1993 Pontiac Trans Sport

SEAT BELTS:EVERY SEAT BELT IN THIS VEHICLE HAS BECOME "NON-FUNCTIONING" BETWEEN 7/01/97 AND PRESENT. SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NOT WORKING, AND THE LOCKING MECHANISM AT SUDDEN STOPS DOES NOT FUNCTION, MAKING EACH SEATBELT IN THIS VEHICLE USELESS AND ENDANGERING PASSENGERS. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES, AND DENIES THEY HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRS. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THERE ARE NO "OPEN" RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH THEY CANNOT VERIFY IF THE RECALLS LISTED HAVE IN FACT EVER BEEN COMPLETED. ALTERNATOR:HAVE HAD MAJOR ALTERNATOR/BATTERY PROBLEMS, SEVERAL REPLACEMENTS TO THE ALTERNATOR, LOW VOLTAGE AND GRADUAL LOSS OF POWER, UNSTEADY VOLTAGE METER...HAVE HAD THE FUSEABLE LINK REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.*AK

MOST DISTURBING IS GM REFUSAL TO ADMIT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR PROBLEM AND FIX IT. THIS IS SAFETY EQUIPMENT WHICH SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR, WAS REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY $350 + LABOUR COST WHEN IT IS SO OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART? DEALER EVEN LIED TO ME, CLAIMING THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A SEATBELT RECALL ON TRANS SPORT VANS, WHEN I HAD THE RECALL NOTICE IN FILE AT HOME! I HAVE OWNED A FORD MUSTANG FOR 9 YEARS WITHOUT SEATBELT PROBLEM, FOLLOWED BY A CAMARO FOR 16 YEARS WITHOUT SEATBELT PROBLEMS. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THIS VAN, SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE ARE TOO MANY FOLKS ADJUSTING IT... RETRACTOR IS OBVOIUSLY POOR QUALITY. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT, SO EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY LIFE IS AT RISK. GUESS GM DOESN'T CARE ABOUT MY LIFE ANY MORE THAN FORD CARED ABOUT DRIVERS OF EXPLORERS. IS THERE SOME REASON, WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS POSTED ON NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT TRANS SPORT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILURE, THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM? I DIDN'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THIS CRISIS UNTIL TODAY, BUT IF I KEPT DRIVING UNSAFELY, HOW MANY OTHERS ARE OUT THERE? (I KNOW OF SEVERAL).*AK

THIRD SUDDEN FAILURE OF BELT RETRACTOR WITHIN 18 MONTHS OUT OF SIX ORIGINAL ASSEMBLIES IN VEHICLE. DEALER CONTACTED UPON ALL 3 OCCURRENCES, QUOTED COST OF REPLACEMENT. DEALER INDICATED THAT NO SERVICE BULLETINS, SPECIAL WARRANTIES, OR RECALLS APPLIED TO THIS OUT-OF-WARRANTY VEHICLE. OPTED TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY ON FIRST TWO OCCURRENCES, AND REPLACED MYSELF. UPON THIRD (MOST-RECENT) FAILURE OF YET ANOTHER ORIGINAL RETRACTOR, DECIDED TO CONSULT NHTSA WEB SITE. FOUND NO OFFICIAL OPEN CASE, BUT MANY REPORTS OF SAME PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE THROUGH THE 1995 MODEL YEAR. CONTACTED DEALER AND PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO APOLOGIZED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. DISCOVERED WHEN OBTAINING PRICE QUOTE FOR PART THAT THE ORIGINAL PART WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1995, REPLACED WITH A NEW DESIGN AND PART NUMBER. FIND THIS LOGICAL, AS THE COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA DROP DRAMATICALLY DURING AND SINCE 1995. HAVE HAD MANY VEHICLES NEW AND USED IN MY LIFETIME, AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH SAFETY BELTS IN ANY OTHER. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OF MY REMAINING ORIGINAL BELTS ARE TRUSTWORTHY IN A SUDDEN STOP OR COLLISION, BASED UPON THE SUDDEN FAILURES OF THE FIRST THREE WHILE SIMPLY PULLING THE BELT OUT OF THE RETRACTOR TO FASTEN IT. SPRING IN RETRACTOR FAILS, LEAVING ALL BELT LENGTH UNWOUND, AND THUS, THE SEATING POSITION UNPROTECTED UNTIL THE RETRACTOR IS REPLACED. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM, BUT WILL BE FACED WITH A $700.00 EXPENDITURE IF I DECIDE TO HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE CURRENT FAILED BELT AND THE REMAINING ORIGINAL THREE THAT I EXPECT TO FAIL SOON. EVEN THOUGH THIS VEHICLE WAS SOLD IN LIMITED QUANTITY, I URGE FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I SUSPECT AFFECTS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF UNITS STILL ON THE ROAD. I PLAN TO APPEAL AGAIN TO PONTIAC IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET SOME MONETARY RELIEF WITH REPLACING THE CURRENTLY-FAILED AND REMAINING THREE ORIGINAL BELTS.*AK