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

What owners actually said

608 reports

95,000 miles · Jun 20, 2013

Steering

POWER STEERING HAS ISSUES AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN TURNING. DEALER COST TO REPLACE PUMP AND GEAR IS 2,500! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10520885

26,285 miles · Jun 17, 2013

Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED O…

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NHTSA ODI #10520108

45,120 miles · Jun 15, 2013

Electrical SystemSteering

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I WAS PARKING, BACKING INTO PARKING SPOT GOING MAYBE 2 TO 3 MILES AND HOUR, TRIED TO PUT CAR INTO PARK, WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT. THEN TRIED TO TAKE KEY OUT OF IGNITION SWITCH AND KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT. THEN REALIZED WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN (ALL 4). I LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE CAR WITH THE LOCKING FOB. LATER IN THE DAY A PERSON CAME TO ME AND SAID MY LIGHTS AND RADIO WERE ON, DUE TO THE FACT I HAD DIFFERENT PEOPLE TRY TO GET THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION THOUGHT OUT THE NIGHT I KNOW THE RADIO WAS OFF WHILE WE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO GET THE KEYS OUT. THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER TO BE FIXED. I HAVE A WARRANTY AFTER MARKET ON THE CAR. THE DEALER SAID THE WARRANTY COMPANY WILL NOT COVER REPAIRS. I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT IF OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10519917

32,758 miles · Jun 12, 2013

Service Brakes

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MY WIFE HAD JUST DROPPED THE KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL AND WAS ABOUT 10 MINUTES AWAY FROM HOME. AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OF DRIVING A SERIES OF CHIMES EMITTED FROM THE CAR AND THE DASH FLASHED A LIGHT INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS SYSTEM, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SERIES OF DINGS AND A BURNING SMELL. SHE THEN PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND WAITED APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE. UPON TURNING ON THE CAR SHE HEARD ANOTHER DING AND THE SERVICE LIGHTS REMAINED ON. SHE WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE HOME BUT THE CAR EMITTED A "GRINDING NOISE" AND THE HEAT GAUGE WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL. UPON GETTING HOME SHE CHECKED UNDER THE CAR BUT DID NOT SEE ANY FLUIDS UNDER THE CAR. WE HAVE SCHEDULED A MECHANIC TO LOOK AT THE CAR TOMORROW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10519522

41,000 miles · Jun 6, 2013

Steering

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TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ON WEDNESDAY 06 / 05 / 13 SQUEAKING NOISE / WINING / IT SOUNDS LIKE COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. CHEVY DEALER FURTHER INSPECTED AND FOUND NOISE TO BE COMING FROM STEERING GEAR HOUSING. RECOMMENDED PUTTING ON REVISED HOUSING TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION AND RECOMMENDED TO BE INSTALLED AND FLUSH SYSTEM TO CONVERT TO ATF. TOLD MUST PERFORM THIS PROCEDURE TO GET RID OF NOISE. GM SHOULD REPAIR KNOWING THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEMS WITH STEERING GEAR HOUSING WITH NO CHARGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10515439

41,000 miles · Jun 3, 2013

Visibility

THE HEAT WAS NOT WORKING. BLOWING ONLY COLD AIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10514932

11,000 miles · Jun 3, 2013

Electrical SystemSteering

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AROUND MAY 11, 2012, ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE, ACCELERATING TO 65 MPH, MY CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD REPETITIVE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER A FEW MILES, A BATTERY SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO STEER. AS I REACHED A PULLOVER, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND EVERYTHING ELSE QUIT WORKING (RADIO, LIGHTS, ETC.) I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND COULD NOT TURN IT BACK ON. WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED, WE FOUND THE BELT WAS SHREDDED AND DRAGGED BEHIND THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WATER PUMP. THE CAR WAS ABOUT 11 MOS OLD AND HAD ABOUT 11,000 MILES ON IT. ON JUNE 2, 2013, DEJA VU. AS I LEFT A STORE AND ACCELERATED TO 45 MPH, MY CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD REPETITIVE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. AS I ACCELERATED, THE NOISES WERE LOUDER AND FASTER. I DROVE ABOUT 5 MILES TO WALMART, THE NOISES CONTINUED, SO I DROVE HOME, ABOUT 5 MILES. IN THE MORNING, I DROVE THE CAR VERY SLOWLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE BELT WAS SHREDDING AGAIN, AND AS I DROVE MORE SLOWLY, THE NOISE (FROM THE PIECES OF THE BELT SLAPPING AROUND THE ENGINE) BECAME LESS AND I HOPED I COULD MAKE THE BELT LAST UNTIL I GOT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I TURNED LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION NEAR THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR WAS VERY HARD TO STEER AND I COULD BARELY TURN INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DRIVER FOLLOWING ME SAID HE COULD SEE THE SHREDDED BELT DRAGGING. I LEARNED THERE HAD BEEN OTHER CARS ON WHICH THE BELT HAD SHREDDED AND THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN TO PUT A LINING IN TO PROTECT THE BELT FROM DAMAGE, NOT SURE IF THIS HAD BEEN DONE ON MY CAR I LEARNED THERE IS ALSO A RECALL RELATED TO THE WATER PUMP. IN BOTH CASES, I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO BE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, NEAR TRUCKS, OR PASSING ON A COUNTRY ROAD. THIS SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS TO ME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10514923

20,000 miles · Jun 3, 2013

Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANTI FREEZE WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER PUMP AND SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,0…

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NHTSA ODI #10514876

51,550 miles · May 12, 2013

Steering

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HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL/SQUEAKY NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AT ALL FORWARD SPEEDS, REVERSE AND STATIONARY. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW SAYS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE "RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY" AND HAS BEEN A RECALL ITEM ON 2009 & 2010 TRAVERSES, BUT NOT ON THE 2011-2013. THEY EXAMINED THE VEHICLE (FOR A COST OF $39.95) AND SAID THEY COULD REPAIR IT FOR $435.54, BUT SAID IT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM TO DRIVE IT AS IS UNTIL IT GETS WORSE OF AFFECTS THE STEERING OPERATION. THEY HAVE DONE 2 SUCH REPAIRS ON 2011 MODELS. I BELIEVE THAT AS THIS IS HAPPENING AT 29 MONTHS (SINCE NEWLY PURCHASED BY MYSELF) AND AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE TO HAVE STEERING ISSUES, I WOULD THINK THIS MUST BE A PERSISTENT DESIGN/ENGINEERING DEFECT. I HOPE THE NHTSA AND SAFERAR.GOV WOULD INITIATE A RECALL. MY WIFE DRIVES 140 MILE TRIPS OFTEN TO VISIT OUR DAUGHTER'S FAMILY AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN OFTEN RIDE WITH HER IN THE TRAVERSE AND WE HAVE DRIVEN THE TRAVERSE TO MYRTLE BEACH, KITTY HAWK, NC, PENNSYLVANIA AND MISSISSIPPI AND I AM CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. CHEVROLET USA SHOULD STEP UP TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THEIR COST. I HAVE NOTED ONE OTHER REPORT OF THIS STEERING PROBLEM ON THIS WEBSITE AND THOSE WHO MY DEALERSHIP SAID PAID FOR THE FIX ON THEIR TRAVERSES. THERE ARE CERTAIN TO BE MANY MORE WHO HAVEN'T REPORTED THE ISSUE TO YOU AND I URGE YOU TO INITIATE THE RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10511567

38,000 miles · May 10, 2013

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

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WAS AT TARGET ONE EVENING AND NOTICED A SWEET UNUSUAL SMELL COMING FROM THE TRAVERSE. I TOOK A LOOK UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND NOTICED PINK SUBSTANCE DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE. UPON LEAVING TARGET I NOTICED THAT THE ARM ON THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. I DROVE 40MPH FOR A MILE AND THE GAUGE SHOT UP TO THE TOP. I WAS 25 MINUTES FROM HOME. I HAD TO STOP 6 TIMES TO LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN IN ORDER TO MAKE IT HOME AND I HAD ALL FOUR OF MY KIDS IN THE CAR WITH ME AS WELL. IT TOTALLY FREAKED THEM OUT. I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR THE WEEKEND AS I NEEDED TRANSPORTATION TO GET AROUND. I HAD A COMPANY THAT WILL COME TO YOUR HOME TO FIX YOUR CAR. FOUND OUT IT WAS MY FUEL PUMP. AFTER 4 HOURS OF LABOR AND $400.00 LATER IT WAS FIXED. FOUR MONTHS LATER, TODAY MAY 10, 2013 AS I'M DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, THE CAR BEGINS TO BEEP AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND SERVICE STABILITRAK SYSTEM AND TRACTION CONTROL OFF DISPLAYS IN THE DISPLAY WINDOW. IT SEEMED AS IF IT WAS HARD TO ACCELERATE AS WELL. THIS IS THE 2ND THING THAT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE FAIRLY EXPENSIVE TO FIX THAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS CAR. IT IS THE WEEKEND AND NOW HAVE TO TRY AND FIND A PLACE TO TAKE MY CAR AND HAVE IT SERVICED. SEEING NOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH THIS SPECIFIC COMPONENT ON THE CAR, CHEVROLET NEEDS TO RECALL THIS CAR AND FIX THIS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THINGS THAT CONTINUE TO BREAK DOWN ON THIS VEHICLE. I AM A SINGLE PARENT AND CANNOT CONTINUE TO FINANCIALLY BE ABLE TO DO THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10511435

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