2013 Toyota Prius Seat Belts Problems

**What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? **How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? **Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? **Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? **Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT The passenger side seat belt became folded and stuck. It would not enable the person to pull it and attach it to the clasp. When my little boy did pull it in the clasp it was an extremely snug fit. I had 3 people try to unfold it. Finally someone had to slice it so that we could at least get part of it to work and go into the clasp. The shoulder strap did attach properly it is just the stomach strap that is not working properly. I brought it to the Toyota dealership to see: 1. If there were any recalls on it. 2. To see about getting it repaired. The dealer said that there were no recalls on that item and that it was indeed broken and it would cost over $500 to repair. I have not brought it the manufacturer. I don’t know where the manufacturer is located. Are they in Japan? The only warning signs were when the seatbelt was not properly attached because it did not properly fit on my passenger.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WAS LOOSE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY TENSION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GERMAIN TOYOTA OF NAPLES (13315 TAMIAMI TRAIL N, NAPLES, FL 34110, (239) 301-3156) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

WE PURCHASED A 2013 PRIUS V IN JULY. WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE BACK SEAT MIDDLE BODY RESTRAINT BEING ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE ROOF BEHIND THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT. BUT MY BOYS ARE 6, SO FELT THEY WOULD BE OKAY. THIS WEEK, ONE OF THE BOYS GOT TANGLED IN THE SEAT BELT. WHEN HE TRIED TO RELEASE THE BELT, IT RACHETED UP AND TIGHTENED WITH THE BELT WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK. HE & HIS BROTHER TOLD US HE WAS CAUGHT & ASKED US TO STOP. WE WERE ON A HIGHWAY, & HAD TO TURN OFF & FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PARK. IN THE MEANTIME, HE BECAME MORE DISTRESSED, & SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING. WE LOOKED BACK & HE WAS WRAPPED IN THE BELT, STRETCHED IN THE SEAT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE WERE VERY UPSET. WE STOPPED, & TRIED TO GET THE BELT LOOSE, BUT IT JUST PULLED TIGHTER. THE BELT IS PERMANENTLY ATTACHED TO THE LAP BELT SECTION, & COULD NOT BE RELEASED. WE WERE IN THE COUNTRY. NO ONE NEARBY. WE DON'T CARRY KNIVES. FORTUNATELY, I HAD BOUGHT YEARS AGO, A TOOL FOR BREAKING AUTO GLASS, WITH A CUTTER IN IT FOR SEAT BELTS. I WAS ABLE TO FIND IT, AND CUT THE BELT. IT WAS VERY TOUGH, & TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT. OUR SON WAS BRUISED, FRIGHTENED, BUT OTHERWISE OKAY. WE WILL NOT BE REPAIRING THE SEATBELT, AS THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. OUR SON WOULD HAVE HUNG IN THE BACK SEAT, IF HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO TELL US HE WAS CAUGHT, & COULDN'T BREATHE WELL. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO A CHILD TOO YOUNG TO REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND BE FATAL. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT COULD BE FIXED BY ALLOWING THE BELT TO BE RELEASED FROM THE LAP COMPONENT OF THE BELT. *TR

I OWN A NEW 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS V-5. WHILE ON THE FREEWAY TAKING AN INTERCHANGE. I HAD CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65 MPH, DISENGAGING IT AS I APPROACHED THE INTERCHANGE THAT SLOWS TO 35 MPH DUE TO THE CURVE. I WAS COASTING WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY BRAKE, INTERNAL WARNING LIGHT FLASHING, ALARM BEEPING AND SEAT BELT LOCKED UP. I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR (THANK GOD) WITH NO CARS BEHIND ME OR IN FRONT OF ME. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY WINDY DAY AND WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT IT IS POSSIBLE SOMETHING BLEW IN FRONT OF THE SENSOR. THAT IN ITSELF IS ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE. CAN I NOT DRIVE MY CAR ON A WINDY, RAINY OR SNOWY DAY, IN FEAR OF THE PRE COLLISION SYSTEM MISINTERPRETING WHAT IS IN FRONT OF THE SENSOR? I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ONLY TO BE TOLD TODAY THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND THAT I AM MORE THAN WELCOME TO TAKE A DRIVE WITH THEIR TECHNICIAN TO SEE IF I CAN REPLICATE WHAT HAD OCCURRED. I INQUIRED IF THE EDR HAD RECORDED THE EVENT AND THEY TOLD ME NO. IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE EDR? SHOULDN'T IT HAVE RECORDED SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM (PCS) WOULD ACT AS IF IT WERE TRYING TO PREPARE FOR IMPACT IF THERE WAS NOTHING IF FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED OR LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR