Investigations
SEATBELT MALFUNCTION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05008 - closed, opened 2005-02-10.
NHTSA investigation PE05008 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-02-10 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-06-13 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE05008 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ODI RECEIVED TEN CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE MIDDLE-ROW PASSENGER SEATBELT WEBBING FREQUENTLY JAMS IN THE INTEGRATED SEATBELT GUIDE HOUSING SLOT. DURING NORMAL BODY MOVEMENT OF THE OCCUPANT, THE WEBBING JAMS IN..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
ODI RECEIVED TEN CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE MIDDLE-ROW PASSENGER SEATBELT WEBBING FREQUENTLY JAMS IN THE INTEGRATED SEATBELT GUIDE HOUSING SLOT. DURING NORMAL BODY MOVEMENT OF THE OCCUPANT, THE WEBBING JAMS IN THE SLOT DUE TO A DISLODGED COVER PLATE, THUS CAUSING EXCESS SLACK IN THE SEATBELT ASSEMBLY. TOYOTA¿S LETTER RESPONSE TO THE AGENCY IDENTIFIES 40 OTHER CONSUMER AND FIELD REPORTS AND 3,073 WARRANTY REPAIRS THAT REQUIRE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SEATBELT GUIDE ASSEMBLY. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE ANOTHER 16 WARRANTY CLAIMS ON MY 2005 SIENNA VEHICLES. COMPLAINANTS EXPRESSED CONCERN FOR CHILDREN OCCUPYING THE MIDDLE-ROW SEATS. THEY MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK OR BE ABLE TO REMEDY A SLACK SEATBELT. A SLACK OR JAMMED SEATBELT DOES NOT OFFER PROPER OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. TOYOTA HAS IMPLEMENTED A RECENT DESIGN CHANGE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA WILL APPLY THE DESIGN CHANGE TO NEW PRODUCTION VEHICLES AND ALTHOUGH THE DESIGN CAN BE APPLIED TO EARLIER MY 2004 AND 2005 VEHICLES, TOYOTA HAS NOT ANNOUNCED A SAFETY RECALL FOR THOSE VEHICLES. THIS INVESTIGATION IS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-010) AND WILL INCLUDE MY 2005 VEHICLES.
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.