General Motors is recalling several 2018 and 2019 GMC, Chevrolet, and Cadillac vehicles due to seatbelt assemblies that might not switch to locking mode when used to install child restraints.
Normally with these vehicles, caregivers would lock the seatbelt by pulling the webbing all the way out when installing child restraints. In the affected vehicles, seatbelt assemblies for the second and third row may fail to lock when the webbing is pulled all the way out. This can leave the seatbelt and child restraint loose, and could prevent the child restraint from working properly in a crash, increasing the possibility of injury.
What vehicles are affected?
This recall includes 15,800 vehicles from the following models:
- 2018 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2019 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2018 Chevrolet Volt
- 2019 Chevrolet Volt
- 2018 GMC Yukon XL
- 2019 GMC Yukon XL
- 2018 Cadillac CT6
- 2019 Cadillac CT6
- 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV
- 2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV
What’s the fix?
GM will notify owners. Dealers will inspect the rear-seat retractors and will replace the assemblies if necessary.
What do I do in the meantime?
GM’s official position is “await notification,” but people can take steps in the meantime. If you own one of these vehicles and have a child restraint installed with the seatbelt, check to make sure the seatbelt is locked. (Once you have installed the child restraint, pull the seatbelt webbing all the way out, then feed the excess back into the retractor. If the belt is locked, you shouldn’t be able to pull the webbing out again.) If the belt locks, there is nothing to worry about at this time. If the belt does not lock, you have some options:
- Try a different seating position in the vehicle
- Install the seat with lower anchors (LATCH) if your child is within the LATCH weight limit and the seating position is equipped with lower anchors
- Use a child restraint with a built-in lock-off
- Use a locking clip
It is important to note that this problem does not affect the emergency locking function of the seatbelt. That means the belt will still lock as usual in a crash or hard stop when it is restraining an adult, an older child not using a child restraint, or a child using a booster seat where the seatbelt goes over the child’s body.
More information:
You can click here for the official GM statement, and you can contact the following numbers for more support:
- Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020
- GMC Customer Service: 1-800-462-8782
- Cadillac Customer Service: 1-800-458-8006
- GM Recall Number: 18315
- NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
- NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153
Official NHTSA statement:
Rear Seatbelt Retractor May Not Lock/FMVSS 208
If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V673000
Manufacturer General Motors LLC
Components SEAT BELTS
Potential Number of Units Affected 15,800
Summary
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.”
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM’s number for this recall is 18315.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.