RESTRAINT. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMOUNT 3000GT'S AND DODGE STEALTHS. ALMOST ALL CARS ARE AFFECTED. I BELIEVE THAT A DEALER RECALL SHOULD BE INSTALLED. *JB