Table 1 shows one common seat belt related problems of the 2024 Toyota Prius.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seat Belt problems |
I am writing to report a serious safety incident involving the rear seatbelt in my 2024 Toyota Prius, and to request that Toyota investigate this condition as a potential safety defect affecting other vehicles. On xxx at approximately 7:08pm , my daughter, age [xxx], was seated in the rear right seat of the vehicle. We were traveling at approximately 35 on city street in fairfield CA. She was belted in using the vehicle’s factory lap?shoulder belt. Upon arrival, she adjusted the shoulder strap to gather her belongings and the seatbelt wrapped around her waist and cinched down to the point that it became dangerously tight and she was in severe pain. The belt continued to retract and would not loosen. Attempts to unbuckle the latch and to create slack by feeding the belt back into the retractor were unsuccessful. The belt remained locked tightly around her waist and could not be released. Because of the extreme tension and the location of the belt, we were unable to free her and ultimately had to cut the seatbelt to prevent further injury. This incident left visible marks/redness around her waist, and it presented a real risk of abdominal injury and impaired breathing. I have attached photographs taken immediately before the belt was cut that show how the belt path, seat back, and retractor configuration allowed the belt to wrap around and entrap my child. I am concerned that this may reflect a design defect in the rear seatbelt system and that other children could be similarly trapped and injured. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
I was driving my 2024 Toyota Prius and was involved in a front-end collision. The impact was strong enough to cause significant front-end damage, but the front airbag did not deploy. I was wearing my seatbelt at the time. This is a serious safety concern because the airbag should have deployed in this type of frontal impact. If the crash had been worse, I could have been seriously injured. I believe this may be a safety defect in the airbag system.