This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The front passenger side seat belt in our 2005 Toyota mini van frequently jams, because it creases both when it is deployed and retracted. It is very difficult to unfold the crease. As a result, the passenger cannot use the seatbelt until a person with very strong fingers helps correct the problem. We have taken the van to our local Chrysler dealer who informs us that the seatbelt recall was for back seat belts only and that our only option is to replace the malfunctioning belt. The belt itself is over $200. When labor is included, it would cost around $500. As this is a design defect and as the front passenger seat is the most dangerous seat in any car, I believe this cost should be covered by Chrysler.
2005 Toyota Sienna was rear-ended on 6/10/10. Passenger seat belt did not restrain the passenger. Passenger's body was thrown very near the dash. Resulted in damage to sternum and neck. We are requesting Toyota replace the passenger belt. We are encountering resistance from Toyota to repair this safety defect. Driver's seat belt did restrain driver.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact was attempting to secure the driver side seat belt but it would not release and was difficult for the contact to pull. The contact stated the failure was the exact same as NHTSA recall campaign id number: 05V327000 (seat belts) which he had repaired under the recall four years prior to the failure. There vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the failure. The current and failure mileages were 101,000. Updated 8/2/10 the consumer stated Toyota made the necessary repairs. Updated 08/24/10 updated 08/30/10
The shoulder portion of driver and front passenger side seat belts binds in top bezel. When this happens the belts do not properly restrain the driver and/or front seat passenger increasing the risk of personal injury in an accident. Jams happen occasionally and I have been able to clear them with manual manipulation of strap webbing at the bezel. However, repair is required to assure continued safe operation.
- Sun City Center, FL, USA
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Front passenger side latching device (female unit) for seat belt stopped latching. Dealership replaced at out of pocket cost to vehicle owner. In over 50 years of driving numerous cars and trucks, I have never had a seat belt that would not latch..no matter how old the vehicle. This is definitely a safety issue and should be covered with a recall. (a service tech even told me they have replaced others at their dealership....one last week.).
The drivers side seat belt in my 2005 Sienna (Toyota) folds over and will not retract. The added slack and lack of retraction is a serious safety problem. This has been an ongoing problem since the car was less than a year old. It seems to have worsened lately.
2005 Toyota Sienna minivan ce model the seat belt on the driver side sometimes would not retract at all in cold weather, pulling was okay. This has happened for several times. Have to stop the van and used two hands to pull hard and resolve the jamming problem.
Our passenger-side sliding rear door has frozen in place and will not open. It is a 2005 Toyota Sienna C model. We have had other issues as well, such as the rear hatchback supports failed within 3 years, our drivers-side front door makes a popping sound when opened, we have replaced the front brakes three times within 65,000 miles, and seat belts that constantly stick.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. At 25,000 miles, the seat belts on the front driver and passenger sides and the rear middle seat stopped functioning properly. The dealer could not duplicate the failure and stated that if the seat belts would not fail in their presence, nothing could be done. On a separate occasion, the driver's side seat belt finally failed and the dealer replaced the seat belt under warranty. The dealer refused to make repairs to the other seat belts even though the vehicle was still under warranty. The contact was concerned that the seat belts would not provide adequate protection if a crash occurred. The VIN and mileages were unknown. Updated 03-06-09 the consumer also stated she has run flat tires, however the tire sensor did warn her that her tire went copletely flat. There was a strip of rubber missing from the tire. The consumer was informed the tire sensor did not work with run flat tires. Updated 03/11/09.
In cold weather the seat belt frequently folds over where it comes out of the side of the car. The seat belt then cannot be used as it is too thick to retract. It takes hours to fiddle with it to correct it. The dealer says they can disassemble it & untwist it, but they cannot stop it from happening.
Front seat belts. Both driver side and passenger side, passenger side more frequent. During retract belt folds on itself and then gets jammed. Very difficult to clear. Multiple times we have been forced to move rider to back seat or fore-go use of seat belt. Dealer has fixed two times and claims there is no class problem, will not fix again. Dealer claims we must be doing something wrong, we have been using cars for thirty years without this issue.
After 2 visits to an atlanta-area Toyota dealer in response to NHTSA campaign 05V-327(50L), the dealer was unable to correct the problem. The middle row passenger seat belt continues to bind in the new bezel, and any passenger using the seat belt is not properly restrained. After speaking with Toyota corporate about the problem in 2007, they were unwilling to take further action on the issue. The belt has bound in the bezel 50 or more times since then.
We purchased our 2005 Sienna XLS on April. Since then we have had problems with the second row seat belts"catching" in the slide for the seat belt connector. They fabric seems to be too lightweight or something because it folds over on itself and then gets stuck in the slide. This has happened numerous times during both the buckling and unbuckling processes.
I have precisely the same complaint as you have been investigating and that Toyota has already (apparently) successfully escaped criticism for in PE05008. In April 2005, I alerted my dealer to the fact that the lap belt harness clip in the rh 2nd-row seat of my 2005 7-passenger Sienna always caught or jammed the belt at the separation point of the holder whenever a passenger was seated there. When an adult noticed it and tried to retract the belt manually, it would sometimes retract but on other occasions pull the clip apart. I explained that I am most concerned when either a young person rides there without being aware of the problem or its significance or when even an adult rides there and has not become aware (in the event of an accident at precisely that point). The service manager indicated he had never heard of that problem nor had a similar complaint (something I now find very hard to believe). A promise was made the the Toyota field rep would call in a few days. Rather, in a few weeks, only after I complained to Toyota, I heard from amy schwartz who indicated she recorded my complaint but that Toyota would not be taking any further action with regard to the complaint. Not once did she indicate there had been a case opened already. Please pursue this and get Toyota's attention before there is a serious injury or fatality. It is very obvious to me that a simple fix, as I have applied to my own clip, would suffice from strictly a safety standpoint, but it would seem that Toyota S\hould come up with a more elagant and permanent solution. I simply glued the clip closed and put a 2-inch wide and 5 inch long strip of smooth packaging tape over the fron of the clip (covering the division or split point), thereby removing any point where the belt could catch.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Norfolk, VA, USA