Complaint 1844118

Complaint Summary

SEAT BELTS

Owner Narrative

I'm writing you today with a MAJOR CONCERN related to the safety of the current model Audi Q7. The problem is with the left and right 2nd row belt buckles. Both are attached to a plastic fixture, sit a few inches in front of the back seat, and cannot be moved beyond a forward 45 degree angle. The position and orientation prevent you from safely/correctly installing ANY child seat using the belt path. Latch works fine but it has an upper weight limit. We took the car to the local police dept and the certified child seat expert confirmed the buckle design would NOT ALLOW US TO SAFELY INSTALL ANY FORWARD FACING CAR SEAT USING THE BELT PATH. We tried to install our Nuna Rava car seat rear facing as well - one of the safest and most expensive convertible seats available - and the buckle position prevented me from securing it properly as well. The belt kinks and the position creates a slightly forward angle from the passthrough on the seat to the buckle. Leaving way too much lateral motion. I took the car to my local Audi dealer recently and they confirmed there is no available solution from Audi. I asked the service rep to escalate this with HQ but no progress. As a result of this, we are unable to safely install ANY car seat using the belt path, FORWARD and REAR facing, on either side of the Q7 second row. Please investigate for yourself. This is serious issue. Audi needs to take action here ASAP before someone gets hurt. Thank you in advance.

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.