2003 Chevrolet Silverado Seat belts Problems

I AM AN EXPERIENCED CPST IN BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA. ON 7-30-08 I ASSISTED A MOTHER WITH THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW BRITAX MARATHON (CAMO PATTERN COVER) USING THE LATCH SYSTEM. MOTHER INDICATED SHE HAD JUST RECEIVED THE SEAT AND IT HAD BEEN BACK-ORDERED FOR SOME TIME. WHEN I PULLED BACK THE SEAT COVER TO ACCESS THE STORED LATCH ATTACHMENTS....I NOTED THAT THE ATTACHMENTS WERE STORED IN A MANNER THAT MIGHT LEAD TO MISUSE. THE ATTACHMENTS WERE ROUTED TO THE INSIDE OF THE HARNESS BEFORE BEING PLACED IN THE RECESSED STORAGE COMPARTMENT (IN THE SHELL TOWARD THE BACK OF THE SEAT). THE PROBLEM....UNLESS A PARENT LIFTS THE SEAT COVER ALL THE WAY TO VISUALIZE THE ? MISROUTING OF THE STORED CONNECTORS ...ENTANGLEMENT OF THE HARNESS COULD EASILY OCCUR WHEN THE ATTACHMENTS ARE REMOVED FROM THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT AND PULLED THROUGH THE RF BELT PATH PATH OPENINGS IN THE SHELL. I HAVE CONTACTED THE CLIENT TO ASK FOR BATCH NUMBER AND SERIAL # ON THE PRODUCT BUT THE HOME PHONE SEEMS CONNECTED TO A FAX. INFORMATION I DO HAVE: BRITAX MARATHON MODEL # E9L0668 MFG 07/09/2008 FABRIC COVER...CAMO PATTERN I DID SPEAK WITH A BRITAX REPRESENTATIVE (CHRIS) ON 8-6-08 TO REPORT MY CONCERNS. I GAVE HIM THE MODEL # AND MFG DATE. HE DID NOT REQUEST ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION OR CONTACT INFORMATION FROM ME FOR FOLLOW-UP. I AM ALWAYS SOMEWHAT CONCERNED WHEN NO FOLLOW-UP NAME / NUMBER IS REQUESTED ON A CONCERN I HAVE REGISTERED WITH A MANUFACTURER. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2003, MAKE=CHEVY , MODEL=SILVERADO). *TR

NHTSA ID

10237205

Incident

Jul 30, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BEAT TIGHTENED. THE PASSENGER FELT DISCOMFORT AND DISCONNECTED THE SEAT BELT, WHICH SHOULD NOT BE DONE WHILE DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE TAILGATE OPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND COMPLAINED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

NHTSA ID

10234453

Incident

Feb 1, 2004

Mileage

1,000 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS LOCATED CLOSE TO THE WINDOWS TIGHTENED WITH MOVEMENT OF THE PASSENGER. THE BUCKLE HAS TO BE DISENGAGED TO LOOSEN THE BELTS. THIS PROCESS STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN WHEN THE PASSENGER BUCKLED THE SEAT BELT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10145176

Incident

Apr 18, 2003

Mileage

50 mi

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 05V153000 CONCERNING THE REAR SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALERSHIP UNDID THE LOOP, TOOK OUT THE SEAT BELT , AND STITCHED IT TOGETHER WITH A NEEDLE AND THREAD. THE SEAT BELT WORKED AT THIS TIME. HE WAS CONCERNED WITH HOW IT LOOKED. GENERAL MOTORS STATES THEY HAVE REPAIRED THE VEHICLE TO THE RECALL SPECIFICATIONS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10142913

Incident

Nov 10, 2005

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT. WHEN THE PASSENGER WAS STRAPPED IN AND LEANED FORWARD THE SEAT BELT TIGHTENED INADVERTENTLY. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND COMPLAINED TO THE MANUFACTURER. WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT BELTS MET SPECIFICATIONS, AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. *AK

