Seatbelts lifetime warranty! (choking stuck seatbelt buckle death SAFETY RECALL)

ASSISTANCE Interior
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Seatbelt Warranty Inconsistent

Seems like its up to the dealers to interpret the warranty the way they want. My passenger side motorized belt is stuck in the down position and won’t go up. I mentioned the lifetime warranty to the dealer and their reply was that electronics aren’t covered. Only the belt itself is.

I looked at the warranty language in the Acura warranty booklet and its very general. Reading it would indicate that everything should be covered. Unfortunately there’s only one Acura dealer in my area to deal with. Any advice?

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Mine stuck in the down position also.Do you have the hand crank tool that came with the car?That is how I had to get mine back to the position it should be in when your driving.If you get that tool,and you get it back,unplug the motor that runs the track.that way it wont go forward when you open the door.

90LS Hatchback

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I don’t have the tool, but I’ve been able to wrestle the thing back into the up position.

Thing is, every time I open the door it goes back down. So I definitely need to turn off the motor on that side. How do I do that? Got any instructions I can follow? Thanks.

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i’ve got a question. I had to baby sit my friends dog, and I drove it to my house. (20 milies away) Then when I stopped the car, the dog got car sick and threw up all over my lap belt latch thingie. Now my lap belt won’t lock into the latch thingy. Anyway I can fix this??? I’ve tried jamming it in, but it won’t lock in. Help!!!

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My passenger side is broke…

And I mean completely. No hardware at all. Belt is plugged in up top, but there is no release button, and the belt does not move. Do I have to take it to an acura dealer, or can you take it to a honda dealer? Luckily there are several acura dealers in DFW, so I hope I can get mine replaced free also.

My Acura, #3 = :down:

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ARCHIVETHIS

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yeah…

I sure hope that a honda dealership will help me out with this since the closest Acura dealer is about 300 miles away. And there is only one honda dealer in this piece of crap town.

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I have alot of problems with my seat belts. First of all, the previous owner had messed up the integra seats and he swapped in for the civic seats. Would the warrenty still cover me? Ok the seat belts does not move at all, its jus stuck on both sides. And the Lap belt does not plug into the red button, the button is stuck. And the shoulder beat does not retract to itz housing. So yea does the Acura dealer still cover all this even though itz not integra seats, but civic seats? TIA
-Tai

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i dunno dude i guess its a gamble and to the discretion of the dealer. try several… call to see if they even do the repair for stock seats first

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ttt

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Just to clear the air…

I’m a dealer tech. And no one probably knows more about the engineering of our cars than the engineers and me.

The seat belt is warrantied for the life of the vehicle as long as :
1: it is not tampered with
2: it is defective
3: it is not damaged from a wreck.

now of course it is up to the dealer’s descresion is to if they may warranty the part based on the complaint. You see, we at the dealership get customers with some really fu*ked up problems. Here are a few examples:

One window rolling up 0.5 seconds slower than the other.

Check engine light on with the engine running crapy. you know, the infamous Integra tear-R punks with the 5th gear to second gear downshift.

power seat switch panel on a 3.5RL broken. (owner weighs in at 275 lbs.)

Side airbag light on when the cell phone is on the passenger front seat.

A tiny squeak from the trunk while driving 60 mph over a bumpy road.

The seat belt motor and/or rail is covered. And so is the lap and shoulder belt retractors. The wiring and the door switch are not! So ifyour belt has normal wear and tear from usage then they may not cover it.

So if the tech finds any thing else aside from the normal warrantiable items then Acura motor division will not pay the dealership for the repairs and you will need to.

Its no different from going to the doctor. Except doctors will always PRACTICE for the rest of their lives and the dealership technicians actually fix the problem.

Its all about the attitude. They are a place of business just like any one else. If they see someone who doesn’t co-operate and is always giving them an ugly eye. Then why should they need to bend over backwards?

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re: seatbelt

Just a question, do you think that the Acura Dealership would be willing to give me a black seatbelt instead of palmy blue. I am changing my interior to black, and my driver side seatbelt isn’t working properly, so I figured I would try to just get the black color. Do I basically just need to sell them on the idea?

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i thought this topic needed some more attention since it’s not only annoying but could possibly lead to injury.

from my owner’s manual - Seat Belt Limited Warranty http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291962089&p=4234638944&idx=81 :

Seat Belt Limited Warranty

While seat belts cannot eliminate all injury, they can provide a
very significant level of protection when used properly. Acura
believes that seat belt use is the best method of enhancing
occupant safety, and that seat belts should always be in good
operating order for use by vehicle occupants.

This warranty is given only to the owner of a 1990 Acura
automobile distributed by American Honda through the Acura
Automobile Division, and sold by an authorized Acura automobile
dealer in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.

Time Period

This warranty continues for the useful life of the car.

Warranty Coverage

Acura will repair or replace, at its option, any Acura seat belt that
fails to function properly during normal use, free of charge for
parts and labor.

This Warranty Does Not Cover:

Malfunction due to abuse, alteration, accidental damage or damage resulting from a collision, or misuse.

Replacement of a properly functioning seat belt because of cosmetic or comfort reasons.

archivethis

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also, to add more important (and search-function friendly!) information to this thread, there is a SAFETY RECALL on our cars in regard to the front seat belt buckles. the red plastic piece can crack and even though the recall is from 1995 a lot of people haven’t had this done to their cars yet.

mine cracked last winter and it became very hard to insert and remove the seatbelt from the buckle. i couldn’t figure out how to fix it myself and just lived with it…i never would have known about this if i hadn’t recieved a postcard from my acura dealer after having some service done there noting that there was no record of the repair being done to my vehicle.

check with your acura dealer, they’ll replace these even if they aren’t broken. if they find anything else wrong while they’re inspecting them, i’m sure all other problems fall under the warranty guidelines.

here’s all the information from nhtsa.dot.gov:

Make : ACURA
Model : INTEGRA
Year : 1991
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 95V103001
Recall Date : MAY 16, 1995
Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 3700000

Summary:
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED “PRESS.” IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.

