NHTSA Campaign 03V515000
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Issued by MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS · Reported Dec 15, 2003 · 49,000 vehicles affected
What's wrong
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A POST WITHIN THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVERS COULD FRACTURE, WHICH COULD AFFECT LATCH FUNCTION, RESULTING IN EITHER A "NO LATCH" OR "PARTIAL LATCH" CONDITION. IN THE "PARTIAL LATCH" CONDITION, THE BUCKLE TONGUE CAN BE INSERTED INTO THE BUCKLE AND APPEAR TO BE ENGAGED, BUT WILL RELEASE FROM THE BUCKLE WITHOUT THE PUSH BUTTON BEING DEPRESSED WHEN A RELATIVELY LOW LOAD IS APPLIED, SUCH AS WHEN AN OCCUPANT MOVES SLIGHTLY IN THE SEAT.
Consequence
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL HAVE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVER REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SERVICE BUCKLE COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.
Vehicles affected by this recall
| Make | Model | Year | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAZDA | TRIBUTE | 2001 | 49,000 |
Source: NHTSA Campaign 03V515000 on nhtsa.gov. To check the current repair status for a specific vehicle, use our free VIN decoder.