NHTSA ID

10095277

Incident

Aug 15, 2004

Mileage

500 mi

1. POOR RIDE, VIBRATION, WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. MOSTLY BETWEEN 35 TO 50 MPH. HAD THE PROBLEM WITH "STOCK" TIRES. REPLACED WITH AFTER MARKET TIRES, SLIGHTLY LARGER. STILL HAD ANNOYING VIBRATION. TO A POINT THAT I DO NOT LIKE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE! 2. FUEL ECONOMY SUCKS! I "UPGRADED" FROM MY '92 GMC PICKUP WHICH GAVE ME 12 TO 14 MPG AROUND TOWN TO 15 TO 18 MPG ON A TRIP; TO MY "NEW" CHEV. WHICH IS GOOD FOR ABOUT 9.5 TO 9.8 MPG AROUND TOWN AND THE BEST EVER, ON A TRIP WAS 13.4 MPG!!! 3. THE BENCH-TYPE SEAT IS NOT ADJUSTABLE TO REMOVE THE "VEE" FEELING WHEN DRIVING. 4. THE SELF-DARKENING MIRRORS ARE A HAZARD WHEN TRYING TO BACKUP OR CHANGE LANES! 5. THE PASSENGER FRONT SEATBELT LOCKSUP AND CAN'T BE FREED UNLESS YOU UNBUCKLE AND REATTACH THE BELT, ONLY TO HAVE IT LOCKUP AGAIN! I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE BACK TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS PRINCIPALLY FOR THE MILEAGE AND THE VERY ANNOYING VIBRATION! I HAVE CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS, ALSO WITH NO SUCCESS! I'VE CHANGED TIRES, ASKED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED FOR THE VIBRATION, ONLY TO HAVE SEPERATE SERVICE MANAGERS TELL ME THAT "IT SEEMS OKAY TO ME, AND THAT THERE'S NOTHING ON THE COMPUTER TO INDICATE A PROBLEM!" AND "YOU PUT BIGGER TIRES ON THE TRUCK! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" I JUST "CELEBRATED" (?!!!) MY FIRST ANNIVERSARY WITH THE TRUCK AND ITS BEEN A MISERABLE YEAR!*AK

NHTSA ID

10072623

Incident

Apr 30, 2004

Mileage

144 mi

MY 2003 EXTENDED CAB TRUCK HAS THE SEAT BELT BUILT INTO THE SEAT. I COMPLAINED THAT IT SQUEAKED SO THEY ORDERED A NEW BELT ASSEMBLY, BUT WHEN THEY WENT TO REPLACE IT THEY FOUND THE SEAT FRAME WAS BROKEN. THEY ORDERED A NEW ON BUT WHEN I TALKED TO THEM THEY SAID IT IS SOMETHING THEY SEE A LOT BECAUSE OF OVER TORQUE AT THE FACTORY. I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS MY WEARING THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED IN AN ACCIDDENT IF THE FRAME WAS ALREADY BROKEN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10062152

Incident

Mar 12, 2004

Mileage

6,000 mi

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCKED IN PLACE. AS A RESULT THE PASSENGER WAS UNABLE TO MOVE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10050330

THE CONSUMER STATED THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT TIGHTENED UP TO AN UNBEARABLE TIGHTNESS AND THE ONLY WAY TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE WAS TO UNBUCKLE THE SEAT BELT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. *AK ALSO THE AIR CONDITION BLEW HOT AIR, THE MECHANIC FOUND THE AC CYCLING SWITCH FAULTY. *JB

NHTSA ID

10031224

Mileage

1,000 mi

REAR SEAT BELTS WILL LOCK UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE BELT WILL NOT RELEASE UNLESS IT IS UNFASTENED AND RETRACTED ALL THE WAY AND THEN REFASTENED. THIS CAN HAPPEN NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING AND I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10016991

Incident

Apr 14, 2003

Mileage

1,000 mi

JUST PURCHASED 2003 4 DOOR CHEVY SILVERADO WITH LATCH SYSTEM. TRIED USING SYSTEM WITH EVENFLO BASE UNIT BUT LATCH BELT DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY DUE TO THE BELT TIGHTENING UNIT BECOMING TO CLOSE TO PLASTIC HOLDER ALLOWING BELT IN SLIPPING OVER BASE UNIT.

NHTSA ID

10000349

Incident

Dec 23, 2002