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 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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 STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO INSERT THE SEAT BELT LATCH INTO THE BUCKLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY INFORMED HIM HE SHOULD REPLACE THE SEAT BELT LATCH ASSEMBLY. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE SEAT BELT LATCH ASSEMBLY, AND HAD NOT ANY PROBLEMS WITH INSERTING THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD 62000 MILES.*AK
THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT WAS SHREDDED. NO PASSENGER CAN SIT IN THE SEAT. THE SEAT BELTS HAVE PRACTICALLY SPLIT IN HALF.*AK
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SEAT BELT UNLOCKED. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP PROPERLY. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT SEAT BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT LATCH PROPERLY. *AK
WHEN TURNING, THE SEAT BELT GOT CAUGHT UNDER THE AUDIO SWITCH HOUSINGS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, LOCKING THE WHEEL. IN THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE LEFT SIDE HOUSING PULLED OUT COMPLETLY ALLOWING FURTHER OPERATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IN THE SECOND INCIDENT, THE REMAINING RIGHT SWITCH HOUSING DID NOT COME OUT, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT OPERATIONAL, AND THE DRIVER NEARLY HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE BEING ABLE TO STOP. THE DRIVER IS A 5 FT TALL WOMAN WHO HAS THE SEAT ALL THE WAY FORWARD SO SHE CAN REACH THE PEDALS AND SEE OVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER SAID WE SHOULD BUY BLOCKS FOR THE PEDALS AND NOT SIT SO CLOSE TO THE WHEEL. PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID WE SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE WE BOUGHT THE CAR AND NOT PURCHASED IT; THEY DON'T SEE IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I REQUESTED PONTIAC TO REPLACE THE WHEEL WITH THE SWITCHLESS TYPE AND THEY REFUSED.
I HAVE HAD TWO CAR ACCIDENTS. IN BOTH ACCIDENTS THE AIR BAGS DID NOT COME OUT AND THE SEAT BELTS OFFERED NO PROTECTION EITHER. THE DESIGN OF THE NECK RESTRAIN ALLOWED MY NECK TO GO BACK CAUSING SEVERE INJURY TO A DISC. IF THE SAFTEY SYSTEM FAILED ONE TIME I WONDERED. BUT FAILED TWICE THE CAR OR DESIGN HAS PROBLEMS. WHEN FIRST PURCHASING MY CAR THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE SHIFTER WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. AGAIN I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. *AK
DESIGN OF SHOULDER HARNESS PLACES BELT ACROSS THROAT. SHOULDER HARNESS IS TOO TIGHT, WILL NOT LOOSEN. *AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER LAP IS TWISTED WITHIN THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER REGARDING PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CAR WAS TRAVELING APPROX.35-40 MPH AND HIT TWO STOPPED CARS. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK UP, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT STEERING WHEEL SUFFERING FROM CONCUSSION AND ACUTE HERNIATED C5-6 IN NECK. AN ACCIDENT REPORT WAS FILED WITH MANUFACTURER AND THE COMPANY FIXING CAR DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON WET PAVEMENT VEHICLE SLID OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE ON THE SIDE. ALL FOUR OF THE PASSENGERS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, AND THE SEAT BELT LOCKS RELEASED ON THEIR OWN. ONE CONSUMER WAS TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. 2 SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK
PONTIAC VOIDED WARRANTY DUE TO STEREO EQUIPMENT. SEAT BELT ANCHOR ATTACHMENT FAILED, PONTIAC REFUSES TO FIX. *AK
FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE INOPERATIVE. YH
RIGHT FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CONSTANTLY RETRACTS EVEN WHEN FULLY EXTENDED MAKING IT VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND TOO TIGHT TO WEAR.
DESIGN OF SEATBELT CAUSES THEM TO REST ON THE NECK INSTEAD OF THE SHOULDER.
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 .