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 May 3, 2006
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.
26%
of 69 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.
10
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
12
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Honda Civic 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
Other / unspecifiedSeat belts
Filed May 3, 2006
Crash reported1 injury reported
I HAD AUTO ACCIDENT, I WAS GOING 15 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR. WHEN I HIT SMALL TREE. THE STEERING WHEEL CRUSHED MY CHEST AND I SUFFERED A SPINAL CORD INJURY AT THE T~2 LEVEL AND NOW I'M NOW A QUADRIPLEGIC. MY SEAT BELT FAILED TO HOLD, THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN RECALLED MINE WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL. IN 1996 RECALL NO.- 95-028 I WAS STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE BELT LATCH NOT STAYING FASTENED CALLED THE HONDA COMPANY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THEY DIDN'T HELP ME AT ALL. A DEALER TOLD ME HONDA HAS A LIFETIME SEAT BELT WARRANTY ON ALL HONDA VEHICLES, IT COVERS ANY SEAT BELT COMPONENTS THAT FAILS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR COMPANY SAID IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY. NOW I'M PAYING THE PRICE. BUYER BEWARE YOU MIGHT END UP, LIKE ME IN A WHEELCHAIR. THIS RECALL ONLY INFECTED 3,300,000 VEHICLES, ROLL THE DICE? TAKE A CHANGE. I'M SURE THERE ARE MORE VICTIMS OUT THERE, WHILE SOME I'M SURE YOU PLANTED THEM...*JB
NHTSA ID
10156742
Incident
Jul 2, 2004
Seat belts
Filed Aug 7, 2003
HONDA ISSUED A RECALL OF THE FRONT SEATBELTS IN THE 1989 HONDA. THE BELT CAN SPONTANEOUSLY COME UNLATCHED. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN MY FIANCE'S 1989 HONDA. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT OFTEN SPONTANEOUSLY UNLATCHES -- THAT IS WHERE I SIT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO PLANET HONDA IN GOLDEN, COLORADO ON THREE OCCASIONS. BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE BELT TO UNLATCH WHEN WE WERE AT THE DEALER, SO THEY HAVE REFUSED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. HER CAR OBVIOUSLY HAS THE PROBLEM. BUT HONDA IS REFUSING TO FIX IT. WHAT DO WE DO? *PH
NHTSA ID
10031036
Incident
Aug 7, 2003
Mileage
90,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 7, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLECROSSED FROM ANOTHER LANE IN FRONT SUDDENLY. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES & REAR ENDED VEHICLEIN FRONT. UPON IMPACT WITH VEHICLE, DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK UP TO RESTRAIN DRIVER. SEAT BELT BUCKLE LOCKING MECHANISM BROKE. DRIVER WAS THROWN FORWARD, BUT NOT INJECTED. DRIVER SUFFERED WHIPLASH & RELEASED FROM EMERGENCY ROOM. *AK
NHTSA ID
869887
Incident
Jul 4, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jan 27, 2000
CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY ON THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. OWNER CONTACTED PREVIOUS OWNER AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE SEAT BELTS AND THAT IT HAD ALREADY BEEN FIXED. *AK *ML
NHTSA ID
855646
Incident
Jan 27, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jan 4, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported
THE 1989 HONDA CIVIC DX USES MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS. MY NIECE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THIS WEEKEND, HIT A FREEWAY RAILING THAT CAUSED THE BATTERY TO BECOME DISCONNECTED; UPON ITS DISCONNECT, THE MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS WERE RELEASED WHICH RESULTED IN MY NIECE BEING EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS KILLED IN SUBJECT ACCIDENT. IS THERE ANY AUTOMOTIVE RECALL OR LITIGATION INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT SIMILAR ACCIDENTS? HAVE THERE BEEN SIMILAR LITIGATIONS? *AK
NHTSA ID
716861
Incident
Jan 1, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Mar 17, 1999
Crash reported2 injuries reported
MY CIVIC COLLIDED WITH THE SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. THE LAP COMPONENT OF MY SEATBELT ENGAGED ALLOWING ONLY MINOR BRUISING/CUTS TO MY KNEES WHICH HIT THE DASH. THE SHOULDER BELT, HOWEVER, DID NOT ENGAGE CAUSING MY CHEST TO SLAM INTO THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSING A DEEP CHEST CONTUSION. MY INSURANCE CO'S APPRAISER "TESTED" THE BELT BUT CLAIMS IT CATCHES WHEN TUGGED ON. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP CLAIMS SEATBELTS ARE TO KEEP YOU IN THE CAR, NOT TO PREVENT YOU FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL/DASH/WINDSHIELD.
NHTSA ID
704555
Incident
Mar 12, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Dec 15, 1997
SEAT BELT FAILED.
NHTSA ID
522201
Seat belts
Filed Mar 21, 1996
Crash reported
SEAT BELT INADVERTENTLY WRAPPED AROUND SEAT POSITION LEVER/DISLODGED WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSS CONTROL AND HAD AN ACCIDENT. *SD
NHTSA ID
502693
Incident
Sep 7, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Mar 4, 1996
SEAT BELT TWISTED PRIOR TO RECALL. *SD
NHTSA ID
501861
Incident
Feb 26, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Nov 6, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported
THE OWNERS DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE FAULTY SEATBELT UNLATCHED AND CAUSED HER FURTHER INJURIES.TT ON IMPACT OF THE ACCIDENT SEAT BELT UNLATCHED, CONSUMER WAS HIT IN THE HEAD AND CAUSD HEAD INJURY.*JB
NHTSA ID
974579
Incident
Oct 18, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Oct 27, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported
VEHICLE WAS IMPACT 8:00 POSITION SPEED 30MPH, DRIVER BUCKLE DID NOT HOLD, RECALL RELATED 95V103001. TT
NHTSA ID
974091
Incident
Oct 21, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Aug 30, 1995
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LOCK . TT
NHTSA ID
971313
Seat belts
Filed Jun 25, 1995
PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE JAMMED/WILLNOT LOCK IN PLACE. *SD
NHTSA ID
485681
Incident
Jun 25, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Jun 6, 1995
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE DOOR. TT
NHTSA ID
966354
Incident
May 12, 1995
Seat belts
Filed May 28, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported
FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT BROKE AWAY FROM ATTACHMENT DURING ACCIDENT, THROWING PASSENGER INTO TREE, RESULTING IN DEATH. *SKD
NHTSA ID
486689
Incident
Oct 23, 1993
Seat belts
Filed Apr 26, 1995
TAKATA SEAT BELT FAILURE, DIFFICULTY UNLATCHING BELT BUCKLE. TT
NHTSA ID
964409
Incident
Apr 26, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Apr 24, 1995
Crash reported2 injuries reported
CAR WAS IN ACCIDENT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DIDN'T HOLD THE PERSON IN THE CAR . TT
NHTSA ID
964238
Incident
Mar 24, 1994
Seat beltsTires & wheels
Filed Feb 27, 1995
Crash reported
VEHICLE EQUIPPED W/WIDE TIRES THAT HAVE FRONT AND REAR GROUND EFFECTS, SNOW BUILDS UP UNDER GROUND EFFECTS, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD
NHTSA ID
481643
Incident
Feb 27, 1995
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