The 1997 Buick Park Avenue has 4 recalls, all involving seat belt failures that can leave occupants unprotected in a crash, including front shoulder belts that can jam and a rear center belt anchor that can pull free under crash loads.
The front shoulder belt issue affects both front seating positions: the webbing can twist and become lodged in the retractor mechanism, leaving the belt unable to extend or retract properly and effectively unusable. An occupant who cannot buckle the belt, or who finds it already jammed, would have no restraint in a collision. The rear center seat belt concern is a separate problem involving the anchor bolts that secure the belt to the vehicle structure. These bolts were not properly installed during assembly, meaning the attachment point can give way under the force of a crash rather than holding the occupant in place. Both issues cover the Park Avenue and Park Avenue Ultra.
At a glance
What can fail
The front seat shoulder belt webbing can twist and jam inside the retractor, making the belt unusable and leaving an occupant unbelted in a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will check for updated shoulder belt bezels and install new bezel kits where needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The front seat shoulder belt webbing may twist and jam inside the retractor mechanism.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the shoulder belt bezels and install updated bezel kits where needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The center rear seat belt anchor bolts were not installed properly during assembly, which may not securely hold the seat belt in place.
What the fix does
Dealers will tighten the center rear seat belt anchor bolts to the proper specification.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The center rear seat belt anchor bolts may not be properly installed. During a crash, the seat belt system might not hold the required force, potentially causing injury to the occupant.
What the fix does
The center rear seat belt anchor bolts will be tightened to the correct specification.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
