NHTSA complaint: 2025 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE — SEAT BELTS
Name: [XXX] â¢Address: [XXX] â¢Phone: [XXX] â¢Email: [XXX] Date of Incident: October 7, 2025 Description of Problem: While driving our 2025 Chevrolet Traverse on October 7, 2025, our son was sitting in the third-row seat and somehow managed to buckle two seatbelts at onceâone from the right side and one from the leftâcrossing them over his chest and neck. Once both belts were latched, they locked in place. When we tried to loosen one side, the opposite side only tightened further, causing him to be choked. We tried multiple ways to release the seatbelts, but the locking mechanism prevented any movement. Several adults tried to help, but no one could free him. We ultimately had to cut one of the seatbelts to safely release him. He was left with visible red marks on his neck, and the incident caused significant fear and distress. The seatbelts were crisscrossed, which explains why attempting to loosen one side made the other side tighten. This appears to be a dangerous design issue, as there was no safe or quick way to release the belts in this situation. We are deeply concerned that this design could pose a serious strangulation hazard to children or other passengers in the future. Attachments: â¢Photos showing the crisscrossed seatbelts â¢Photos showing the red marks on the neck after the incident We request that NHTSA review this complaint to determine if this is a vehicle safety defect and take any appropriate action to prevent similar incidents from occ
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation