General Motors Co. on Tuesday said it is recalling 243,000 vehicles for damage to rear seat belts that could prevent them from latching securely. The action affects 2009 and 2010 models of the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. All are large crossover vehicles that have three rows of seats. The seat belts targeted by the recall are in the second row. Most of the vehicles were sold in the US, although several thousand were also exported to Canada, Mexico, China and Saudi Arabia. GM said the seat belts can be damaged when the back of a second-row seat is returned to an upright position, and as a result may no longer latch properly. The company said it uncovered the problem after noticing warranty claims to repair seat belts. The problem was discovered during warranty returns, and any damage was cosmetic in the vast majority of cases, GM said in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There are no known cases of belts failing in a crash, GM said. GM said it would begin notifying owners by letter this month to make appointments with dealership service departments for repairs. GM's recall comes as automakers face heightened safety scrutiny in the aftermath of Toyota's worldwide recall of about 9.5 million vehicles because of Prius brake problems and floor mats and accelerator pedals linked to unintended acceleration in other Toyota and Lexus vehicles. To repair the crossovers, GM dealerships will modify a plastic piece on the interiors that can harm the belt buckles, spokesman Alan Adler said. They will also repair any damaged seat belts. GM will start sending customers letters this month to inform them of the recall so they can schedule the free repairs. GM said it does not know of any cases in which the seat belts failed in a crash.
