2003 Toyota Matrix

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS IDLING AT A RED LIGHT, THE SEAT BELT AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND FORCEFULLY SECURED THE DRIVER INTO THE SEAT. DURING THE INCIDENT, NO CRASH HAD OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (BAIERL TOYOTA, 19045 PERRY HWY, MARS, PA), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND AN INVESTIGATOR WAS SENT TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

THE DATES AND VEHICLE MILEAGE STATED ABOVE ARE ONLY ESTIMATES. ABOUT 5-6 YEARS AGO THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS STOPPED WORKING. I CHECKED WITH 2 DEALERS THAT TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AROUND $500 TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED. I WROTE TOYOTA IN TORRANCE CALIFORNIA AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. CONSIDERING THE ONGOING PROBLEMS THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD WITH SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES ON ALL OF THEIR CARS, I WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY IN MY CASE, BUT NO SUCH LUCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT EXPLODED AND FRACTURED INTO PIECES. THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AND COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. IN ADDITION, THE POWER WINDOWS WOULD OPEN INDEPENDENTLY AND COULD NOT BE OPERATED MANUALLY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS THE INSIDE CYLINDER OF THE SEAT BELT CONTROL BEING DEFECTIVE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,514. UPDATED 09/11/12*LJ UPDATED 09/13/2012 *JS

WHILE I WAS SITTING AT A DRIVE THRU WINDOW AT MCDONALD'S THE TELLER WAS REACHING ME MY ORDER AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE AND I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND SHE SAID WHAT WAS THAT, I SAID I DON'T KNOW SHE SAID IT CAME FROM YOUR CAR SHE SAID MADAM IT CAME FROM INSIDE YOUR CAR, YOUR CAR IS SMOKING SO I TURNED MY HEAD AND NOTICED THE SEAT BELT OVER MY SHOULDER WAS SMOKING AND AS I TURNED MY HEAD AROUND THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR POPPED OPEN AND IT STARTED SMOKING SO I SAID WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS CAR, AND WHEN I TURNED MY HEAD FORWARD THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE POPPED OUT SO I SAID I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THIS CAR BUT I NEED TO GET OUT OF IT. I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE CARS BEHIND ME IN THE DRIVE-THRU SO I PULLED THE CAR OUT FROM UNDER THE WINDOW TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT SO THAT THE CARS BEHIND ME WOULD BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND AS I TURNED THE WHEEL THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG POPPED OUT IN FROM OF ME AND HIT ME IN THE CHEST AND BRUISED MY LEFT ARM THEN THE CAR STARTED FILLING UP WITH SMOKE SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE CAR WAS CATCHING ON FIRE OR WHAT I JUST KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT GRABBED MY PURSE AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. ALL THE CUSTOMERS AND WORKERS AT MCDONALD'S RAN OUT WHEN THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND NO ONE COULD BELIEVE WHAT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE ALL THESE THINGS POPPED OUT AND THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR THERE THE MANAGER AT MCDONALD'S CAME TO ME AND SAID HE WAS CALLING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SINCE THE CAR WAS SMOKING AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. THE FIRE DEPT. CAME AND SAID MADAM WHAT HAPPENED I TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY ASKED IF I HAD HIT ANYTHING AND I TOLD THEM NO I WAS JUST SITTING AT THE DRIVE-THRU WHEN ALL OF THESE THINGS JUST STARTED POPPING OUT OF MY CAR. THE WINDSHIELD ALSO SHATTERED WHEN THE AIRBAG HIT IT. THE FIREMEN TOLD ME TO STAND IN FRONT OF MCDONALD'S AND THEY OPENED THE HOOD TO CHECK FOR FIRE AND DISABLED TO BATTERY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED A BOLT DETACHED FROM THE ANCHOR INSIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT. THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT WAS ATTACHED WITH A WIRE AND COULD BE EASILY REMOVED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A SERVICE REPAIR. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 150,000.

I WISH TO QUESTION THE SAFETY OF SEAT BELT DESIGN, AS MY SON HAS NOW--3 TIMES--GOTTEN SO TANGLED IN HIS REAR-SEAT BELT THAT IT HAD TO BE CUT TO GET HIM LOOSE. WE HAVE A TOYOTA MATRIX, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS PROBLEM IS SPECIFIC TO THAT MODEL CAR. IT HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE IN A RENTAL CAR WHOSE MAKE I DON'T RECALL. NO QUESTION OUR YOUNG, SQUIRMY SON DID SOMETHING WEIRD; WE THINK HE PUT THE SHOULDER STRAP BEHIND HIM AND THEN TURNED IN SOME ODD WAY. BUT AFTER THAT, THE DESIGN IS SUCH THAT THE LAP BELT JUST KEPT GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER THE MORE HE TRIED TO GET FREE. UNFASTENING THE BELT DID NO GOOD. AND IT SEEMS QUITE DANGEROUS FOR THERE TO BE NO WAY TO RELEASE IT. THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF MANUAL OVERRIDE MECHANISM FOR SUCH CASES. OR AT THE VERY LEAST A WARNING IN THE CAR'S MANUAL THAT EXPLAINS THAT IF A PASSENGER ALLOWS THE SHOULDER STRAP TIGHTEN BEHIND THE BODY, THERE WILL BE NO WAY TO LOOSEN THE LAP BELT. THE TOYOTA DEALER DID REPLACE THE BELTS AT NO COST. THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS HAPPENING BEOFRE, AND THAT THEY'D MENTION THE PROBLEM TO THEIR DESIGN/SAFETY DEPARTMENT. BUT ASSUMING THAT THE SEAT BELT DESIGN IN MOST CARS IS SIMILAR, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A PROBLEM TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.*AK