2000 Acura Integra

THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE COMES UNDONE ON ITS OWN. THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH MULTIPLE PASSENGERS (~5) OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS (2003-2010). THE REPORTED DATE ON THIS INCIDENT IS THE DATE OF LAST OCCURRENCE. THE FIRST FEW TIMES IT HAPPENED, NO RECORDS WERE KEPT BECAUSE IT WASN'T OBVIOUS THAT THE ISSUE WAS A ONE-OFF INCIDENT DUE TO INCORRECTLY INSERTING THE BUCKLE. EACH TIME, THE BELT BUCKLE MADE AN AFFIRMATIVE CLICKING SOUND WHEN INSERTED, BUT GETS UNDONE OWN ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING. WHEN IT COMES UNDONE, A FAINT CLICKING SOUND CAN BE HEARD, FOLLOWED BY THE LATCH WITHDRAWING SLOWLY. THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE REPRODUCED BY LATCHING AND UNLATCHING THE BUCKLE, AND ACURA DOES REFUSES TO REPLACE THE BUCKLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 ACURA INTEGRA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, IT WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING 50 MPH. SHE STATED THAT HER SEAT BELT LOCK SYSTEM FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE SHOULDER BELT NOT TO RESTRAIN. THE LAP BELT WAS THE ONLY PART THAT PROPERLY RESTRAINED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A CONCUSSION DUE TO HER HEAD STRIKING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS NOT DECLARED IF THE SEAT BELT WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL FILED REPORT NUMBER 9550. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 73,000.

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT MAKES A CLICKING SOUND AND FEELS LATCHED IN APPROPRIATELY. HOWEVER, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS (APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30), IT HAS COME UNDONE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TRIED TO ATTACH THE SEATBELT AND SEE IF IT WOULD COME LOOSE. HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM SO NOTHING WAS DONE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 4 DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WEARING THAT SEATBELT, ALL OF WHOM HAVE HAD VARIOUS HONDA OR ACURA CARS FOR YEARS AND HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY ENCOUNTERED THIS APPARENT PROBLEM WITH THE LATCH.*AK

TWO SMALL HORN BUTTONS ARE LOCATED IN THE PERIPHERY OF THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE 3:00 AND 9:00 POSITIONS RATHER THAN IN THE CENTER AS WITH OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED. AS I WAS PROCEEDING PAST A MINI-BUS THAT STOPPED IN THE LEFT HAND LAND IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE, THE BUS CHANGED LANES ABRUPTLY INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. I BRAKED HARD, TURNED TO THE RIGHT, AND TRIED TO SOUND THE HORN. WHEN THE WHEEL WAS TURNED FROM STRAIGHT AHEAD IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE THE HORN BUTTONS WITHOUT LOOKING AWAY FROM THE ROAD. I SUGGEST THAT THE MANUFACTURER BE DIRECTED TO PROVIDE A STANDARD CENTER LOCATION FOR THE HORN BUTTON SUCH THAT IT CAN BE FOUND WITHOUT LOOKING. IN THE SECOND OCCURENCE I TRIED TO FASTEN A CHILD CAR SEAT INTO THE READ SEAT. WHILE ADJUSTING THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE THE SEAT BELT FOLDED OVER INSIDE THE SLOT OF THE MALE BUCKLE, JAMMING. IT TOOK OVER 10 MINUTES OF WORKING AT THE BELT TO FREE IT. I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE FRUSTRATED BY THIS AND NOT USE THE SEAT BELT IF IT OCCURRED. TWO REMEDIES COULD BE PROVIDED. ONE WOULD BE TO MAKE THE OPENING IN THE BUCKLE FOR THE BELT SMALLER, OR USE A THICKER BELT, SUCH THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BELT TO FOLD OVER. THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO MAKE THE BUCKLE SLOT OPENING WIDER SUCH THAT THE BELT IF IT FOLDED OVER COULD BE MORE EASILY RELEASED. *AK