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.
8
Latest Dec 15, 2008
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.
2%
of 507 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.
3
What this page shows
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Volkswagen Passat submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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
Seat belts
Filed Dec 15, 2008
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND DROPPED DOWN APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS PINNED HALFWAY OUT OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE OTHER HALF UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. HE SUFFERED SEVERE HEAD TRAUMA AND PASSED AWAY AT THE SCENE. THE OTHER PASSENGER, WHO WAS THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES, A CONCUSSION, AND MINOR CUTS AND BRUISES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. HE BELIEVES THAT THE SEAT BELT IN THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE RESTRAINED HIS BODY WITHIN THE VEHICLE. HE HAS NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT A FRIEND REFERRED HIM TO NHTSA. HE BELIEVES THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 95,000. UPDATED 2/2/09 *CN UPDATED 02/04/09. *JB
NHTSA ID
10251871
Incident
Nov 1, 2008
Mileage
95,000 mi
ElectricalEngineOther / unspecified+1 more
Filed Sep 26, 2007
Fire reported
BOUGHT A VW PASSAT USED FROM PRIVATE DEALER~I OWNED THE CAR FOR EXACTLY 1 YEAR, TURBO FAILED ~ CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE OWNING VEHICLE. CAR HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH OIL SLUDGE ISSUES FROM PREVIOUS OWNERS. JUST PAID FOR TURBO AND TWO OIL LINES TO BE REPLACED. VW OF AMERICA STATED THEY WOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY ~ NEVER HEARD FROM THEM, I KEEP CALLING ~ CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE DAY ONE ~ NO ONE WANTS TO HELP ME ON THIS QUEST TO SEEK ACTION. I OWE 11,000.00 MORE ON THE VEHICLE CAR WAS SMOKING SEVERELY ~THOUGHT IT WAS AN UNDERCARRIAGE~BUT IT IS NEAR THE TURBO LINE SO IT COULD BE MISTAKEN. *TR
NHTSA ID
10204206
Incident
Aug 1, 2007
Mileage
78 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jan 27, 2005
INTERMITTENTLY THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RELEASE FOR MORE ROOM, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO WEAR THE SEAT BELTS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK...*AK
NHTSA ID
10109032
Incident
Oct 6, 2004
Mileage
55,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Aug 24, 2004
BRITAX, MODEL # E900232/72501, THE CHILD WAS INSIDE OF THE CAR SEAT AND THE MECHANISM HOLDING THE STRAP STRAIGHT FAILED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
NHTSA ID
10089642
Incident
Aug 24, 2004
Seat belts
Filed Dec 27, 2002
Crash reported
VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE PRESSURE OF THE DRIVER IMPACTING THE CONSOLE, CAUSED THE CONSOLE TO TWIST AND ACTIVATE THE SEAT BELT RELEASE BOTTOM. THIS RESULTED IN THE DRIVER BEING THROWN FROM THERE SEAT, WHICH CAUSE THEM TO HAVE HEAD INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
NHTSA ID
10001555
Seat belts
Filed Apr 1, 2002
MIDDLE REAR SEAT, WHEN BACK SEAT IS FOLDED DOWN SEAT BELT WILL GET STUCK.DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
NHTSA ID
8006753
Seat beltsVisibility
Filed Aug 14, 2001
DRIVERS SEAT BELT COMES UNLATCHED INTERMITTENTLY, SUNROOF SLIDER JAMBS/HARD TO SLIDE. *AK
NHTSA ID
750432
Incident
Aug 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed May 10, 2001
1 injury reported
THE EXPLOSIVE IN THE SEAT BELT WENT OFF WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED. INJURING THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WITH EAR RINGING AND BRUSING. THE VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WONDER WHY THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. NOW THEY WANT ME TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN. *AK
NHTSA ID
745174
Incident
Apr 23, 2001
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