1993 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Seat Belts Problems

NHTSA# 94 V 027 000/SEAT BELT LAP REAR: CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALER, LONG PONTIAC IN CHATTANOOGA, TN. PHONE# 423/756-4501 REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL NOTICE. DEALER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE VIN# WAS NOT COVERED. *MRTHE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP AND IT WILL NOT RETRACT. DEALER STILL WILL NOT HONOR THE RECALL. *JG

SEAT BELTS:EVERY SEAT BELT IN THIS VEHICLE HAS BECOME "NON-FUNCTIONING" BETWEEN 7/01/97 AND PRESENT. SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NOT WORKING, AND THE LOCKING MECHANISM AT SUDDEN STOPS DOES NOT FUNCTION, MAKING EACH SEATBELT IN THIS VEHICLE USELESS AND ENDANGERING PASSENGERS. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES, AND DENIES THEY HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRS. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THERE ARE NO "OPEN" RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH THEY CANNOT VERIFY IF THE RECALLS LISTED HAVE IN FACT EVER BEEN COMPLETED. ALTERNATOR:HAVE HAD MAJOR ALTERNATOR/BATTERY PROBLEMS, SEVERAL REPLACEMENTS TO THE ALTERNATOR, LOW VOLTAGE AND GRADUAL LOSS OF POWER, UNSTEADY VOLTAGE METER...HAVE HAD THE FUSEABLE LINK REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.*AK

MOST DISTURBING IS GM REFUSAL TO ADMIT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR PROBLEM AND FIX IT. THIS IS SAFETY EQUIPMENT WHICH SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR, WAS REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY $350 + LABOUR COST WHEN IT IS SO OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART? DEALER EVEN LIED TO ME, CLAIMING THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A SEATBELT RECALL ON TRANS SPORT VANS, WHEN I HAD THE RECALL NOTICE IN FILE AT HOME! I HAVE OWNED A FORD MUSTANG FOR 9 YEARS WITHOUT SEATBELT PROBLEM, FOLLOWED BY A CAMARO FOR 16 YEARS WITHOUT SEATBELT PROBLEMS. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THIS VAN, SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE ARE TOO MANY FOLKS ADJUSTING IT... RETRACTOR IS OBVOIUSLY POOR QUALITY. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT, SO EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY LIFE IS AT RISK. GUESS GM DOESN'T CARE ABOUT MY LIFE ANY MORE THAN FORD CARED ABOUT DRIVERS OF EXPLORERS. IS THERE SOME REASON, WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS POSTED ON NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT TRANS SPORT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILURE, THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM? I DIDN'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THIS CRISIS UNTIL TODAY, BUT IF I KEPT DRIVING UNSAFELY, HOW MANY OTHERS ARE OUT THERE? (I KNOW OF SEVERAL).*AK

THIRD SUDDEN FAILURE OF BELT RETRACTOR WITHIN 18 MONTHS OUT OF SIX ORIGINAL ASSEMBLIES IN VEHICLE. DEALER CONTACTED UPON ALL 3 OCCURRENCES, QUOTED COST OF REPLACEMENT. DEALER INDICATED THAT NO SERVICE BULLETINS, SPECIAL WARRANTIES, OR RECALLS APPLIED TO THIS OUT-OF-WARRANTY VEHICLE. OPTED TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY ON FIRST TWO OCCURRENCES, AND REPLACED MYSELF. UPON THIRD (MOST-RECENT) FAILURE OF YET ANOTHER ORIGINAL RETRACTOR, DECIDED TO CONSULT NHTSA WEB SITE. FOUND NO OFFICIAL OPEN CASE, BUT MANY REPORTS OF SAME PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE THROUGH THE 1995 MODEL YEAR. CONTACTED DEALER AND PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO APOLOGIZED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. DISCOVERED WHEN OBTAINING PRICE QUOTE FOR PART THAT THE ORIGINAL PART WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1995, REPLACED WITH A NEW DESIGN AND PART NUMBER. FIND THIS LOGICAL, AS THE COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA DROP DRAMATICALLY DURING AND SINCE 1995. HAVE HAD MANY VEHICLES NEW AND USED IN MY LIFETIME, AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH SAFETY BELTS IN ANY OTHER. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OF MY REMAINING ORIGINAL BELTS ARE TRUSTWORTHY IN A SUDDEN STOP OR COLLISION, BASED UPON THE SUDDEN FAILURES OF THE FIRST THREE WHILE SIMPLY PULLING THE BELT OUT OF THE RETRACTOR TO FASTEN IT. SPRING IN RETRACTOR FAILS, LEAVING ALL BELT LENGTH UNWOUND, AND THUS, THE SEATING POSITION UNPROTECTED UNTIL THE RETRACTOR IS REPLACED. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM, BUT WILL BE FACED WITH A $700.00 EXPENDITURE IF I DECIDE TO HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE CURRENT FAILED BELT AND THE REMAINING ORIGINAL THREE THAT I EXPECT TO FAIL SOON. EVEN THOUGH THIS VEHICLE WAS SOLD IN LIMITED QUANTITY, I URGE FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I SUSPECT AFFECTS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF UNITS STILL ON THE ROAD. I PLAN TO APPEAL AGAIN TO PONTIAC IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET SOME MONETARY RELIEF WITH REPLACING THE CURRENTLY-FAILED AND REMAINING THREE ORIGINAL BELTS.*AK