Consequence:
THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy:
OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. CHECK THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUG ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS SECURELY LOCKED, THEN PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON. THE LATCH PLATE SHOULD POP OUT OF THE BUCKLE WHEN THE BUTTON IS PRESSED. IF EITHER RELEASE BUTTON SHOWS ANY SIGN OF BREAKAGE OR CRACKING, OR IF EITHER BUCKLE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY, PROMPTLY CONTACT YOUR AUTHORIZED HONDA/ACURA DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BUCKLE REPLACED OR REPAIRED, FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER IS DEVELOPING A REMEDY DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE FAILURE OF THE BUTTONS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BROKEN.

Notes:
SYSTEM: INTERIOR; SEAT BELTS; BELT BUCKLES. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 2-DOOR, 4-DOOR AND 5-DOOR PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY BELTS MADE BY TAKATA CORPORATION. NOTE: IF YOUR VEHICLE IS PRESENTED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AT AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND THE REMEDY IS NOT PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE WITHIN A REASONABLETIME, PLEASE CONTACT HONDA/ACURA AT 1-800-999-1009. ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-800-424-9393.

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also, when i was on the phone with acura just now scheduling my recall update, the guy mentioned the lifetime warranty to me as well and said that there were very few exceptions to this warranty, such as a dog chewing through the lap belt.

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I had trouble with my passenger side seat belt. It was stuck. So I went over to the local dealer in Burlington, Vermont. He changed everything and made me wait for 3 hours. At the end, he told me that the problem is with the latch which is not covered. It would cost around 100 bucks. :bs:

So … It still doesn’t work. I wonder if he’s right or wrong … ???

What you guyz think ?

:rant:

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print this out and threaten to report them to honda motor co.

hm i didnt know takata made our seatbelts. not really good they fouled up but i guess i wouldnt mind a new set.

seatbelt.jpg
seatbelt.jpg388×623 24 KB

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my local buddies at the acura dealer told me if anything ever went wrong with my seat belt motors tracks etc, bring it in to them and they could replace everything for free :bowdown:

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yeah i needed mine replaced… Mine tried to choke me with their evil possesed wickedness. So i poured holy water on them and they stopped choking me. LOL naw but when mine stopped working i bought 4 point harnesses.

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here’s the version of the recall directly from honda http://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/maintenance/maint_recalls_show.asp?campaignMasterNo=J95&url=Campaigns%2FJ95.htm

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February 1992

Important Safety Recall Notice

Dear Acura Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

What is the reason for this notice?
Honda has determined that front seat belt buckle release buttons have broken, and others may break in the future, in some 1986 - 91 Acura cars equipped with seat belts made by the Takata Corporation. These seat belt buckle release buttons are made of red plastic, and are marked “PRESS.” If a button breaks, pieces may fall into the buckle assembly. If this occurs, the buckle may not operate properly, thereby creating a safety risk.

To prevent this problem from occurring, Acura will replace all broken front seat belt buckles, free of charge. In addition, Acura will modify all unbroken buckles manufactured by Takata to prevent future button breakage.

Why Seat Belts Are Important
If your seat belt buckle is broken or does not operate properly, you should have it replaced as soon as possible. Seat belts are the most important part of your car’s safety equipment. Acura urges you to wear your seat belt whenever you drive, and to make sure that your passengers also wear theirs. If you do not wear your seat belt, your chances of being killed or seriously injured during a collision are much higher than if you are wearing a seat belt. That is why seat belt use is required by law in almost every state.

What should you do?
Call any authorized Acura dealer and make an appointment to have your car repaired. If either release button shows any sign of breakage or cracking, or if either buckle fails to operate properly, the dealer will replace the buckle, free of charge.

Even if both front seat belt release buttons appear to be in good condition, and both buckles operate properly, your seat belt buckles will need to be modified to prevent future button breakage. Modification of the seat belt buckles will be free of charge and parts are now available.

Replacement or modification of the seat belt buckles will take less than half an hour; however, the dealer may need to keep your car for a longer period because of their workload. Please call for an appointment.

Who to contact if you experience problems.
If you are not satisfied with the service you receive from your Acura dealer, you may write to:

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Acura Client Services Department
1919 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90501-2746

If you believe that American Honda or the dealer has failed or is unable to remedy the defect in your vehicle, without charge, within a reasonable period of time (60 days from the date you first contact the dealer for a repair appointment), you may submit a claim to:

Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590

Or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236. Residents of Washington D.C. should call (202) 366-0123.

Warranty Reminder
For safety, we urge you to regularly check the condition of your seat belts. If you notice that a release button is broken or if you experience any problems with seat belt operation, contact your dealer immediately. Remember, Acura has a lifetime seat belt warranty that applies to every Acura automobile. It covers any seat belt component that fails to function properly during normal use (see your warranty booklet for details).

Special Notice to Lessors
Under Federal law, the lessor of a vehicle who receives this letter must provide a copy of it to the vehicle lessee(s). The lessor must also keep a record of the lessee(s) to whom this letter is sent, the date sent, and the applicable Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). (For the purposes of this notice, a lessor means a person or entity that in the last twelve months prior to the date of this notifiaction has been the owner, as referenced on the vehicle’s title, of any five or more leased vehicles. A leased vehicle is a vehicle leased to another person for a term of at least four months.)

Thank you for your cooperation. We are sorry for any inconvenience you might experience.

Sincerely,

AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
Acura Automobile Division

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