NHTSA recall 13E061000 · Equipment
Seat belts
The defect
Indiana Mills and Manufacturing Inc. (IMMI) has determined that certain seat belt assemblies manufactured from August 2, 2013, through October 31, 2013, fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." When the button is pressed to release the seat belt, the latch plate can become partially engaged with the buckle, and it may take more effort than specified in the standard to separate the latch plate from the buckle.
The risk
If the latch plate remains partially engaged after the button is pressed, egress from the vehicle could be hindered which would increase the risk of injury in the event of an emergency.
The remedy
IMMI has notified its customers, who are the vehicle and seating manufacturers. It is IMMI's understanding that the vehicle manufacturers will provide replacement buckles, free of charge, to purchasers of vehicles containing the noncompliant seat belt assemblies.