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 1991 Honda Accord submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 59 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.
The 25 most recent of 59, in the owner's own words
THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON MY DRIVER SIDE IS STUCK IN THE FORWARD POSITION. THE PASSENGER SIDE BELT WORKS JUST FINE, JUST NOT THE DRIVER SIDE. THIS HAPPENED AFTER I HAD MY DISTRIBUTOR REPLACED AND WHEN I STARTED MY CAR UP, IT WOULDN'T WORK.
THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC RETRACTABLE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT IS CURRENTLY STUCK IN THE FORWARD POSITION BY THE WINDOW AND WILL NOT RETRACT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK TO VERIFY THAT IT NEEDS REPLACED. THE PART IS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED UNDER THE LIFETIME SEATBELT WARRANTY BUT WE ARE HAVING CONTINUED ISSUES GETTING SOMETHING DONE. THEY HAVE TOLD US THEY CAN'T LOCATE A PART, THAT THEY AREN'T "SURE" IF IT'S COVERED, AND HAVE BASICALLY BRUSHED US OFF.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND EXPAND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT FAILED AND THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE ON THE CONTACT'S BEHALF. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 229,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE SEAT BELT WARNING SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH A BEEPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT FIND A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 202,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULD NOT LATCH OR RETRACT. IN ADDITION, THE BUCKLE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A DAILY BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 268,000.
MY AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE STOPPED RETRACTING, AND NOW THE SEATBELT LIGHT FLASHES AND WARNING BELL KEEPS BEEPING. EVEN WHEN I HAVE THE SEAT BELT FASTENED. I CALLED MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, BUT I HAVE THE WARRANTY AND IT SAYS IT IS COVERED. WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT, I WAS TOLD I COULD BRING THE CAR IN AND PAY TO DETERMINE IF IT IS COVERED. BUT THEY SAY ONLY THE BELT BUCKLE IS COVERED. MY WARRANTY STATES THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS COVERED. IT WAS LARRY MILLER HONDA IN BOISE IDAHO THAT I CALLED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD LX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED, THE REAR SEAT BELT RESTRAINT FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 216,000.
THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER RESTRAINT IS LOCKED IN A RETRACTED POSITION. HONDA AMERICA SAYS THAT ONLY THE BUCKLE IS WARRANTEED FOR LIFE AND NOT ANY OTHER PORTION OF THE SYSTEM. MY OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT THE SEAT BELT IS WARRANTEED FOR THE USABLE LIFE OF THE AUTOMOBILE. *TR
THE SEAT BELT CONTROL MODULE FAILED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING SEAT BELT IS STUCK IN THE FORWARD POSITION. THE LIFETIME SEAT BELT WARRANTY COVERS THE SEAT BELT CONTROL MODULE AS IT IS A SEAT BELT COMPONENT. *TR
THE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT HAS GONE FORWARD AND WILL NOT RETRACT OBSTRUCTING THE STEERING WHEEL, AND IS JUST GENERALLY UNSAFE... THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED BY A LIFETIME HONDA WARRANTY BUT THEY REFUSE TO HONOR IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED. THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT OR FASTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST HAD TO BE PERFORMED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 246,000.
1991 HONDA ACCORD. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEAT BELTS AND MOTOR *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SHE TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A SEAT BELT PROBLEM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDED WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE MOTOR THAT OPERATED THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE LIFETIME WARRANTY. *JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THE SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 121,000.
