NHTSA Complaint #764234 — 1995 TOYOTA CAMRY

SHOULDER HARNESS CROSSES NECK OF 5'0" DRIVER OR PASSENGER, EVEN AT EXTREME SETTINGS OF SEAT AND HARNESS ANCHOR POINTS. HARNESS SHOULD CROSS SHOULDER OVER BONE, RATHER THAN SOFT TISSUE. SEAT BELT EXTENDERS HAVE BEEN USED BY THIS OCCUPANT IN OTHER BRAND VEHICLES WITH SUCCESS. THESE EXTENDERS WERE FURNISHED BY THE AUTO MANUFACTURERS. ALTHOUGH TOYOTA MANUFACTURES AND OFFERS THIS DEVICE, THEY WILL ONLY PROVIDE IT ON THE BASIS OF OBESITY SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT BUCKLING THE HARNESS; THERE IS NO PROVISION IN THEIR WRITTEN GUIDELINES FOR SHORT STATURE USERS OF NORMAL GIRTH. TOYOTA FURTHER STATES THAT THEIR ENGINEERING DATA INDICATES THAT PASSING THE BELT ACROSS THE NECK IS AN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION. AS AN ENGINEER I TAKE EXCEPTION TO THIS STATEMENT AND BELIEVE THAT ALL SIMILAR TOYOTA SHOULDER HARNESS ASSEMBLIES ARE EQUALLY DEFECTIVE. I REQUEST A FORMAL REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. ---- THANK YOU, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).