Safety Belt Inspection and Repair After a Collision

General Procedure

WARNING: All seatbelt components must be inspected and corrected as part of any collision repair. Inspect all seatbelt components as prescribed by Seatbelt Procedure After a Collision found in this information . Failure to follow this instruction may result in incorrect operation of the seatbelt system and increase the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

WARNING: After a crash, all of the following second and third row seatbelt components and attaching hardware must be inspected and tested to verify correct function:

Retractors
Buckles
Child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
Automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature for child safety seats (passenger seating positions only)
Inflatable seatbelt systems

Components that do not operate correctly or pass all Functional Tests in the Component Tests must be replaced with new components. Seatbelt assembly attaching areas must be inspected. Damaged or distorted attaching areas must be restored to their original structural integrity and a new seatbelt assembly with new attaching hardware must be installed. Deployed inflatable seatbelts must be replaced with new inflatable components (including retractors, buckles and inflators) and all parts in the service kit. Failure to install new seatbelt systems and attaching hardware increases the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

1.

Before installing the new safety belt assembly, the safety belt attaching areas must be inspected for damage and distortion. If the attaching points are damaged and distorted, the sheet metal must be reworked back to its original shape and structural integrity.

2.

Install new safety belt(s) at any seating position(s) where deployment has occurred and the safety belt(s) were used. Refer to Safety Belt System and carry out the appropriate Functional Test procedure for all seating positions.