RoadVitals

NHTSA safety recall

Recall 03V515000: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS · Reported to NHTSA Dec 15, 2003

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
Units potentially affectedThe manufacturer's own estimate of how many vehicles or items of equipment may contain the defect. It is not a count of failures, and not every unit in the range is necessarily affected.
49,000
Model years coveredModel years in our database that NHTSA matched to this campaign. Whether an individual vehicle is covered still depends on its VIN.
1
Models covered
1
Grouped from the model years above
Reported to NHTSA
Dec 15, 2003
Production Apr 17, 2000 – May 31, 2001

What this recall covers

NHTSA's campaign record, quoted as published

The defect

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A POST WITHIN THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVERS COULD FRACTURE, WHICH COULD AFFECT LATCH FUNCTION, RESULTING IN EITHER A "NO LATCH" OR "PARTIAL LATCH" CONDITION. IN THE "PARTIAL LATCH" CONDITION, THE BUCKLE TONGUE CAN BE INSERTED INTO THE BUCKLE AND APPEAR TO BE ENGAGED, BUT WILL RELEASE FROM THE BUCKLE WITHOUT THE PUSH BUTTON BEING DEPRESSED WHEN A RELATIVELY LOW LOAD IS APPLIED, SUCH AS WHEN AN OCCUPANT MOVES SLIGHTLY IN THE SEAT.

The risk

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

The remedy

DEALERS WILL HAVE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVER REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SERVICE BUCKLE COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.

Notes

MAZDA RECALL NO. 1503L.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.

Campaign details

Identifiers and dates as filed with NHTSA

Manufacturer
MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS
Manufacturer's campaign number
1503L
NHTSA campaign number
03V515000
Units potentially affected
49,000
Report received
Dec 15, 2003
Production range
Apr 17, 2000 – May 31, 2001
Campaign type
Vehicle
Federal safety standard (FMVSS)
Not recorded

Vehicles covered

1 model year across 1 model

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.