Which Car Manufacturers Have Had a Seat Belt Recall?

Seat belts are designed to protect vehicle occupants from serious injury in the event of an accident. Unfortunately, defects in these protective devices sometimes put drivers and passengers in great danger. General Motors announced a seat belt recall affecting more than 64,000 vehicles after it was determined that the belt mechanisms could cause the carpeting to catch fire.

Seat Belt Recall Overview

Vehicle safety standards are controlled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As such, the agency has the authority to require manufacturers to issue recalls if it finds that vehicles don’t meet standards. Vehicles may have safety-related or non-safety-related defects. According to the NHTSA, seat belt recalls are usually safety-related.

Safety-related issues pose an “unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety” and may be present in all vehicles of a certain design or across all “items of equipment of the same type and manufacture.” This means that a recall may affect all vehicles of one model or all vehicles that use a certain piece of equipment.

When Is a Seat Belt Recall Ordered?

According to the NHTSA, a seat belt recall may be issued if the equipment causes a safety-related defect or doesn’t comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which dictate requirements for motor vehicles’ “design, construction, performance, and durability” and regulate “safety components, systems, and design features.” The NHTSA has specific standards and “minimum performance requirements” for parts of a vehicle that are key to its safe operation or are used to protect drivers and passengers. Seat belts fall into this second category. A seat belt recall is issued if the belt fails to meet these performance requirements.

A seat belt recall may be triggered by consumer reports to the NHTSA. NHTSA agents screen and analyze reports to determine if an investigation is warranted. If an investigation is needed, the manufacturer will have an opportunity to “present its views regarding the alleged defect.” The investigation is closed if the manufacturer decides to issue a seat belt recall, for instance, or if the NHTSA determines that further investigation is not warranted. If the agency finds that the defective product poses a safety risk, it may request a recall and take the manufacturer to federal court if it refuses.

What Was the Cause of the GM Seat Belt Recall?

According to CNBC,  the 2019 GM seat belt recall was issued due to a link between the vehicles’ high-tech seat belts and carpet fires. Seat belts are meant to protect passengers by tightening in the event of a crash. To accomplish this, a small explosion moves a piston within the belt mechanism. However, in some cases, hot gas from the explosion is released through an opening in the seat belt bracket. This gas can ignite flammable items inside the car, specifically carpet. GM reported two such fires but says no injuries were sustained.

Other Seat Belt Recalls

Seat belts can fail in a range of ways. Though not all defective seat belts can cause a fire, they still are serious issues that should be dealt with swiftly. Other seatbelt recalls have also made news, illustrating that this issue can affect consumers no matter what car they drive.

In summer 2020, Volvo made headlines for having to recall 2 million cars over an issue affecting the front seatbelts.

Seat belts in the affected vehicles are anchored by a steel cable and the cable can weaken, impairing the seat belt’s functionality in a crash. According to Consumer Reports, this weakness could leave the seatbelt unable to protect a driver or passenger during a collision.

The Volvo seat belt recall affects more than 2 million cars distributed around the world, including 307,653 that were sold in the United States. Affected vehicles were manufactured between 2006 and 2019, according to Volvo, and include the S60, S60L, S60CC, V60, V60CC, XC60, V70, XC70, S80, and S80L models.

Volvo says that no accidents or injuries have been reported in connection with the seat belt recall, and the automaker claims that although it’s a rare problem, the company issued a recall “out of an abundance of caution.” 

The cable could reportedly be weakened if a driver or passenger moved the seat belt and buckle in a certain way, however, the problem would not necessarily occur in all vehicles.

How Can You Check if Your Vehicle Is on the List?

Due to the danger posed to drivers, it’s important to determine whether or not your vehicle is affected by this seat belt recall. Manufacturers are required to notify consumers of recalls issued, but these notifications can be easily missed. You can check for yourself whether or not your vehicle is on a recall list.

To see if your vehicle is covered under a seat belt recall, you will need to find your vehicle identification number (VIN). The VIN is printed on your vehicle’s registration and insurance card and is also visible at the lower, driver’s side corner of the windshield. The VIN might also be printed on a placard on the driver’s door jamb.

Once you know your VIN, you can check to see if your vehicle is listed on the NHTSA recall page. The NHTSA has a searchable database of all recalls to date. If your vehicle is on the list,  contact your dealership to begin the seat belt recall process.

Can You File a Car Defect Lawsuit?

As a part of its seat belt recall, GM is offering to close the openings in the seat belt mechanism at no cost to consumers. However, if your vehicle was included in the GM recall, you may be able to seek additional compensation by filing a car defect lawsuit, particularly if you experienced adverse effects due to the defective seat belts, like a carpet fire.

Join a Free Vehicle Safety Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you own a vehicle that you believe has a safety defect and you are outside of the warranty period or you believe the defect should be covered by the warranty and it’s not, or you or a family member have been injured by a safety related defect, you may qualify to join this vehicle safety defect class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.