Sueken

My son was trapped in his seatbelt of my mother in laws Lexus ..It was scary for all of us! The more we tried to free him the tighter the belt constricted him. He felt like he was going to die and panicked and made things worse. We immediately drove to the nearest mechanic and pleaded for help. After trying to disengage the belt, discovers the child safety mechanism wouldn't allow it, they have no choice but to cut the belt to free my son. I just don't want any parent to go through this.i think this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed and I informed corporate as well.

toyotaguy

I've had this exact same issue with my Sienna minivan but was fortunate to ultimately free my son after fiddling with the belts for what seemed like forever. When I reported this incident to my local dealer later they told me I should have just cut the belt and that they would had no problem replacing it free of charge (maybe easier said since I didn't). They added anything related to safety like that you should never hesitate.

If the belts haven't yet been replaced, have your mother-in-law take the car to the dealer and explain the incident. If they don't offer to replace it for free demand that they do!

Bichon

My '06 IS350 was recalled shorty after I purchased it (new) for a defect in the seatbelt retractor mechanism. Fortunately I didn't experience the issue either before or after the recall was performed. I don't recall whether the rear seatbelt mechanisms were replaced or just the front ones.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Not sure I'm following this. You couldn't release the buckle? Even when the retractor mechanism is locked and tight, I can release the buckle on mine.

2013FSport

iTrader: (2)

Please call the corporate ## in your owners manual and report all details!!
We can empathize but that only informs a few vs contacting the maker.

They have a number for safety. Look at the last few pages of the manual.

Glad all is well.

Question; was this a product of car being pointed downhill and the brakes applied? The front belts are very reactive to forward inertia...

bbaugher47

Silly question but What happens if you turn the car off? Will it release the belt?

LXMEUP

Nah mate,

Once the belt is that tight you won't even be able to release it by pressing the button, it's locked in tight.

This has happened to me in a few different cars over the years, it's not a specific Lexus issue, it's just bad luck.

mandyfig

Now I understand the need for a seat belt cutter in your glove box. There is a tool that is both a glass breaker plus a seat belt cutter. A very important tool you need in case for some reason you end up in water.

But this is a prime example of a need for a handy blade to cut the deployed seat belt.