1992 Mitsubishi Expo Lrv

THE SEAT BELT ON DRIVER SIDE STOPPED OPERATING. MECHANISM IS STUCK AND DOES NOT MOVE THE SEAT BELT CLIP ON THE RAIL ASSEMBLY. HAD PARKED THE VEHICLE, OPENED MY DOOR BUT THE SEAT BELT STOPPED 1/3 ON THE WAY. IT KEPT TRYING TO FUNCTION PROPERLY BUT IT GAVE OUT. WHEN I WENT BACK TO THE VEHICLE, I OPENED THE DOOR AND THE WIRE CAME OUT OF THE RAIL ASSEMBLY. CALLED MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS BUT WAS TOLD PART IS OBSOLETE. HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE CORRECT PART TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE. IT'S THE ONLY VEHICLE ACCESSIBLE FOR USAGE. PLEASE HELP.

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RAIL ASSEMBLY BROKE. I TOOK IT TO SEVERAL MECHANICS. GLENDALE, CA DEALER SAID THE PARTS ARE OBSOLETE. C & C COLLISION IN PASADENA ON 8/23/2012 WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT SAFE BY DISENGAGING THE CABLE/MOTOR MECHANISM. THANK YOU, NHTSA, FOR CONTACTING MITSUBISHI ON MY BEHALF, TO GET IT REPAIRED PROPERLY. PLEASE SEE EMAILS BELOW: EMAILS: SENT: 8/29/2012 SUBJ: RE: DESPERATE WOMAN FROM: [XXX] SENT: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2012 11:44 AM TO: [XXX] SUBJECT: RE: DESPERATE WOMAN HI [XXX], ....I DO KNOW THE PRESIDENT OF THE AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY COUNSEL, WHICH IS AN INDUSTRY GROUP THAT INCLUDES ALL THE BIG AUTOMOTIVE RESTRAINT MANUFACTURERS. I'LL FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO HIM AND COPY [XXX].... FROM [XXX].... I AM A SEATBELT EXPERT IN CA, A FORMER NHTSA CONTRACT INVESTIGATOR AND FORMER NTSB INVESTIGATOR.... SHE'S .... OLD, VERY DISABLED, CANCER STRICKEN WOMAN.... SHE HAS A 1992 MITSUBISHI XLR VAN. THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY WHICH DRIVES THE PASSIVE SHOULDER HARNESS ALONG THE TRACK IS BROKEN. I HAVE SEARCHED .... PARTS STORE, JUNK YARD, ETC. TO FIND HER A REPLACEMENT. SHE CANNOT TRADE THE VAN IN BECAUSE 1, SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY,AND 2 IT IS SO CUSTOMIZED THAT IT COULD NEVER REALLY BE REPLACED.... I KNOW MITSUBISHI IS NOT REQUIRED TO KEEP THESE PARTS THIS LONG, BUT I ....WONDERED IF NHTSA HAD METHODS OF GETTING MANUFACTURERS TO HELP HER. NOW, HER ONLY RESOLUTION, IS TO LEAVE THE BELT AT THE "B" PILLAR SO SHE IS AT LEAST PROTECTED BY IT, BUT GETTING IN AND OUT OF HER VAN IS VERY DIFFICULT. IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO.... THANK YOU.... [XXX] OCCUPANT SAFETY CONSULTING [XXX] CC [XXX] THANK YOU EVERYONE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC (SHOULDER) SEAT BELT IS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION AND HENCE CAN'T BE USED. THE SANE PROBLEM WAS THERE THREE YEARS BEFORE AND THE DEALER SAID ITS IN RECALL AND FIXED IT. BUT THIS TIME HE SAID THERE IS NO RECALL AND IT COSTS $700 TO FIX IT. THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY THREAT TO THE DRIVER AND MAKES THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. *AK