Front Seat Belt Buckle Assembly problems of the 2002 Kia Motor RIO

While in motion consumer was hit by another driver on the rear driver's side. Vehicle spun around three times. During this incident, safety devices failed to operate as designed. Driver's side seat belt did not lock; therefore, consumer was thrown forward. Seat belt in the back seat which secured the child seat did not lock, throwing the seat forward and out of its original position. . . .

In models with 2nd row bucket seats, a standard child seat (for 20-40 pounds) can not be safely secured. The plastic stop button on the belt that keeps the buckle from falling to the floor when not in use, also prevents your from drawing the seat belt tight enough to tighten the car seat down properly. When the belt is drawn as tight as it can be, you can still easily move the car seat around. The seat and belt will allow you to tighten the larger booster seats in place, but they are not for children in the 20-40 pound range. I tried this with all 3 seats that I own, and I went to a retailer and measured a number of other seats. It seems that most of them measure approximately 7. 5 inches from the base to the belt hole, but you need at least 9. 5 inches (approximately) in height to raise the car seat high enough for the seat belt to securely tighten it in.