U.S. Regulators Probe Seatbelt Failures in Volkswagen SUVs

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into Volkswagen AG’s latest Tiguan SUV after the vehicle’s front seatbelts failed in two government crash tests.

In two tests in December, the driver’s seat belt webbing "completely separated" where it loops through tongue latch that clicks into the buckle, the agency said in a memo posted on its website. The failures occurred during separate frontal impact tests where the vehicle crashed into a rigid barrier at 35 miles per hour.