I HAVE A 1991 HONDA ACCORD EX AND MY SEAT BELT REACTORS NEVER WORKS LIKE ITS SUPPOSED TO! I WENT TO THE HONDA PLACE HERE IN CARTERSVILLE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT SEAT BELTS FOR MY CAR ISN'T COVERED AND I KNOW SEAT BELTS ARE APART OF A LIFETIME WARRANTY. IM NOT GONNA PAY $110 JUS FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT AND TELL ME WHY ITS NOT WORKING, JUST FIX THE [XXX] THING!! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ALOT OF HONDAS THAT'S IN THE 90'S. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON MY 1991 HONDA ACCORD LX SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. I TALKED TO A SERVICE MECHANIC AT THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND HE SAID THAT THE LIFETIME WARRANTY ON SEAT BELTS DD NOT COVER AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A LAPBELT ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH TO PROTECT A PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. CURRENTLY I CAN NOT AFFORD THE COST THAT THEY QUOTED FOR REPAIR AND I AM DRIVING THE CAR WITHOUT A FUNCTIONAL SEAT BELT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSED THE SEAT BELT LIGHT TO TURN ON. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,382 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 123,800. UPDATED 01/13/11*BF UPDATED 01/24/11*JB
FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS, BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SHOULDER SEATBELTS SIMULTANEOUSLY BEHAVE ERRATICALLY. SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR, THE FRONT SHOULDER BELTS HAVE DONE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING, THEN HOURS OR DAYS LATER RETURNED TO NORMAL. ----- (A) FAILED TO DISENGAGE WHEN CAR STOPPED AND DOOR OPENED, AND REMAIN PERMANENTLY ENGAGED FOR SEVERAL HOURS OR SEVERAL DAYS. ----- (B) FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN I ENTERED AND STARTED THE CAR, THEN REMAINING PERMANENTLY UNENGAGED FOR SEVERAL HOURS OR DAYS. ----- (C). DISENGAGED WHILE I DROVE THE CAR, SENDING THE SHOULDER BELT OVER MY ARM. ----- WHEN THE SEAT BELT REMAINS DISENGAGED, I MUST EITHER PUSH THE SHOULDER BELT BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL OR DISCONNECTED IT. AFTER A FEW YEARS OF THIS, THE MECHANISM CEASED BEEPING, AND THE DUMMY LIGHT CEASED LIGHTING FOR THIS PROBLEM. ----- HONDA TOLD ME THESE SEAT BELT PROBLEMS ARE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. THREE YEARS LATER, I WAS TOLD THE SEAT BELT CONTROL UNIT WAS THE PROBLEM AND WOULD COST $730. NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM, AND BECAUSE OF THE HIGH $700 COST DISCUSS HOW TO DISABLE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM, HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/HONDA-ACCORD/TOE3QOLCUR8BQTB4P. *TR
SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT AND WARNING BUZZER SOUND CONTINUOUSLY. PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT REMAINS LOCKED IN REAR POSITION AND WILL NOT TRAVEL. HONDA REFUSED TO HONOR LIFETIME WARRANTY ON SEAT BELT OPERATION STATING THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE "ELECTRONIC" AND NOT SEAT BELT WARRANTY ISSUES. PARTS AND LABOR TO CURE THESE PROBLEMS ESTIMATED AT IN EXCESS OF $1,000. DUE EXPENSE, ONLY SOLUTION IS TO DISCONNECT SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM AND DISABLE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT. *TR
SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT AND CHIME SUDDENLY STARTED TO ACTIVATE EVEN WHEN THE SEATBELTS ARE CONNECTED.THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME THE CAR IS IN USE. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM OR WHAT PARTS TO REPLACE. *TR
IN NOVEMBER 2005, THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT ON MY 1991 HONDA ACCORD COUPE (EX) STARTED MALFUNCTIONING AND WOULD NOT RETRACT TO THE DRIVING POSITION. THERE WAS AN ANNOYING BEEPING SOUND ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MALFUNCTION. