Table 1 shows one common seat belt related problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seat Belt problems |
The drivers side front seatbelt pretensioner assembly contains a braided steel cable. The cable, through normal use, has become damaged to the point that individual wires have broken free from the crimped connector. The damaged wires of the cable have penetrated through the plastic sheath covering the cable causing a needle sharp poking hazard when reaching one’s hand toward the seat back adjustment lever. My wife had a minor laceration to her finger and I was also poked when trying to identify the cause. Upon further inspection I found that approximately 80 percent of the diameter of the pretensioner cable had broken free from the crimped connector. In the event of a collision, the cable would likely break free from the seatbelt, possibly causing serious injury to the driver. I tried to obtain a replacement part through the gm dealer parts network, but the part is listed as discontinued and unavailable. This leaves the vehicle unsafe in the event of an accident. The damaged components are available for inspection. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone but myself. There were no warning lamps or symptoms of the problem prior the the injury. I am the original owner of the vehicle and it has never been involved in a collision. The vehicle has been properly maintained and is used only for personal transportation.
Passenger airbags failed to engage when occupied during accident, drivers side activated. Results in injured passenger.
There are two issues with the seat belt on the driver’s seat. 1) the buckle (female portion, the part with the button) is stuck and won’t release the tongue (male portion) without intervention with a screwdriver. 2) the plastic portion of the tongue (male portion) of the seatbelt caught on my clothes and snapped, and the whole tongue assembly fell off the webbing. Definitely a safety concern if there’s no longer a way to buckle the seat belt because the male end fell off.
When a cell phone is placed on the center of the passenger seat, the passenger seat belt warning light illuminates and arms the passenger air bag. No weight required.