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.
11
Latest Jun 26, 2007
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.
5%
of 207 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.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Subaru Outback submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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
Interior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Jun 26, 2007
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE INTERIOR LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE. SHE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO ARIZONA AND IT LOST POWER. THE DEALER RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE AND REPAIRED THE ALTERNATOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIGHTS ARE BECOMING MORE DIM AS TIME PROGRESSES. THE REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 142,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,204.
NHTSA ID
10194706
Incident
May 19, 2007
Mileage
141,204 mi
Seat belts
Filed Nov 3, 2004
HANDLE GOT STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE PROPERLY. THEREFORE COULD NOT USE SEAT *BF *TC
NHTSA ID
10099358
Incident
Oct 25, 2004
Seat belts
Filed May 5, 2004
1 injury reported
MY THREE YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WRAPPED THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT AROUND HER NECK WHILE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE BACK SEAT. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS WAY TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT WHICH CONNECTED FROM THE SEAT TO THE CEILING. AFTER NEARLY STRANGLING MY DAUGHTER I FOUND A POLICE OFFICER WHO USED A KNIFE TO CUT THE SEAT BELT AS IT CONTINUED TO TIGHTEN. I LATER READ IN THE MANUAL THAT A CAR KEY COULD BE USED TO RELEASE THE BELT FROM ITS ANCHOR. *AK
NHTSA ID
10068366
Incident
Mar 27, 2004
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Mar 30, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported
DURING A FRONT-END, LOW-SPEED COLLISION, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY SEATBELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN ME IN MY SEAT, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, I BROUGHT A PROBLEM TO MY DEALERS SERVICE CENTER, IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, AND I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEATBELT FAILURE DURING MY ACCIDENT. *NLM
NHTSA ID
10013692
Incident
Feb 21, 2003
Mileage
79,049 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Mar 30, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported
DURING A FRONT-END, LOW-SPEED COLLISION, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY SEATBELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN ME IN MY SEAT, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, I BROUGHT A PROBLEM TO MY DEALERS SERVICE CENTER, IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, AND I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEATBELT FAILURE DURING MY ACCIDENT. *NLM
NHTSA ID
10013690
Incident
Feb 21, 2003
Mileage
79,049 mi
Seat belts
Filed Oct 29, 2002
THE CAR SEAT IS MANUFACTURERED BY BRITAX. IT IS A ROUNDABOUT MODEL. I HAVE A 22 MONTH OLD TODDLER WHO WEIGHS 27 LBS AND IS ABOUT 32 INCHES TALL. HE CAN EASILY OPEN THE CROTCH LATCH. BRITAX MAKES AND I BOUGHT A LATCH COVER. HE CAN ALSO EASILY OPEN THE LATCH COVER. THE SEAT HAS A DESIGN DEFECT IF IT CAN BE EASILY OPENED BY A YOUNG TODDLER. DT
NHTSA ID
769051
Incident
Oct 27, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Jan 9, 2002
HARNESS MATERIAL ON CAR SEAT IS TOO SOFT TO RETAIN FLAT CONFIGURATION; ROLLS UP INTO ROPE-SHAPE INSIDE SHOULDER PADS, BUNCHES AND BINDS IN HARNESS HARDWARE. SEEKING A WAY TO GET INITIATE A REPLACEMENT BY MANUFACTURER. DID CONTACT MFGR., COSCO, WHO SAID STRAPS ARE SOFT MATERIAL INTENTIONALLY FOR KIDS' COMFORT. I DON'T BUY IT; SEATBELT MATERIAL IN CARS IS SOFT, BUT DOES NOT COLLAPSE LATERALLY. IF CAR SEATBELTS FOLDED, BUNCHED AND ROLLED THIS WAY, THEY WOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY, I SUSPECT. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN HELP.*AK
NHTSA ID
756626
Seat belts
Filed Aug 31, 2001
REAR SEAT SELDOM USED .IN AUG. 2000 MY PASSENGER TRIED TO USE THE SEAT BELT BUT WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND IT AROUND HER BODY. I DISCOVERED THAT THE BELT WAS STUCK ON THE ROOF GUIDE AND WAS FRAYED FOR ABOUT ONE INCH. I REMOVED IT FROM THE GUIDE BUT IT STILL WOULD NOT EXTEND AROUND HER BODY. NO MATTER WHAT I DID THE BELT WOULD NOT EXTEND ENOUGH TO GO AROUND A WOMAN OF 125 POUNDS.TWO ISSUES 1: HOW DID THE BELT FRAY ? 2: WHY WOULDN'T IT EXTEND ?
NHTSA ID
751472
Incident
Aug 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Aug 6, 2001
Crash reported1 death reported
CAR HIT ON DRIVER'S SIDE (DOOR) UNABLE TO REMOVE DRIVER FROM DRIVER'S SIDE...CAR TOTALED....DRIVER DIED AS RESULT OF INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE CRASH...DRIVER WAS WEARING SEAT BELT. *AK
NHTSA ID
749942
Incident
Jul 23, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Mar 1, 2001
WHEN DISENGAGING THE SEAT BELT, OR WHEN MOVING FORWARD THEN BACK, THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE UP THE SLACK. AS THE BELT RETRACTS IT HAS A TENDENCY TO CURL UP AND GET JAMMED IN THE GUIDE LOOP ABOVE MY SHOULDER. SO MY DRIVING IS DISTRACTED BECAUSE I AM TRYING TO UNJAM THE BELT. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO SUBARU AND THE DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. SEVERAL OF THEM SAY THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS 80% OF THE TIME. I HAVE ALSO SEEN BELTS JAMMED IN OTHER SUBARUS. *AK
NHTSA ID
741726
Incident
Jul 29, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jul 19, 2000
DUE TO CONSUMER HEIGHT THE SEAT MUST BE PULLED ALL THE WAY FORWARD SO THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE CAN BE REACHED, BUT WHEN PULLED FORWARD THE SEAT BELT IS TOO TIGHT. *ET
NHTSA ID
553121
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