Volkswagen has issued a warning to owners over concerns about seatbelts in the rear of at least three of its cars.
The latest Volkswagen Polo, SEAT Arona and Ibiza are to be recalled over a safety issue that can see the left-rear passenger’s seatbelt unbuckle itself when five people are seated in the car.
Owners of affected models will start receiving letters in the next few weeks informing them to make an appointment with their dealer.
The recall involves fitting a new, redesigned belt lock fixture.
Belt lock fixture
Both companies have advised owners not to use the middle seat until the car has been fitted with the new locking mechanism.
A Volkswagen spokesperson told Autocar: “As an immediate action, we will inform customers and advise not to have passengers use the middle rear seat of current Polo models until the cars have been equipped with the redesigned belt lock fixture.”
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The fault was identified during a road test by Finnish motoring magazine, Tekniikan Maailma.
It found that the left rear buckle in the back could release when the car was travelling with three in the back and there were sudden changes of direction.
SEAT’s director of communications, Christian Stein said: “Based on the analysis made at our factory we have identified the seat belt issue that Tekniikan Maailma has found in the tests.
“We are working on possible solutions for it and we will inform you about the final decision as soon as possible.”