Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Buick Skylark submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK SKYLARK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS AND THERE WERE TWO RIGHT HAND SEAT BELTS IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 8/28/14*CN UPDATED 8/29/14*CN
I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT TWISTS ON ME ALL OF THE TIME MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO PUT ON MY SEAT BELT. I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO FILE A REPORT BUT KEPT PUTTING IT OFF UNTIL TODAY WHEN I RECEIVED MORE GRIEF AT THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I COMPLAINED ABOUT IT AGAIN. THE REPLY FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER, BOB CRIPPEN,WAS THAT I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO UNTWIST IT SO WHY DO I KEEP BRINGING IT UP. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE THE SEAT BELT WOULD BE WITH A CRASH AND WAS TOLD IT WAS AN ENGINEERING DEFECT,THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT, AND I WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT, ALL I COULD THINK WAS I MIGHT DIE WITH IT. AT THE FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH HIM HE TOLD BE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN I COMPLAINED. IT STARTED WITH THE ORGINAL BELT AND THE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYMORE ABOUT IT. THE DEALERSHIP EVEN TOLD ME THAT I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO WORK A SEATBELT. THE CAR WENT IN FOR ITS FINAL WARRANTY WORK ON 3/13 AND WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 3/14 WITH THE SEAT BELT SO TWISTED I CAN NOT UNTWIST IT AND ALSO AT THIS TIME I HAVE A RIGHT HAND IN A CAST. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAST WAS UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND I SAID BEFORE THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO UNTWIST IT SO WHY WAS I COMPLAINING?AT THIS TIME I HAVE BECOME SO FRUSTRATED WITH THE SITUATION I FINALLY DECIDE TO CONTACT YOU. WHAT SHOULD I DO? CAN YOY HELP? AM I BEING UNREASONABLE/ IF I AM PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I HATE TO SAY IT BUT EVEN IN THIS DAY AND AGE WOMEN STILL TEND TO BE IGNORED BY CARE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. WILL YOU KEEP ME INFORMED. THANK YOU. CHRISTINE BARKAUSKAS. *AK
DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT RETRACTORS BROKE, THE PLASTIC PART WASN'T OPERABLE. DRIVERSIDE SEAT BELT BROKE. CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE NEEDED A REPLACEMENT PART. DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT SHE NEEDED TO PURCHASE THE WHOLE PART .*AK
NO SUMMARY.
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT FASTEN PROPERLY. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR A VEHICLE WITH 35000 MILES OF WEAR. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WILL NOT REPAIR UNLESS THE COST GOES TO THE CONSUMER. *AK
SEAT BELT FAILED.
SEAT BELT FAILED TWICE.
SEAT BELT STICKS INTO DRIVER'S SIDE, CAUSING DISCOMFORT. *SD
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .