Engine. Review the 204 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 165 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 103 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports4 fire reports15 injury reports

Steering complaints

165 reports

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36,000 miles · Apr 5, 2014

Steering

EXITING THE HIGHWAY ONTO THE OFF RAMP OF A REST AREA, THE CAR HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AS I DECELERATED. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR POWERED OFF, BUT I REALIZED IT WAS STILL RUNNING ONCE I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP. HAD TO TURN OFF CAR AND RE-START TO REGAIN POWER STEERING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10577555

53,869 miles · Apr 5, 2014

Steering

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ON MARCH 8, 2014, (2011 CHEVY TRAVERSE) I WAS TURNING RIGHT INTO A RESTAURANT WHEN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH AND MY 20 YR OLD SON (PASSENGER) TO TURN THE WHEEL TO GET OFF THE ROAD. WE ALMOST WENT INTO THE GUARDRAIL AND COULD HAVE VERY WELL BEEN PLOWED INTO FROM THE CAR BEHIND US. IN PARKING LOT WE CHECKED STEERING FLUID & ADDED SOME. ON WAY TO OUR HOUSE ABOUT 2 HOURS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHEN I MADE A LEFT TURN. THIS TIME I WENT OFF THE ROAD A BIT, INCHES AWAY FROM HEDGES & SOMEONE'S LAWN. VERY DANGEROUS. TOOK IT TO CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHO WANTED OVER $1,800.00 TO FIX THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK & PINION. OF COURSE IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY!!! I ENDED UP TAKING IT TO A PRIVATE SHOP AND PAID $1,470. I AGREE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND WE SHOULD GET OUR MONEY BACK. IF YOU RESEARCH THIS LIKE I HAVE DONE...THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HOPE ALL OF YOU FILE A COMPLIANT TO FORCE A RECALL !!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10577547

54,000 miles · Apr 1, 2014

Steering

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HEARD A NOISE IN NOVEMBER 2013 BUT JUST ONCE AND DIDN'T HEAR IT AGAIN TILL JANUARY 2014 ONLY WHEN TURNING WHEEL. I THOUGHT I WAS IMAGINING IT CAUSE NOBODY ELSE NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS TRYING TO HAVE IT CHECKED. FLUIDS WHERE FINE, NO WARNING INDICATORS. FINALLY IN MARCH 2014 HEARD IT AGAIN AND STARTING RESEARCHING WHAT IT COULD BE. FOUND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE STEERING PROBLEM. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET ABOUT THIS SINCE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY SAID IT HAD TO BE DIAGNOSED BY A CHEVY DEALERSHIP, SO I SCHEDULED TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS THE POWER STEERING AND THAT IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED WHAT CAUSED IT AND THEY SAID IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND THAT THEY HAVE SEEN IT IN THE ACADIA, TERRAIN AND TRAVERSE VEHICLES. I CALLED CHEVROLET BACK AND REPORTED THE DEALERSHIP FINDINGS AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO CONTACT ME WITH A SOLUTION ON HOW THEY CAN HELP ME WITH THE REPAIR SINCE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND NOT SOMETHING I CAUSED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10576181

66,000 miles · Apr 1, 2014

Steering

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OUR 2011 TRAVERSE HAS EXPERIENCED NO POWER STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS WHICH HAS NOW RESULTED IN NO POWER STEERING AT ALL.. MY WIFE DRIVES THIS VEHICLE EVERY DAY WITH OUR CHILDREN, SHE HAS HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS DUE TO THE FACT OF NO POWER STEERING. WHILE CHECKING INTO THE ISSUE, I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE ALOT OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT A CONVENIENCE ISSUE THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE!!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS YET, I HAVE PURCHASED SEVERAL CHEVROLET/GM PRODUCTS AND CURRENTLY OWN 4 DIFFERENT VEHICLE MADE BY THIS COMPANY, I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE SAME BOAT AS I AM. THERE IS NO NEED FOR AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING WORSE TO HAPPEN BEFORE THIS GETS RESOLVED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10576134