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER (IN ST. THOMAS VI) INFORMED ME THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND QUOTED 4 PARTS COSTING OVER $1,411.62, AND THEY COULDN'T GUARANTEE ME THAT THESE REPLACEMENTS WOULD WORK. SO THEY DISCONNECTED THE SEAT BELT MOTOR (UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT), MANUALLY MOVED THE SEAT BELT INTO THE DRIVING POSITION, AND ALSO DISCONNECTED SOME OTHER SEAT BELT ELECTRONIC PART BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT NEAR THE HANDLE AND STORAGE COMPARTMENT OF THE BACK SEAT, BEHIND A SORT OF PANEL IN THAT AREA. OVER TWO YEARS LATER IN 2008, THE DRIVER SIDE LAP BELT RELEASE BUTTON BROKE AND FELL INSIDE THE SEAT BELT CLIP PREVENTING ME FROM LOCKING THE SEAT BELT IN PLACE. I STARTED RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON LINE AND FOUND THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY HONDA RECALL FOR THAT PROBLEM. I HAD TO FIGHT WITH THE DEALER TO GET THEM TO ADMIT THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM THEY SHOULD FIX, AND THEY DID; BUT FORCEFULLY STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT PROBLEM WAS NOT COVERED. IN LOOKING IN THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM, I REALIZED THAT THEY HAD MISREPRESENTED THAT "I CHOSE NOT TO FIX THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT PROBLEM" IN 2005. I REFUTED THE ACCURACY OF THE STATEMENT. I WAS BILLED $26.38 AND RECEIVED NO SPECIFIC DIAGNOSIS SO I DEMANDED A QUOTE TO FIX IT. THAT'S WHEN I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST OVER $630 FOR THE PART AND $50 OR $75 FOR THE LABOR. I HAD TO INSIST THAT THEY GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE WITH THE PART NO. IN CHECKING WITH ANOTHER DEALER, I WAS ABLE TO BUY THE PART FOR $362 (INCL. S/H). I PAID THE LABOR TO DEALER TO HAVE IT PUT IN, AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. ABOUT APRIL 2009, I STARTED GETTING OCCASIONAL BEEPS AND STICKING OF THE SEATBELT AGAIN, BUT IT WOULD RESET ITSELF. SINCE LAST WEEK, AROUND DEC. 2, 2009, IT'S STICKING CONSTANTLY. I CAN'T PAY FOR THIS AGAIN; HONDA SHOULD PAY. *TR
THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FAILS TO RETRACT THEREFORE CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. DUE TO THIS DEFECT IT ALSO CAUSES A DASH SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT TO BLINK AND CONSTANT ALARM TO SOUND. ANOTHER PART OF THIS SITUATION IS THAT HONDA HAS A LIFETIME SEAT BELT WARRANTY THAT STATES: "HONDA WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE, AT ITS OPTION, ANY HONDA SEAT BELT COMPONENT THAT FAILS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY DURING NORMAL USE. THIS WARRANTY INCLUDES PARTS AND LABOR CHARGES." YET WHEN I ASKED TO HAVE MY PROBLEM FIXED THEY SAID THAT THE "SEAT BELT MOTOR" IS NOT A "SEAT BELT COMPONENT" AND IT IS AN "ELECTRICAL COMPONENT". HOWEVER, WHEN THE PART IS SEARCHED FOR ON ALL DEALERS SITES IT IS LISTED UNDER SEAT BELT COMPONENTS AND IN THE SEAT BELT PARTS DIAGRAM AS #12, PART #81831-SM4-A03. *TR
AUTOMATIC SEATBELT STOPPED WORKING ON 91 HONDA ACCORD. TOOK IT TO HONDA & WAS TOLD THE LIFETIME WARRANTY ON ELECTRICAL PART OF THE SEAT BELT IS NOT APPLICABLE. THAT MAKES NO SENSE BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT I HAVE NO SEAT BELT MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE & I DON'T HAVE $400 DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT. HONDA SHOULD HAVE SPECIFIED THIS WHEN MAKING THESE CARS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT LIVING UP TO THERE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SAFE AUTOMOBILES. *TR
THE FRONT SEAT BELTS IN MY CAR ARE THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS. THE SEAT BELT ALERT LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE SEAT BELT ALARM BEGAN GOING OFF, EVEN THOUGH THE SEAT BELT APPEARED TO BE WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF THIS HAPPENING OFF AND ON, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT MOVE INTO THE "ON" POSITION WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED AND THE WARNING LIGHT AND BUZZER ARE ALWAYS ON. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FAILED. THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT BACK TO SECURE HIM IN THE SEAT ONCE THE VEHICLE'S DOOR IS SHUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BECAUSE THE CONTACT REFUSES TO PAY $90 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC WITHOUT THE REPAIR BEING INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 145,000. UPDATED 07/01/09 *BF UPDATED 07/10/09.*JB *UPDATED 07/20/09 *BF
I HAVE A 1991 HONDA ACCORD AND THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT LIGHT FLASHES WITH THE ALARM BEEPING. WHEN I OPEN EITHER DOOR THE SOUND AND BLINKING WILL STOP, BUT CONTINUE AGAIN WHEN I CLOSE THE DOORS AND BEGIN DRIVING. *TR
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.
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