FRONT PASSENGER AND SECOND ROW RIGHT SEAT BELTS FAIL TO RETRACT, CONSUMER REQUESTS DEALER REPLACE DEFECTIVE PART. *SLC

DRIVER SHOULDER BELT FAILS TO RETRACT. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT LOCKING. *AK

DRIVER SHOULDER BELT FAILS TO RETRACT. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT LOCKING. *AK

DRIVER SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LOCKING MECHANISM IN THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLE FAILED, THE SEAT/SHOULD BELT WOULD NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, REPLACEMENT PART IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL PART, PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION

FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT AND SECOND ROW PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. VAN WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. REPAIRS WERE MADE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. ENTIRE SEAT BELT MECHANISM HAD TO BEL REPLACED FOR BOTH BELTS. *AK THIS VEHICLE HAD TWO PREVIOUS SEAT BELT RECALLS. *YH

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS NO LONGER RETRACTS RESULTING IN THE SHOULDER HARNESS BEING TOTALLY DISABLED.

REAR SHOULDER BELT DOESN'T WORK DUE A BROKEN RETRACTOR. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT RETRACT INTO THE RETRACTING MECHANISM WHICH HAS CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

FOUR (4) SEAT BELTS HAVE FAILED IN THE LAST SIX (6) MONTHS SINCE 7/98. *AK

BOTH FRONT SEATBELT RETRACTORS HAVE FAILED WITHIN THE PAST MONTH LEAVING THE SHOULDER PORTION OF THE 3-POINT SYSTEM INOPERABLE.

THE DRIVER AND TWO REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE FAILED. THE INSIDE MECHANISM USED FOR THE RETRACTION OF SEAT BELTS IS PLASTIC AND IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND ANY PRESSURE.

RIGHT/REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. *AK

SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT.

THE FRONT SEAT BELTS AND THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SYSTEM FAILED. *AK

SECOND OWNER'S SEAT BELT IN THE SECOND ROW AND THIRD ROW LOCKED UP, CALLED MANUFACTURER AND HE SAID THAT RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED AND CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT ANYMORE. # 94V100000 . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT PULLED OUT OF THE RETRACTOR, IT WILL NOT RETRACT AT ALL. *AK

PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT WORK. IT DOES NOT LOCK NOR RETRACT LIKE IT IS DESIGNED TO DO.*AK

THE REAR PASSENGER SEATBELT HAS BROKEN. THE BUCKLE BROKE NOW THE SEATBELT NO LONGER LATCHES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

THE MECHANISM IN THE SEAT BELT NO LONGER RETRACTS. TT

PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELTS IN FRONT BOTH SIDES TWISTING WHICH IS FELT A SAFETY PROBLEM. TT

SEAT BELTS FAILED PRIOR TO SERVICE RECALL (93C-008)

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WON'T RETRACT. TT