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Pontiac Trans Sport Seat Belts Front Retractor Safety Report | July 01, 1999
Reported on July 01, 1999
| 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 | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Trans Sport |
| Manufactured by: | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| Year: | 1993 |
| Was a crash reported? | |
| Was an injury reported? | 0 person(s) were injured. |
| Was a death reported? | 0 person(s) died. |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | BROOKFIELD WI |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 1GMDU06LXPT |
| Mileage: | |
| Speed: | 0 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | |
| Vehicle type: | FWD |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS N/A. |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
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