Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Seat belts reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
18
Latest Aug 8, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
36%
of 50 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
8
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Geo Prizm submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 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.
Owner reports naming seat belt
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Seat beltsSuspension
Filed Aug 8, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 GEO PRIZM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TOWARDS THE LEFT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT CONNECTING TO THEIR APPROPRIATE BUCKLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURE STATED THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10E002000 (SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 169,000.
NHTSA ID
10417921
Incident
Apr 27, 2011
Mileage
167,000 mi
AirbagsOther / unspecifiedSeat belts
Filed Jul 7, 2006
Crash reported4 injuries reported
ON 4/19/05 I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY 97 GEO PRISM. THE VEHICLE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY CAUSING ME TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND DASH CAUSING SEVERE INJURY TO MYSELF AND MINOR PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. I ORIGINALLY FILED COMPLAINT THROUGH MY ATTORNEY KENNETH MILLER, JR. BATON ROUGE, LA. I WANT TO SETTLE THIS CASE ASAP. *NM
NHTSA ID
10161797
Incident
Apr 19, 2005
Mileage
112,650 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed May 23, 2005
Crash reported4 injuries reported
DURING AN ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT EQUIPMENT FAILED TO LOCK.*MR EVERYONE INSIDE THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SOME TYPE OF INJURY (GEO PRIZM). *NM UPDATED 12/22/05 *JB
NHTSA ID
10124706
Incident
Apr 19, 2005
Mileage
130,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jun 1, 2004
THE SEAT BELTS LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION THEY ARE UNABLE TO BE USED. THIS USUALLY STARTS WITH THEM STICKING WHEN YOU TRY TO PULL THEM DOWN TO BUCKLE. I HAVE TWO GEO PRIZMS A 1996 AND A 1997 THEY BOTH HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME. *AK
NHTSA ID
10074627
Incident
Sep 1, 2003
Seat belts
Filed Nov 3, 2003
REAR SEAT BELTS ARE INOPERATIVE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR CONSUMER TO INSTALL ANY TYPE OF CHILD SEAT. *AK
NHTSA ID
10046169
Incident
Oct 23, 2003
Mileage
78,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 20, 2003
I HAVE A 1997 GEO PRIZM. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT FULLY EXTEND AND LOCKS UP MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN TRYING TO PULL IT OUT TO LOCK IN PLACE FOR SAFE DRIVING. THIS IS MY SECOND GEO PRIZM THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A VOLUNTARY RECALL BY THE MANUFACTURER TO GET THIS FIXED ON ALL THEIR CARS. *AK
NHTSA ID
10028651
Incident
Jul 13, 2003
Mileage
96,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 6, 2003
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED AT 12,611 MI (3/29/99) AND AGAIN AT 24,000 MI. (OUT OF WARRANTY TIME BY A FEW MONTHS). CENTRAL CHEVROLET IN FREMONT, CA FIXED BOTH TIMES. 2ND TIME COST $200+ AND RENTAL CAR CHARGE. CENTRAL ADVISED THEY WOULDN'T REDUCE THE COST OF 2ND FAILURE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY MAINTENANCE SERVICE WORK DONE BY THEM. BACK SEAT, PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAS ALSO FAILED (WON'T RETRACT). CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE FIXED. ONLY HAVE 2 USEABLE SEAT BELTS IN BACK SEAT. ISN'T THIS A SAFETY ISSUE?*AK
NHTSA ID
10025486
Incident
Mar 29, 1999
Mileage
12,611 mi
Seat belts
Filed May 29, 2003
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT HAS GOTTEN STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE SINCE VEHICLE PURCHASE. FIRST FAILURE AT 27000 MILES, AND SECOND FAILURE AT 88000 MILES.*AK
NHTSA ID
10021849
Seat belts
Filed Jan 22, 2003
THE DRIVER SEAT BELT LOCKED UP AND DID NOT RELEASE. (THE LOCK MECHANISM WAS BROKE) *TS. THE REAR SEAT BELT ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB
NHTSA ID
10004433
Incident
Jan 22, 2003
Mileage
115,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Dec 2, 2002
NO SUMMARY. DT
NHTSA ID
770309
Incident
Nov 25, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Sep 6, 2001
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT LOCKS AND DOESN'T RETRACT AS NORMAL. CONSUMER HAS TO PULL, INCHING THE STRAP OUT SO THAT IT WON'T LOCK UP. THIS WAS SECOND TIME SEAT BELT WAS REPAIRED.*AK
NHTSA ID
895872
Incident
Jun 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Apr 18, 2001
DRIVER'S/ PASSENGER'S AND REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE ALL BECOME JAMMED IN RETRACTING MECHANISM, AND WILL NOT RELEASE, CAUSING SEAT BELTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NHTSA ID
886267
Seat belts
Filed Jul 26, 2000
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKING UP. *AK
NHTSA ID
726061
Incident
Jul 25, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jul 19, 2000
HAVING A PROBLEM FINDING A CAR SEAT THAT FITS IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY VEHICLE. *AK
NHTSA ID
725694
Seat belts
Filed Dec 15, 1999
SEAT BELT WON'T PULL OUT TO RESTRAIN DRIVER . *AK
NHTSA ID
854070
Incident
Dec 11, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Feb 2, 1999
CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH DRIVER'S SIDE SAFETY BELT. SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO RELEASE, THEY TEND TO JAM UP IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
NHTSA ID
834398
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Oct 19, 1998
SEAT BELT FAILED SEVERAL TIMES RESULTING IN LOCKING UP.
NHTSA ID
542098
Incident
Mar 2, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Aug 24, 1998
SEAT BELT HAS LOCKED UP AT THE RETRACTOR. THE BELT WILL NOT RELEASE ITSELF OUTWARD. *AK
NHTSA ID
827131
Incident
Aug 21, 1998
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own