General Motors (GM) is issuing a recall of just over 13,000 Corvettes due to a potential problem with the seat belts, which may become unusable in certain circumstances.
The company discovered that the seatbelt retractors may have two internal components that do not meet specifications and could cause the belt to become stuck in the locked position if fully extended. Obviously they wouldn’t be usable in that position, which is both a safety risk and illegal.
The recall concerns 13,464 Corvettes from the 2024 and 2025 model-years.
The manufacturer began investigating the problem at the end of February, after an engineer observed the seatbelt jamming on a 2024 Corvette. GM opened an investigation on April 9, identifying 56 complaints received between October 13, 2023 and May 21, 2024, that may be related to the problem.
Needless to say, not wearing a seatbelt represents an enormous risk of injury or even death in the event of an accident, not to mention the fact that it is illegal to drive without wearing a seatbelt.
GM decided on May 30th to go ahead with a recall. The company is not aware of any accidents or injuries linked to the problem.
For their part, dealers have been ordered to cease deliveries, presumably because the spare parts needed for repairs are not available at the moment. And it is not yet known when they will be.
GM will begin notifying owners on July 22.