2005 Toyota Sienna Seat Belts

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.

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. *TR

TL* 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 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. UPDATED 08/24/10*JB UPDATED 08/30/10*JB

MIDDLE ROW SEAT BELT FAILS TO RETRACT, CANNOT PULL IT ALL THE WAY OUT TO "LOCK" IT AND HAVE IT RETRACT AS I HAVE TO ACCORDING TO MY CHILD SEAT RULES. *TR

REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT NOT WORKING. 2005 SIENNA, 60,000 MILES. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

DRIVER SEAT BELT IS CONSTANTLY GETTING "STUCK". IT WON'T MOVE OR RELEASE AS IT SHOULD. *TR

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.). *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT'S CHILD WAS SEATED IN A BOOSTER SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. HE LEANED FORWARD IN THE REAR SEAT AND THE LAP STRAP OF THE SEAT BELT WRAPPED AROUND HIS LOWER STOMACH AREA. THE CHILD SUSTAINED MINOR CUTS ON HIS STOMACH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT, BUT THE RETRACTOR WOULD CONTINUALLY TIGHTEN, INSTEAD OF LOOSENING. SHE HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT STRAPS IN ORDER TO RELEASE HER CHILD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 44,279.

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. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BECAME STUCK AND WOULD NOT FULLY RETRACT. THE FAILURE BEGAN INTERMITTENTLY, BUT CURRENTLY THE SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. PREVIOUSLY, THE SECOND ROW PASSENGER SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT AND WAS STICKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER LATER THIS WEEK TO BE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MIDDLE PASSENGER SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ONCE , AND PUT THE SEAT BELT BACK ON TRACK THE OTHER TIMES. THESE ATTEMPTS HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/07/2006. *AK *TS

THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT FASTEN IN THE REAR SEAT WHEN FIRST PUT INTO THE LATCH. THE ORANGE TAB MUST BE JIMMIED WITH AND PUSHED AND THEN AFTER IT WAS TOYED WITH IT FINALLY WAS WORKED. IT CONSTANTLY DOES THIS, USUALLY THERE IS A CAR SEAT IN THAT POSITION BUT WHEN IT IS USED WITHOUT IT, IT DOES IT EACH TIME. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE THIRD ROW PASSENGER SIDE SAFETY BELT LEAVES A RED MARK ON THE PASSENGER'S NECK. THE SAFETY BELT MUST BE HELD BY THE OCCUPANT IN ORDER TO AVOID NECK IRRITATION. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THE POSITION OF THE SAFETY BELT MAY CAUSE INJURY. THE MANUFACTURER, WHEN CONTACTED, SUGGESTED PURCHASING A FLEECE PAD TO PROTECT THE NECK FROM IRRITATION. THE FRONT AND SECOND ROW SEATS HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT HARNESS FOR SAFETY BELTS. THE VEHICLE WAS MODIFIED FOR A PERSON WITH DISABILITY AND THEREFORE THE SECOND ROW SEATING WAS REMOVED. THIS LEAVES ONLY THE THIRD ROW FOR CARRYING MORE THAN ONE PASSENGER.

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.

WE HAVE A 2005 TOYOTE SIENNA MINIVAN..THE LAST ROW HAS A MIDDLE SEAT BELT THAT HANGS VERTICALLY TO A CLIP THAT THEN CAN SWEEP ACROSS THE MIDDLE PASSENGER TO THE ATTACHING BUCKLE. THIS VERTICAL PART ALSO RETRACTS INTO THE CEILING WHEN NOT IN USE. AFTER DROPPING OFF OUR MIDDLE PASSENGER - MY SON WHO WAS SEATED ADJACENT TO THE MIDDLE SEAT WRAPPED THE VERTICAL HANGING SEAT BELT AROUND HIS NECK. IT IS DESIGNED TO RETRACT SO IT STARTED CHOKING HIM. BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT IS ONLY UNLATCHED WITH AN ITEM SMALLER THAN MY FINGER I HAD TO LEAVE HIM TO GET A PEN FROM THE FRONT THAT WOULD RELEASE THE SEAT BELT. A NEAR MISS.