NHTSA Complaint #10488634 — 2007 HONDA ODYSSEY

WE HAD RARELY USED OUR THIRD SEAT, WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE THIRD SEAT, PASSENGER-SIDE SEAT BELT HAD A RIP IN IT. IT CAME UNTHREADED STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BELT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS OUR DOG; HOWEVER A LARGE BREED DOG COULD NOT HAVE CHEWED STRAIGHT ACROSS THE SEATBELT AND THERE WERE NO OTHER DOG TEETH MARKS ON THE BELT. BUT, I REPAIRED IT THINKING THAT IT WAS MY DOG AND THE DOG WAS BANNED FROM THE CAR. HOWEVER, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS BELT. WITH THE SEATBELT RARELY BEING USED, ONCE A NEW SEATBELT IS INSTALLED, IT BEGINS TO FRAY AND BECOMES UNTHREADED STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BELT AND THEN COMES COMPLETELY APART. SOMETIMES THE FRAYING HAS BEEN ABOVE THE COVER AND EXPOSED, BUT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE FRAYING BEGAN IN THE PART OF THE SEATBELT THAT IS COVERED AND INACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE. I HAVE HAD AT LEAST 5 NEW SEATBELTS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO EACH ONE. IN ONE CASE, A NEW SEATBELT WAS INSTALLED AND WITHOUT EVER BEING USED, THIS STILL OCCURRED. ONCE THE NEW SEATBELT WAS INSTALLED, I CHECKED THE SEATBELT DAILY, AND 7 DAYS AFTER THE NEW ONE WAS INSTALLED, IT BEGAN TO FRAY AGAIN AND THEN IT COMPLETELY SEPARATELY. THE DEALERSHIP CONTINUES TO BLAME THE USER, ALTHOUGH THESE SEATBELTS WERE NEVER OR RARELY USED. THIS WENT ON FOR OVER TWO YEARS. I HAVE NOT HAD A WORKING SEATBELT IN THAT SEAT FOR OVER ONE YEAR. NOW, THIS PAST WEEK, A SEATBELT THAT IS USED DAILY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE IS FRAYING ACROSS THE SEATBELT AND IT HAS BECOME UNUSABLE. WE CAN'T EVEN PULL THE SEATBELT BECAUSE THE FRAYED AREA GETS CAUGHT IN THE TOP SHOULDER MECHANISM. *TR