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 Honda Accord submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 24 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 1997 HONDA ACCORD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO LATCH IN PLACE WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION KEY DISENGAGED WHILE IN THE ON POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
I HAD FILED A REPORT WITH THE BAR ABOUT A SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY HONDA ACCORD STARTING TO FREY AND THEY HAD SPOKE WITH HONDA IN POWAY CA AND THEY WILL NOT COVER THE SEAT BELT BECAUSE IT IS NOT BROKEN. TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF I AM INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WILL THE SEAT BELT BE WORKING 100%? THERE ARE TEAR MARKS ON THE BELT WERE IT CLICKS TO THE BELT BUCKLE AND I FEEL THIS IS NOT SAFE. I FEEL HONDA SHOULD COVER THIS. *TR
ONE OF THE SEAT BELT AT THE BACK DOESNT RETRACT. ITS JUST DANGLING. I HAVE HARDLY USED THIS SEAT BELT HOWEVER WHEN USED SPARINGLY THE SEAT BELT GOT STUCK DIDNT RETRACT. *TR
THIS IS A GENERAL COMPLAINT FOR THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES USED ON A WIDE VARIETY OF HONDA VEHICLES OVER MULTIPLE PRODUCTION YEARS BEING ABLE TO UNLATCH DURING A COLLISION. TO KEEP THIS COMPLAINT FORM BRIEF, ONLY THE MAIN TOPICS WILL BE DISCUSSED. THE DEFECT CONSISTS OF THE SEATBELT FAILING TO FULLY LATCH IN PLACE IF A SMALL AMOUNT OF A BEVERAGE (USUALLY SODA POP) IS SPILLED INTO THE SEATBELT HOUSING. AFTER DRYING, THE BEVERAGE RESIDUE BECOMES STICKY AND THE DESIGN OF THE SEATBELT BUCKLE PREVENTS THE BUCKLE FROM LATCHING SECURELY. THE FAILURE MODE CAN BE EITHER THE SEATBELT NOT LATCHING AT ALL OR THE BUCKLE GIVING A 'FALSE LATCH' CONDITION MEANING THAT THE SEATBELT TONGUE CLICKS AND SEEMS TO HOLD IN PLACE NORMALLY TO THE OCCUPANT BUT IF PULLED FIRMLY IT WILL RELEASE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN TO OCCUPANTS. HONDA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND EVEN HAS RETURNED WARRANTY PARTS (ESTIMATE OVER 1000 FAILURES HAVE BEEN RETURNED BY CUSTOMERS) THAT IT HAS CATEGORIZED AS BSR (BROWN STICKY RESIDUE). THIS PROBLEM GOES BACK AT LEAST AS FAR AS 1994 (WITH THE 1994 STYLE DESIGN BEING ESPECIALLY PRONE TO THIS FAILURE). AS STATED, HONDA HAS RECEIVED MANY FAILURES OF THIS TYPE BACK BUT HAS TAKEN NO ACTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN WEARING THEIR SEAT BELT BUT WHEN IN A COLLISION IT UNLATCHED AND ALLOWED THEM TO BE INJURED. FURTHERMORE, WITH HONDA PLACING A CUPHOLDER JUST INCHES AWAY FROM THE SEATBELT BUCKLE (AND WITH THE BUCKLE DESIGNED IN A FUNNEL SHAPE), IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HONDA KNEW BEVERAGES WOULD BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE BUCKLE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I HOPE THAT AN INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED TO HELP SAVE LIVES. FORCING HONDA TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WARRANTY CLAIMS IT HAS RECEIVED FOR SEAT BELT BUCKLES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WOULD SHOW THAT HONDA HAS KNOWN OF THE DEFECT BUT HAS TAKEN NO STEPS TO CORRECT IT OR INFORM ITS CUSTOMERS OF THE DANGER. *AK
DRIVER'S 2 YEAR OLD CHILD IS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE SAFETY HARNESS BECAUSE CHILD IS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, REAR LAP BELT UNBUCKLED WHERE AN UNOCCUPIED CHILD RESTRAINT WAS LOCATED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
FRONT AND REAR SHOULDER BELTS FAIL TO PROPERLY RETRACT, CAUSING INADEQUATE PROTECTION WHEN BELTS ARE NEEDED. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. *AK THE REAR SEAT BELT IS NOT USABLE AT ALL AND THE DRIVER SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. *YH
PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT STAY FASTENED. BELT WILL LOCK BUT CAN EASILY BECOME UNDONE. DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED.*AK
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT RELEASE FROM LOCKING MECHANISM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
SEAT BELT NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR MY DAUGHTER IN LAW TO USE. CONTACTED DEALER. WAS TOLD HONDA DOESN'T MAKE EXTENTIONS LIKE FORD DOES. CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS?*AK
THE SEAT BELT IS NOT BIG ENOUGH. THE DEALER HAS INFORM ME THAT HONDA DOES NOT HAVE AN EXTENSION FOR THE SEAT BELT, IT IS ILLEGLE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE BUT MY STATE WITHOUT THE SEAT BELT FASTEN. *AK
SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT OR COME OUT.*AK
THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCKS UP HOLDING THE PASSENGER TIGHTLY AGAINST THE SEAT AND CAN ONLY BE RELEASED IF THE SEAT BELT IS COMPLETELY RETRACTED. THIS CAN BE DONE MANUALLY WITHOUT THE CAR DRIVING. I HAVE CONTACTED OUR DEALER AND IT SAYS ALL IS WELL.LOOKING AT YOUR DATABASE INDICATES HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *AK
NOT ABLE TO WEAR WEAT BELTS, NOT BIG ENOUGH , THERE IS NO EXTENSION AVABILITY
SEAT BELT TOO TIGHT ACROSS CHEST OF CONSUMER. NLM
SEAT BELT DESIGN ALLOWS FOR CONTINUED TIGHTENING WHEN MOVEMENT IS FELT, CAUSING A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TIGHT FEELING ON CONSUMER.
SEAT BELT LOCKED UP AND TIGHTENED, CONSUMER HAD TO CUT TO RELEASE.
PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT GETS STUCK. PASSENGER MUST UNBUCKLE SEAT BELT AND RETRACT IT COMPLETELY AND THEN REBUCKLE IT. THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS WHENEVER A PASSENGER IS IN THE VEHICLE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW.
SEATBELT FAILURE
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKS UP INTERMITTENTLY FOR NOT APPARENT REASON.
WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKS UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
LEFT SIDE SEAT BELT INERTIA REELS FAILED TO RETRACT THE SEAT BELT TO THE STOWED POSITION.
DESIGN: RIGHT FRNT SHOULDER BELT ONLY RETRACTS AFTER IT'S FULLY EXTENDED, BECOMES TIGHTER AND TIGHTER UNIL OCCUPANT IS FORCED TO UNLATCH SEAT BELT. OCCUPANT CONTINUES TO RIDE UNRESTRAINED. *AK
RIGHT FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR GRADUALLY TIGHTENS UNTIL BELT IS DISCONNECTED.
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 .