10 of the 502 complaints about the 1998 Honda Civic are about the seat belts — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 92,000 miles.
10
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
FAILURE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SAFETY BELT. IT WILL LATCH, BUT IF ONE PULLS ON THE BELT, THE LATCH DOES NOT HOLD.
NHTSA complaint #10159917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
THERE IS NO SEATBELT EXTENDER AVAILABLE FOR MY HONDA CIVIC--I HAVE BEEN STOPPED AND GIVEN A WARNING--THE NEXT IS A 150.00 TICKET--I HAVE 5 HONDA CARS...I NEED A SEATBELT EXTENDER--SEATBELTS ARE THE LAW IN THIS STATE AND SURROUNDING STATES.
NHTSA complaint #10068009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT DOES NOT ALWAYS SECURELY "LATCH" INTO THE BUCKLE. WITHIN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE SEATBELT HAS "UNLATCHED" WITHOUT WARNING ON THE PERSON SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I'VE FIGURED OUT THAT AFTER INSERTING THE SAFETY BELT INTO THE BUCKLE, IT'LL "STAY SECURE" IF I PUSH DOWN ON IT ONE MORE TIME UNTIL I HEAR A SOLID CLICK. I HAVE NOT HAD TO DO THIS IN THE PAST, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR ANY PASSENGERS THAT MAY BE SEATED IN MY CAR WHILE IN MOTION. THOSE UNAWARE OF THE "DOUBLE CLICK" TRICK (TO GET IT "SAFELY SECURED") ARE DEFINITELY AT THE HIGHEST RISK OF INJURY...THEY ASSUME THAT WHEN THEY INSERT THE SAFETY BELT INTO THE BUCKLE (AND HEAR THE INITIAL CLICK) THEY ARE APPROPRIATELY PROTECTED BY THE SEAT BELT. HOWEVER, SEVERAL PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN ALARMINGLY SURPRISED TO HAVE THEIR SEATBELT "AUTOMATICALLY" UNLATCH ITSELF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION! ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR EVERY TIME THE BELT IS INSERTED INTO THE BUCKLE, IT STILL CAUSES ME GREAT CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE SITTING IN THAT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT!
NHTSA complaint #10058141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
FRONT LAP SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT AFTER RELEASING BUCKETS. BELTS HANG LOOSE ALONG SIDE OUTER SEAT AREA DOOR. DEALER NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #10042823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
FRONT SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT WHEN UNBUCKLED. RATCHET MECHANISM SEEMS FLIMSY.
NHTSA complaint #747719 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
REAR LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE SEATBELT BUCKLE WILL BECOME UNDONE, CAUSING CSS TO BECOME LOOSE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF PROTECTION.
NHTSA complaint #867089 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
REAR SEAT BELT DOES NOT TIGHTEN UP WHEN THE BELT IS ACTIVATED. ALSO, BOLT THAT HOLDS THE SEAT IN PLACE FAILED WHEN CHILD SAFETY SEAT WAS PLACED IN THE REAR SEAT. SEAT BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE, AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
NHTSA complaint #855871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE GETS TIGHTER AND TIGHTER ON THE OCCUPANT FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. THIS IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELTS IN THE REAR. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #839717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
DAUGHTER INVOLVED IN HEAD-ON COLLISION. ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT, HIT BY ONCOMING CAR GOING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH. WEARING SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT SEAT BELT FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY, WAS FLUNG INTO PASSENGER'S SIDE OF CAR. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, NEITHER STRIKING HER. WAS FLUNG BACK TO DRIVERS SIDE OF CAR. AMBULANCED TO HOSPITAL WITH A FRACTURED LEFT RADIUS, SEVERELY DISPLACED FRACTURE OF LEFT CLAVICLE AND SCRAPES AND CONTUSIONS TO LEFT KNEE. 3/25/99 WRIST FRACTURE HAS HEALED, CLAVICLE STILL NOT HEALED AND NEITHER IS KNEE. CAR TOTALLED. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY SEATBELT DID NOT WORK. I AM HOWEVER VERY GRATEFUL THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED. I WOULD GRATEFULLY APPRECIATE SOME KIND OF RESPONSE FROM MY COMPLAINT. HOW CAN I GET A RESPONSE FROM HONDA?
NHTSA complaint #704975 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
VEHICLE STRUCK REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, BRAKES WERE LOCKED AT 40 MPH, SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK,ALLOWING DRIVERS FACE TO HIT STEERING WHEEL, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, HONDA CONTACTED, AND HAS SHOWN NO INTEREST IN INVESTIGATING OR CHECKING THE CAR. STATED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED, AND IF ANYTHING WAS WRONG, THEY WOULD REPLACE PARTS.
NHTSA complaint #702502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.