NHTSA Complaint #11286640 — 2018 TESLA MODEL X

MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CLIMBED INTO THE 3RD ROW OF OUR TESLA MODEL X WHILE IT WAS PARKED. SHE WANTED TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT AND USE A "BIG GIRL" SEAT BELT, INSTEAD OF HER CAR SEAT. SHE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE SEAT BELT ON AND EVEN CLICKED IT INTO PLACE WITH THE STRAP OVER HER LAP. HOWEVER, SHE SOMEHOW GOT THE CHEST/SHOULDER STRAP WRAPPED AROUND HER NECK. MY DAUGHTER & WIFE THOUGHT THAT LETTING THE BELT RETRACT A LITTLE WOULD ALLOW THE REMOVE THE TENSION AND ALLOW THE BELT TO BE FULLY EXTENDED. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. LUCKILY, ONE OF MY CHILD'S ARMS WAS IN A RAISED POSITION AND PREVENTED THE SEAT BELT (NOW IN A LOOP AROUND HER NECK) FROM LITERALLY STRANGLING HER. MY WIFE CALLED ME IN A PANIC AND HURRIED HOME. MY DAUGHTER SAT IN THE BACK SEAT CRYING AND IN A PANIC. I MET THEM IN THE STREET WHEN SHE ARRIVED. THE CAR WAS STILL ON WHEN I JUMPED IN THE BACK SEAT. I INITIALLY THOUGHT I COULD LET THE SEAT BELT RETRACT A BIT AND THEN THE TENSION WOULD RELEASE SO THAT I COULD REMOVE HER. THE PROBLEM IS THE BELT NEVER ALLOWED ME TO EXTEND IT. INSTEAD, THE SEAT BELT CONTINUED TO REMAIN TIGHT AND ENGAGED EVEN AS IT WAS RETRACTED. IN THE END, I HAD TO HOLD THE SEAT BELT IN PLACE SO IT WOULDN'T GET ANY TIGHTER AND MY WIFE RAN INTO THE HOUSE AND GRABBED SCISSORS. ONCE I HAD SECURED THE SEAT BELT AND HAD SCISSORS IN HAND, I ASKED MY WIFE TO TAKE A CELL PHONE VIDEO OF IT. I CAN SHARE THAT VIDEO WITH YOU IF YOU LIKE. ULTIMATELY, WE HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT. WE HAVE NOT ALERTED TESLA OF THIS ISSUE AND WE HAVE NOT YET HAD THE CAR REPAIRED. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH SEAT BELT SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, AND I REALIZE MY DAUGHTER IS VERY YOUNG AND HAVING THE SEAT BELT WRAP AROUND HER NECK IS LIKELY AN UNCOMMON SITUATION, BUT IT SEEMED ODD TO ME THAT THE BELT PERFORMED IN THIS MANNER. I'M ALERTING THE NHTSA IN CASE THIS IS A PRODUCT SAFETY ISSUE THAT WARRANTS ACTION.