NHTSA Complaint #10086136 — 1993 MAZDA PROTEGE

NOTHING LED UP TO THE FAILURE, ONE DAY THE PASSIVE SEATBELT JUST WENT ABOUT HALF-WAY UP THE TRACK, THEN IT STOPPED AND A GREASY CABLE POPPED OUT OF IT. WORST OF ALL, MAZDA'S EMERGENCY HANDLE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO TURN AN INTERNAL HEX NUT TO MOVE THE SEATBELT REARWARD ONLY MADE ABOUT ONE TURN UNTIL IT GOT STIFF AND PUTTING ANY MORE FORCE ON THE EMERGENCY HANDLE CAUSES IT TO SLIP AND ROUND OFF. TRYING TO FORCE THE PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT BUCKLE REARWARD BY HAND DOESN'T WORK EITHER, IT'S EXTREMELY STIFF AND WHEN IT WILL MOVE (WHICH IS ONLY SLIGHTLY) THE CABLE COMES OUT EVEN FURTHER. THIS LEAVES THE SEATBELT IN A POSITION WHERE IT WON'T HOLD THE DRIVER IN THE SEAT INCASE OF A CRASH, AND IF THE SEATBELT IS LEFT PLUGGED IN IT DRASTICALLY REDUCES VISIBILITY OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. I TOOK THE CAR TO MAZDA DEALER NUMBER 10158 ABOUT THE NHTSA RECALL ID NUMBER 97V211000 BUT THE DEALER SAID IT DIDN'T APPLY TO MY CAR AND THEY QUOTED A PRICE OF NEARLY $800 TO FIX THE SEATBELT. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO ALSO HAS A 93 PROTEGE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE PASSIVE SEATBELT THREE YEARS AGO. SHE TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND THEY ALSO WOULD NOT HANDLE THE RECALL.*AK