Recall on a 2000 Impala??

Amaris

New member
On the consumer reports website I found this:


'00 Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Saturn vehicles

Rear safety belts may not provide adequate protection in a crash.

Products: 156,305 vehicles with TRW safety-belt buckle, made 4/00-5/00, including Buick Century and Regal; Chevrolet Blazer, Impala, Lumina, Monte Carlo, Venture, and S10/T10; GMC Jimmy; Oldsmobile Intrigue and Silhouette; Pontiac Grand Prix and Montana; and Saturn L-Series.

What to do: Have dealer inspect and, if necessary, replace rear safety-belt buckles


Chevy says there has never been a recall on the 2000 Impala!?! We had a marathon installed outboard in the rear of DH's 2000 Impala, and when we went to get our son out of his seat the seatbelt was unbuckled! When I installed the seat I made sure it was buckled and tight. When I tried to move the seat back and forth the buckle was latched. DS cannot reach the buckle from his seat, we had him try just to see if he had been playing with it. If chevy says there's no recall then who do we trust and what do we do next??
 
ADS

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
I searched for 2000 Impala seatbelt recalls at NHTSA's site at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm

and found a seatbelt recall dated August 17, 2000 that seems to be the one you found through CR:


"Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
BUICK / CENTURY 2000-2001
BUICK / REGAL 2000-2001
CHEVROLET / BLAZER 2000-2001
CHEVROLET / IMPALA 2000-2001
CHEVROLET / LUMINA 2000-2001
CHEVROLET / MONTE CARLO 2000-2001
CHEVROLET / S10 2000-2001
CHEVROLET / T10 2000-2001
CHEVROLET / VENTURE 2000-2001
GMC / JIMMY 2000-2001
GMC / SONOMA 2001
OLDSMOBILE / INTRIGUE 2000-2001
OLDSMOBILE / SILHOUETTE 2000-2001
PONTIAC / GRAND PRIX 2000-2001
PONTIAC / MONTANA 2000-2001
SATURN / L-SERIES 2000


Recall Number: 00V228003

Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH TRW SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES. THE BUCKLE BASE OF THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND THEREFORE DO NOT PASS THE LOAD BEARING REQUIREMENT OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."

Consequence:
IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY DATE CODES AND, IF NECESSARY, WILL REPLACE ANY SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.

Notes:
OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 24, 2000. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020; GMC AT 1-800-462-8782; OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537; PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737; OR SATURN AT 1-800-553-6000. ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236)."


It's not clear to me from the NHTSA summary if the recall affected all 2000-2001 Impalas or only certain batches, or which seatbelts were affected (front/rear or all). The info. you posted from CR indicates the recall involves cars built April - May 2000, so it could be your Impala isn't involved if it was built before or after those months. You can usually find a label with your car's date of manufacture on the inside edge of a door or door frame when you have the door open. It's usually on the driver's side rear door but the location can vary depending on the car and body style. Sometimes there's a date of manufacture label under the hood near the front of the engine compartment.

You could also try calling the numbers listed for Chevy or NHTSA, or call your dealer with the recall number and your VIN (vehicle identification number) to check on the recall and pursue having the recall work done if your car is affected. I may be wrong, but I don't believe recalls have a "statute of limitations." It's probably a good idea to have the rear seatbelts checked out for proper latching at the service department either way due to your concerns.

Hope this helps.
 

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