Wow, kind of weird to see this thread resurface today - I finally took mine to be fixed today. The passenger side seat belt was doing the same thing - retracted all the way in and locked into position. Mine has more than 50k miles, so the warranty wouldn't cover it. A further kick in the a$$ is that Ford designed the seatbelt unit so that it can't be repaired (two different garages, including the dealership, told me this) so you have to have it replaced. I got a quote from the Ford dealer but went with the service garage at the used car lot where I bought my car because they quoted me a rate that was a little cheaper. With the part, labor, tax and all, it still cost a little over 160 bucks. I am annoyed because that's almost a short throw shifter and more than a good tint job - both of which I want. At least now when my wife and I go places I can drive my Mustang instead of her Chevy Venture, so it was worth it.red05 said:
I pulled the front part of the interior panel loose a couple of times, enough to see the retractor and even jimmy it with my hand. I was actually able to get it to turn loose and work on a couple of different occasions by doing that, before it finally locked down completely and wouldn't budge. I didn't really see any way to work on it, but I make no claims of being a great mechanic. My guess is that, at the very least, you would have to replace the assembly. The part itself for mine was about $70 from Ford. This also means (as far as I could tell) pulling the entire rear interior panel on that side - which looked to me like it would be a real PITA. I thought about buying the part and replacing it myself, but was worried about breaking or losing the plastic clips that hold the interior panel on. Also, at least one bolt (the one that attaches the seatbelt to the floor and, I think, the one that attaches it near the roofline behind the seat) looks like it requires torx key or something similar that is bigger than any I have. I decided it was worth paying roughly 1 hour of labor to have someone else change it. If you decide to do it yourself, let us know how difficult a job it is. I imagine I will need to replace the driver's side belt sometime down the road and if it isn't as annoying a job as I think, I might be tempted to do it myself.the98stang said:
I saw this recall on AutoZone's website, but I called and they ran my VIN and said I wasn't covered under this recall...sounds like bs to me because my seat belts suck...wont retract but maybe a few inches and I have to pull hard to get it back...I'm not even sure they'll lock God forbid I get in a wreck.
