2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Seat Belts Problems
9 owner-reported seat belts complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Seat Belts Recalls (1)
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
ON CERTAIN CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE 2ND ROW CENTER OCCUPANT SEAT BELT ROUTING MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO POSITION THE LAP PORTION OF THE SAFETY BELT LOW AROUND THE HIPS OF OCCUPANTS, ESPECIALLY SMALLER OCCUPANTS, SEATED IN THIS POSITION. APPROPRIATE USE OF A CHILD SEAT OR BOOSTER SEAT, AS RECOMMENDED FOR SMALL CHILDREN, DOES IMPROVE THE FIT CONDITION FOR THIS USER GROUP. IN ADDITION TO INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPER INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD RESTRAINT (WITH CHILD SEATS OR BOOSTERS), SPECIAL VERBIAGE FOR RESTRAINING OLDER CHILD IS INCLUDED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ALSO, THE SUGGESTED SEAT BELT FIT/ROUTING FOR ADULTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF SEATING POSITION, IS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TEXT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL CUT OPEN THE GUIDE LOOP, REMOVE A PORTION OF THE LOOP, AND THEN THE REMAINING TWO SIDES SHOULD BE FOLDED OVER AND SECURED WITH A RETAINER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 21, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493.
Owner Complaints (9)
MY WIFE AND 3 SONS AND 2 OTHER KIDS WERE ON THEIR WAY TO A BASEBALL TOURNAMENT. SHE WAS STOPPED WHILE A DRIVER IN FRONT OF HER WAS MAKING A U TURN. SHE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER DRIVER IN THE REAR MOSTLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE CORNER OF OUR TAHOE. THAT CAR WENT UNDER OUR TAHOE AND KNOCKED OUR TRUCK SIDEWAYS. THE OTHER VEHICLE THAT HIT HER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX. 50MPH. MY 11 YEAR OLD SON WAS SEAT BELTED IN THE THIRD ROW SEAT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WHERE THE IMPACT WAS LOCATED. UPON IMPACT HIS SEAT BELT CAME UNFASTENED CAUSING HIM TO HIT THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HIM. *TR
REAR & THIRD ROW SEATING SEAT BELTS DO NOT ATTACH ALL THE TIME PROPER & OUTER CASING OF RECEIVING END FALLS APART FOR NO REASON. *TR
MY WIFE'S 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE HAS A LATCHING PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT BELT. FREQUENTLY THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH. IT TAKES MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS (AS MANY AS 6 OR 7 ATTEMPTS) TO GET THE SEAT BELT TO FINALLY LATCH. WHILE THIS COMPONENT HAS NOT COMPLETELY FAILED YET, THE LIKELIHOOD OF A COMPLETE FAILURE APPEARS PROBABLE. THIS COMPONENT IS A CRITICAL SAFETY FEATURE ON AUTOMOBILES AND IT'S FAILURE WOULD PROBABLY RESULT IN DEATH IF THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS UNLATCHED. THE COMPONENT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO FAILURE DUE TO NORMAL USAGE. THE VEHICLE HAS 80000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOT REPORTED THIS TO MY DEALER YET. THE OBVIOUS CRITICAL NATURE OF THE COMPONENT LED ME TO REPORT THIS TO YOU SO THAT YOU MAY INVESTIGATE IF MORE PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. IN 34 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER HAD A SEAT BELT THAT WOULD NOT LATCH INCLUDING ON MY 36 YEAR OLD GTO. *NM
I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 2003 CAVALIER LS EARLIER THIS YEAR. ON A REGULAR BASIS, THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT SLIPS OUT OF THE LOOP ON THE TOP OF THE SEAT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT, WHILE I AM BUCKLING UP, AND SMACKS ME IN THE NECK. SOMETIMES I DRIVE WITH IT THIS WAY, BUT WAS SINCE TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT I SHOULDN'T BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT IS NOT DOING ITS JOB EFFECTIVELY THAT WAY. THE LATEST TIME BEING TODAY, BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE NUMBER OF FAILURES I HAVE BELOW IS 15, BUT THIS IS JUST AN ESTIMATE. *JB
DT: 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT WAS GIVEN AN APPOINTMENT BY MY DEALERSHIP TO GET RECALL REPAIRS DONE, AND WHEN HE WENT TO HIS APPOINTMENT THE PART FOR VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAITED FOR THREE HOURS TO GET MY VEHICLE FIXED. THE SAFETY RECALL WAS ON THE SECOND ROLL SEAT BELTS THAT HELD HIS DAUGHTER SAFE IN SEAT. WAS USING THE SEAT BELT AS REQUIRED. *AK
DT: CALLER RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE SEAT LOOP IN THE SECOND SEAT IN VEHICLE, AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIX IT WITHOUT KEEPING IT OVER NIGHT. CALLER DID NOT HAVE RECALL NUMBER. MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO HELP, CALLER WAS ON PHONE WITH THEM FOR 45 MINUTES. CALLER WANTED A RENTAL VEHICLE, BUT THEY WOULD NOT GIVE HIM ONE. *AK
I HAD PUT MY 6 YEAR OLD SON IN THE REAR SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER, AND WHEN I WENT TO FASTEN HIS SEAT BELT AROUND HIS BOOSTER SEAT THE ASSEMBLY THAT HOLDS THE SEAT BELT IN CAME COMPLETELY OFF, IT IS A 4-5 INCH BOLT THAT SCREWS INTO A MOUNT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT. IT DOES NOT GO BACK IN, AND THE SEAT IS NOW USELESS AS THERE IS NO OPERABLE SEATBELT.
THE REAR SEATBELT IN MY 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE ALLOWS ME TO INSERT THE METAL BUCKLE BETWEEN PARTS OF THE BUCKLE AND THE ACTUAL RECEIVING END WICH IT BELONGS LEADING ME TO BELIEVE MY CHILDREN ARE SAFELY BUCKLED IN. I HAD TO STOP SUDDENLY AND MY FOUR YEAR-OLD CHILD WAS THROWN OUT OF HIS CAR SEAT BECAUSE THE BUCKLE WAS IMPROPERLY FASTENED. BECAUSE MY CHILD IS IN A BOOSTER SEAT IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH OVER AND VISIBLY SEE WHIHC "HOLE" THE METAL BUCKLE WAS INSERTED INTO. FORTUNATELY MY SON JUST EXPERIENCED MINOR BRUISING, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT STRAP FELL OFF THE SHOULDER DURING AN ACCIDENT. *AK