Question broken seatbelt buckle

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Assuming this is totally our responsibility to pay for because we purchased an older used out of warranty vehicle, but just in case... Anyone have experience with a seatbelt buckle breaking? On the one hand stuff breaks, owner pays, right? On the other hand it's essential safety equipment that shouldn't break or multifunction, right? Kind of like all those airbags getting recalled?

The driver seatbelt buckle won't latch anymore at all. It was sticky for a while (not sticky because of spill, just hard to get latched) but today it's just done. 06 sienna le
 
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katymyers

Active member
Call Toyota and ask. I know Ford and GM will replace faulty seatbelts that just break on their own because I've had both of them replace things for me in older vehicles (2000 Pontiac Montana that I bought in 2011 and a 1992 Ford F-150 that my husband drove in 2008 when we were first married).


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SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Some manufacturers may replace certain safety equipment after the bumper to bumper warranty expires. Some may be covered under a different warranty, or a policy with dealers that isn't public knowledge. Never hurts to ask!
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Wow, honestly did not expect those answers, I will definitely give it a try then. LIke I said, I see both sides-old vehicle stuff is going to happen, and yet it's an essential thing. I was panicked b/c I HAD To drive it, no choice. So...my solution was buckling my seatbelt into the passenger side buckle. :eek: It was all I could think of other than just going without.

Off to find number for Toyota. Thanks, gusy.
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Well, the hope was brief. Toyota says out of warranty it's customer expense. And for future knowledge, that it is something usually covered by engine powertrain warranty except in KS. Where I am. Not sure why. So I guess I'm off to eBay.
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Randomness..Toyota rep just called me back and said she got it wrong-KS is the ONLY state that the warranty on that specifically is 10 years, so hopefully an authorized Toyota dealer will fix it. Cool. Now to call our closest dealer and see about that. lol
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Yeah, doesn't seem old enough for seatbelts to be busting, though it is nearly 10 years old. They fixed it for free-didn't order a new part, said somethign was lined up right and lubricated it. However, I'll be going back b/c it still isn't acting exactly as the other buckles. When you push the release button it doesn't immediately pop right back out like it should. It slowly slides to the top and makes a little grinding noise. So I thikn they should replace the buckle rather than doing this stop gap fix that'll leave us needing a replacement in a few months when it ISN'T covered by warranty anymore! Since Toyota says it's 10 years.
 

jjordan

Moderator
Good luck - the "problem" with getting something fixed under warranty is that they can pretty much decide what method they're going to use to "fix" it!
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Good luck - the "problem" with getting something fixed under warranty is that they can pretty much decide what method they're going to use to "fix" it!

LOL yeah. My argument will be it's not functioning correctly still. It takes 'forever' long to slide back into regular position after depressing the button. And it shouldn't. And there's still that noise, which is what led to it not working in the first place.
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
They've ordered a new buckle and will call when it's in. :D

Luckily it's a pretty new dealership striving to get customers, not sure if it would've been any different going to one of the others or not but I know that had something to do with it, they didn't even make me bring it in again to see for themselves that it was still malfunctioning. I'll be glad to get it fixed, I don't feel very safe in it. Seems to me if it's having issues catching that perhaps it'll have issues staying latched in an accident.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
LAF, did you end up getting your broken buckle replaced? Just wondering. I'm having a problem with the driver seatbelt in my 2005 Odyssey and need to get it replaced. I'm hoping it will be replaced under warranty. (Totally different vehicle and different problem, I know - just looking to hear from someone else who actually DID get their seatbelt or buckle replaced under warranty in an older vehicle.)
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Yes! Completely covered under warranty but Toyota said that had something to do with what my state required which didn't make much sense to me. But she said in my state it was ten years on the belts
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
As far as I know Honda offered a lifetime warranty on seatbelts until just a few years ago so an 05 Ody should be covered by that.
 

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