NHTSA Complaint #10187635 — 2005 CHEVROLET UPLANDER

ON MARCH 17, 2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00 PM MY HUSBAND, MYSELF AND 4 CHILDREN ARRIVED HOME. WE OWN A 2005 CHEVROLET UPLANDER. MY OLDEST DAUGHTER 7 WAS SITTING ALL THE WAY TO THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEN SHE UNBUCKLED THE SEAT BELT AND SHE STARTED YELLING THAT SHE COULDN'T GET OUT! MY HUSBAND WENT TO THE BACK TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG ,AND SHE WAS COMPLETELY ENTANGLED IN THE SEAT BELT. SHE WAS CRYING HYSTERICALLY, AND WAS SCARED TO DEATH! SOMEHOW WHEN SHE UNBUCKLED THE SEAT IT RETRACTED SO FAST THAT IT WAS TWISTED AND ENTANGLED AROUND HER WAIST. IT LOCKED AND KEPT GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER!, IT WAS SO TIGHT THAT I COULDN'T GET MY FINGERS BETWEEN THE BELT AND HER WAIST. MY HUSBAND TRIED UNLOCKING THE SEAT BELT BUT IT JUST KEPT GETTING TIGHTER. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CUT IT OFF ON HER. IT WAS SO TIGHT THAT IT LEFT BRUISES AND MARKS COMPLETELY AROUND HER WAIST. CURRENTLY, SHE AND MY 3 YEAR OLD SON ARE SCARED TO DEATH TO GET INTO THE CAR. I CONTACTED GM AND THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY. GM SENT AN INSPECTOR TO TAKE PICTURES. GM CLAIMED THAT THEY FOUND NO DEFECT WITH THE BELT, AND IT WAS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX IT. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS OUR CHOICE TO CUT THE SEAT BELT. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT WE HAD NO CHOICE, AND IF IT SOMEHOW GOT WRAPPED AROUND HER NECK THAT IT WOULD HAVE KILLED HER. GM INSPECTOR INSISTED THAT MY DAUGHTER MUST HAVE BEEN PLAYING WITH THE SEAT BELT. SHE WAS NOT! I TOLD HER THAT I DO HAVE THE PICTURES OF THE INJURIES THAT IT DID ,AND I WOULD TAKE FURTHER ACTION! THE LEAST THEY COULD DO WAS TO FIX THE SEAT BELT. SHE REFUSED, AND WAS VERY RUDE! I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR ,WHO TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I TOLD HER THAT I DIDN'T CARE IF IT WASN'T DEFECTIVE, BUT I DID CARE THAT IT WAS UNSAFE. THERE WAS A BIG DIFFERENCE. *AK THE DEALER HAS OFFERED TO FIX THE SEAT BELT BUT DID STATE RIGHT AWAY THAT THEY WEREN'T FIXING IT BECAUSE THEY FOUND ANY "WRONG DOING".