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 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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
SEAT BELTS, BY BUCKELS HAVE A PLASTIC PIECE THAT HAS CRACKED FROM HEAT AND PROVENTS IT TO STAY TIGHT ON ALL 4 BELTS. THIS ALSO PROVENTS ME, PASENGER, AND MY CHILDRENS CAR SEATS FROM BEING TIGHT AND SECURLEY FASTEND. PORE DESIGN ON THESE.
PLASTIC SLIDE ON THE REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE CRACKED AND BROKE. THE SEAT BELTS CANNOT BE USED TO SECURE A CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN THE REAR OF VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK
DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEATBELT BUCKLE PLASTIC PIECE FELL-OFF.*AK
THE CHILD SEAT WAS INSTALLED IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT WITH CHILD. THE DRIVER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THE CHILD WAS THROWN INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *NLM
HAVE PUT 3 ALTERNATORS ON THIS CAR, EVEN WHEN UNDER WARRANTY BEFORE 12,000 MILES (APPROXIMATELY). BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST 3 TIMES. NOW, THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED COMPLETELY AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER SAYS NO RECALLS, EXCEPT FOR THE IGNITION SYSTEM. SCHEDULED THAT FOR REPAIR 7/23/02. SEAT BELT PLASTIC COVERS SNAPPED OFF (BELT LOOSE ON ONE AND HIT BY CAR DOOR WHEN SHUTTING IT. THE OTHER ONE JUST POPPED OFF. BELT CONTINUES TO SLIP OFF ENGINE, CAUSES STALLING EVEN IF DRIVING 55 MPH. NOW BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. LEFT FRONT BRAKE CONTINUES TO HAVE BRAKE DUST ACCUMULATE ON WHEEL COVER. CAR HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT (ENGINE REPAIRED LAST YEAR). CAR IS ALSO OVERHEATING; HAS HAD TSTAT REPLACED, RADIATOR FLUID. WHAT ELSE COULD CAUSE THIS, I DON'T KNOW.
DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEATBELT BUCKLES COMPLETELY FELL APART, PIECES OF METAL FELL OFF. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ,AND THEY REPLACED BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER'S SEATBELT BUCKLES. DEALER PUT SAME MODEL OF BUCKLE THAT HAD FALLEN APART ON PASSENGER'S SIDE, AND REPLACED DRIVER'S SIDE WITH A NEW MODEL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THE CINCH PLATES ON BOTH REAR SEAT BELTS IN MY VEHICLE ARE BROKEN. BECAUSE OF THIS, I CANNOT PROPERLY INSTALL MY CHILD'S CAR SEAT. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUN-AROUND BY TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST TO ME OF OVER $200. I E-MAILED GM TODAY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THE CINCH PLATES SHOULD BE MADE OF METAL SO THEY CANNOT BREAK. ADDITIONALLY, SAFETY BELT DEFECTS SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. MY CHILD AND I HAVE NOT BEEN IN CAR ACCIDENT, BUT IT'S VERY SCARY KNOWING THAT THE LOCKING CLIP THAT I HAVE TO USE ON THE SEAT BELT TO TRY TO GET THE CAR SEAT IN TIGHT ENOUGH, MAY NOT WORK IN CASE OF A COLLISION. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, AND I HOPE THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM REPAIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KAREN NEWSOME
THE EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS NOT PROPERLY ATTACHED. NLM
ALSO HAD TO HAVE DRIVER'S DOOR REALIGNED, SIDE MIRROR REALIGNED, SEAT BELTS REPLACED, SEAT BELT COVERS REPLACED, WINDSHIELD WIPERS REPLACED, AND THE AIRBAGS WERE RECALLED. ALSO, THIS CAR STILL RUNS ROUGH BUT, THEY CAN'T SEEM TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
HANDLE ON CHILD SEAT SEPARATED FROM THE SEAT, CAUSING FAILURE WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN POSSIBLE INJURY. *YC
DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH CONSUMER SPUN VEHICLE, MAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN DRIVER'S SEATBELT UNBUCKLED AND DID NOT RETRACT, CAUSING INJURIES. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND SEAT BELTS BROKE.
CENTER SEAT BELT DID NOT SECURE CHILD SEAT PROPERLY CAUSING SEAT TO FALL OVER.
DRIVING IN OUTSIDE LANE A TRANSFER TRUCK CROSSED INTO CAVALIER'S LANE. WENT OFF ROAD & ROLLED 3 TIMES SIDE TO SIDE & THEN FRONT TO BACK 2 TIMES. DRIVER THROWN ABOUT 30 FT FROM REAR WINDOW. SHOULDER/LAP BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER. PASSENGER BELTS HELD. BOTH INJURED. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS DO NOT WORK UNLESS SEATS ARE ALL THE WAY FORWARD OR ALL THE WAY BACK. PASSENGER'S SIDE OCCUPANT HIT HEAD ON WINDSHIELD WHEN A SUDDEN STOP WAS MADE, SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN OCCUPANT, RESULTING IN AN INJURY. *AK
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 .