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Toyota Prius Seat Belts Safety Report | Feb 01, 2012
Reported on Feb 01, 2012
| THE LATCH SYSTEM DESIGN ON THE SEATS ON THE NEW PRIUS V IS FLAWED. INSTEAD OF HAVING FOUR LATCH POINTS, ONE SET OF TWO FOR THE LEFT SEAT AND ONE SET OF TWO FOR THE RIGHT SEAT, THEY HAVE ONLY THREE LATCH POINTS, ONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LEFT SEAT, ONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIGHT SEAT AND ONE IN THE MIDDLE OF CAR. OUR CHILD SAFETY SEAT HAS THREE BUCKLES DESIGNED TO WORK WITH THE LATCH SYSTEM, ONE ON THE LEFT, ONE ON THE RIGHT AND A TOP TETHER. THE LEFT AND RIGHT BUCKLES CANNOT ATTACH TO THE SAME LATCH POINT BECAUSE THEN THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT WILL PIVOT. THIS MEANS ONE MUST INSTALL THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT AT AN OFFSET TO THE CAR'S SEAT, USING THE MIDDLE AND RIGHT LATCH POINTS FOR A CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSTALLED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. BUT THEN THE TOP TETHER, WHICH MUST GO OVER THE TOP OF THE SEAT DOWN TO A LATCH POINT, IS NO LONGER AS SECURE AS IT SHOULD BE, SINCE THE LATCH POINT IS THEN OFF-CENTER WITH REGARD TO THE TOP TETHER. IF THE CHILD IS OLD ENOUGH THAT THEY NEED TO USE THE CAR'S SEAT BELTS WITH THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT (E.G., A BOOSTER SEAT) INSTEAD OF THE RESTRAINTS BUILT-INTO THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT, ONE CAN'T BUCKLE IN THE SEAT BELT BECAUSE THE BUCKLE INTENDED FOR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR IS BURIED UNDERNEATH THE OFFSET CHILD SAFETY SEAT. THE MIDDLE BUCKLE IS DESIGNED TO NOT WORK WITH THE SIDE SEAT BELTS. IF ONE USES THE LEFT SIDE BUCKLE WITH THE RIGHT SIDE SEAT BELT, IT'S NOT AS SECURE, AND THEN THE LEFT SIDE PASSENGER (OR A SECOND CHILD SAFETY SEAT) HAS NO SEAT BELT. SO A PROPER USE OF THE SEAT BELTS REQUIRES THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT TO BE CENTERED ON THE SEAT, BUT THEN EITHER THE LATCHES ARE CONNECTED AT AN OFFSET OR THEY ARE CONNECTED TO THE SAME LATCH AND PIVOT. EITHER WAY THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT IS NOT REALLY SECURE. *TR | |
| Make: | Toyota |
| Model: | Prius |
| Manufactured by: | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | |
| Was a death reported? | |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP PA |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | |
| Mileage: | |
| Speed: | 0 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | |
| Vehicle type: | |
| Vehicle fuel: | |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
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