NHTSA Complaint #10208146 — 1995 NISSAN QUEST

(THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT LODGED ON THIS SITE REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE. SEE MY EARLIER COMPLAINT FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE POSSIBLE CAUSES.) THIS IS THE FIFTH/5TH TIME THE FRONT-PASSENGER-SIDE LAP BELT RETRACTOR (MOUNTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR POST / BODY FRAME) HAS JAMMED OVER THE LAST 5-6 YEARS OR SO. THE REPLACED PART IS WORKING FOR SHORTER AND SHORTER PERIODS BEFORE ANOTHER FAILURE. COULD THIS BE DUE TO AGING OF THE STOCK OF REPLACEMENT PARTS? SEE NISSAN DEALERS RECORDS FOR EXACT DATES: FALHABER NISSAN, INC. 8680 COLERAIN AVE. CINCINNATI (GROSBECK), OH 45251 (513) 385-1400 (SALES, SERVICE, BODY SHOP). IT WILL NOT EXTEND MORE THAN ABOUT 8-12 INCHES BEFORE THE RATCHET MECHANISM "CATCHES" AND PREVENTS THE SEAT BELT FROM REACHING OVER TO THE BUCKLE BY THE CENTER CONSOLE. ON THE SURFACE THERE SEEMS TO BE NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE INSTALLATION -- THE UNIT IS BOLTED IN, AND THE BELT SIMPLY FEEDS THROUGH A SLOT IN THE TRIM PLASTIC. IN FRUSTRATION I DISCOVERED I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO EXTEND A FEW TIMES MORE BY VERY RAPIDLY SNATCHING THE BELT UNTIL IT WOULD CATCH, I SUPPOSE SIMULATING THE DECELERATION OF THE VEHICLE DURING AN ACCIDENT (AND THE ACCELERATION OF THE SPRING WINDING MECHANISM TRYING TO RESTRAIN A "BODY" FROM FLYING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD). THEN AFTER RETRACTING FULLY THE BELT WOULD THEN EXTEND FULLY FOR A ONE-TIME USE, BUT ONLY TO SEIZE UP AGAIN AFTER RETRACTING. BUT THIS WORKED FOR ONLY A VERY BRIEF PERIOD (COUPLE OF DAYS) THEN EVEN THAT WOULD NOT WORK. FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE I SUSPECT THIS PROBLEM IS MORE PREVALENT THAN THE FEW RECORDS ON THIS WEB SITE WOULD INDICATE. I SUSPECT THE ENGINEERS AT THE FACTORY ARE NOT GETTING THE FEEDBACK THEY NEED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM FROM THE DEALERSHIPS THAT (I PRESUME) ARE REIMBURSED BY NISSAN FOR REPEATEDLY PERFORMING THIS FREE-TO-THE-CONSUMER SERVICE. *TR