Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- Component
- Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- Manufacturer
- Fleetwood RV, Inc.
- Vehicles affected
- 774
- Reported to NHTSA
- 2013-11-20
- Owners notified
- 2014-01-17
Defect description
Fleetwood RV, Inc. (Fleetwood) is recalling certain model year 2014 model American Eagle, American Heritage, American Revolution, American Tradition, Bounder, Bounder Classic, Discovery, Excursion, Expedition, Providence, South Wind, Storm, Terra, Terra SE, Jamboree Searcher, Jamboree Sport, Tioga Montara, and Tioga Ranger recreational vehicles equipped with IMMI-brand L9 seat belt assemblies. When the button is pressed to release the seat belt, the latch plate can become partially engaged with the buckle, making the seat belt difficult to unlatch. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Safety 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.
Manufacturer remedy
Fleetwood will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt buckle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2014. Owners may contact Fleetwood at 1-800-322-8216. Fleetwood's recall number 131112FRV.