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Subaru has changed their "no seat belt extender" policy!

Updated 10/30/2002

An email from a Subaru Customer Service Representative:

I asked...

Hi! I have a website that discusses the availability of seat belt extenders. I had gotten many reports that you did not have seat belt extenders available, but today someone emailed me to let me know that they'd gotten extenders for their 2002 Forester. Do you have seat belt extenders available now? If so, how does an owner go about getting them? I'd like to update my website to reflect this information. http://www.ifisher.com/getbelts.htm. Thanks!
First name: Elizabeth
Last name: Fisher

Subaru's reply...

Dear Ms. Fisher:

Thank you for visiting the Subaru Website and for your message.

We appreciate you taking the time to contact us. At this time, we are offering seatbelt extenders for some of our vehicles. You should contact your local Subaru dealer for the availability and pricing for your model Subaru.

If we can be of any other assistance, please do not hesitate to recontact us.

Best wishes,
Kelly
Subaru of America, Inc

THANK YOU SUBARU!

Click HERE to thank Subaru for making seat belt extenders available for some of their vehicles

Below is what was on this page prior to 10/30/2002:

Honda has company...
Subaru Says NO to Seat Belts for Larger Passengers Too!

Subaru
Subaru does not offer seat belt extenders
http://www.subaru.com/contact/index.html

Bonnie's boyfriend recently purchased a new Subaru. It wasn't until after the purchase Bonnie discovered the seat belts weren't long enough.

Subaru told Bonnie that their seat belts meet NHTSA's stringent safety standards. Unfortunately for Bonnie, it doesn't matter how stringent the safety standards are if the belt is too short to buckle. The NHTSA regulation Subaru cites in the letter only requires automoblie manufacturers to provide seat belts that fit passengers up to 215 lbs. In light of the laws in 49 states (all except New Hampshire) requiring seat belt use, isn't it time for NHTSA to update their outdated regulation and for Subaru to get a clue from the other twenty two automobile manufacturers who DO provide a means for larger passengers to buckle their seat belts?

Shame on you Subaru, for failing to provide seat belts that fit your customers!

Fortunately for Bonnie, in a desperate search for an extender that would fit her vehicle, Bonnie and her boyfriend located a Nissan Altima extender that fits the Subaru.



If you want to help change the outdated regulation that provided Subaru with an excuse for not providing for the safety of their passengers, please contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and ask them to amend Code of Federal Regulation 49CFR451.209 so that passengers of all sizes will be able to fasten their seat belts, not just those up to 215 lbs.

Write to:

Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590