75,000 miles · Mar 25, 2014

EnginePower TrainSteering

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MY ISSUE STARTED WHEN I WAS MAKING LEFT HAND TURNS IT WOULD SOUND LIKE THE ENGINE WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE WITH SOME GRINDING NOISE. THEN IT STARTED HAPPENING WITH RIGHT HAND TURNS AS WELL. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY AND THEY BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND ALOT OF SIMILAR ISSUES. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BY GM. I AM CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THIS IS HANDLED BY GM AND THE DEALERSHIP. BASICALLY IT SHOULD BE A NO BRAINER, THE VEHICLE IS 4 YEARS OLD, TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT GO OUT THAT FAST. ALREADY FILED A COMPLAINT AND CONTACTING GM THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. I HAVE A FEELING THIS IS GOING TO BE A FIGHT. BELOW ARE OTHER ISSUES REPORTED TO NHTSA, I STOPPED LOOKING AFTER PAGE 3 TOOK CAR IN FOR ODD NOISE IN STEERING. WAS TOLD PUMP WAS BAD AND SEAL WAS BAD. APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE. ITS NOT JUST ONE OR TWO CARS, AFTER RESEARCH IS HUNDREDS OF CARS. NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10567931 LOUD WHINING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT END. WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL SLOWLY YOU CAN HEAR A LOUD SCRATCHING NOISE. BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAVE 17K MILES IN 3 YEARS. ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING. NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10566861 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND PUMP WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10555889 POWER STEERING HAS ISSUES AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN TURNING. DEALER COST TO REPLACE PUMP AND GEAR IS 2,500! NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10520885. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574694

71,905 miles · Mar 25, 2014

SteeringVehicle Speed Control

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MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014. ON FRIDAY MORNING, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, MY CAR ACCELERATED AND THEN SLOWED DOWN; GOING FROM APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH TO 15 MPH. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THE THROTTLE BODY HAD GONE BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACE. I WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE THAT A THROTTLE BODY SHOULD NOT BE GOING BAD THIS EARLY IN A CAR; AS A MATTER IF FACT I HAVE DRIVE SEVERAL CARS WELL OVER 100,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BECAUSE THIS IS A FAMILY VEHICLE AND MANY PEOPLE ARE TRANSPORTING PRECIOUS FAMILY CARGO. A CAR SHOULD NOT FORCIBLY BE DECREASING FROM 70 TO 15 MPH. HAVING A BAD CRASH IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. ALSO THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS ALREADY HAD TO BE CHECKED. THIS VEHICLE IS PUTTING A BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH. ANYMORE PROBLEMS AND IT WILL GET TRADED IN. I WILL NOT GET ANOTHER CHEVROLET FOR SURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574643

31,000 miles · Mar 17, 2014

Steering

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I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND I ALMOST WAS HIT BY A CAR GOING BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO TURN INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL BARELY MOVED, THE CAR INSTEAD OF MAKING THE RIGHT, ROMPED OVER ON THE DIVIDER.THIS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THIS HAPPENED WHEN CAR WAS LITERALLY JUST AT 37 MONTHS, ONE MONTH OUT OF THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. I ENDED UP PAYING A GREAT DEAL FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10572802

26,945 miles · Mar 15, 2014

Steering

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I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN ONTO A BUSY STREET. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND I ALMOST WAS HIT BY A CAR GOING 35 MILES BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO TURN INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL BARELY MOVED, I TURNED INTO THE LEFT LANE OF THE STREET. THIS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SHOP. IT SEEMS THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING IN MANY CHEVROLET TRAVERSES (AS SEEN BY THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, AGUILAR V. GENERAL MOTORS). I HAD TO PAY THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX MY CAR AND PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR WHILE IT WAS GETTING FIXED. I AM WORRIED THIS PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE AS IT HAS IN MULTIPLE CHEVROLET TRAVERSES MANUFACTURED IN THE SAME YEAR. I BELIEVE MY CAR IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR MY FAMILY TO BE IN AND BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FULLY FIX THIS POWER STEERING ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10572552

54,000 miles · Mar 8, 2014

Steering

TOOK CAR IN FOR ODD NOISE IN STEERING. WAS TOLD PUMP WAS BAD AND SEAL WAS BAD. APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE. ITS NOT JUST ONE OR TWO CARS, AFTER RESEARCH IS HUNDREDS OF CARS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10567931

15,500 miles · Mar 3, 2014

EngineSteering

LOUD WHINING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT END. WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL SLOWLY YOU CAN HEAR A LOUD SCRATCHING NOISE. BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAVE 17K MILES IN 3 YEARS. ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10566861

Official recalls

21V246000 · Air Bags:critical Fasteners

Apr 8, 2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.

15V415000 · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

Jun 30, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

14V266000 · Seat Belts

May 20, 2014

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

14V118000 · Air Bags:side/window

Mar 17, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

12V151000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Apr 9, 2012

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. SNOW OR ICE BUILDUP ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPER MAY RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, CAUSING THE WIPER ARM TO LOOSEN AND CAUSE THE WIPER TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA20002 · Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

Opened Aug 31, 2020 · Closed Aug 30, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:anchorage

On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driver’s seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. Please see the attached document “EA20-002 Detailed Closing Summary” for more a detailed closing resume summary.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Seat Belts:front

Seat Belts

RQ19003 · Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

Opened May 28, 2019 · Closed Aug 31, 2020

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:anchorage; Seat Belts:pretensioner

On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Seat Belts:front

Seat Belts:pretensioner