Does anyone have any info on whether/how long a vehicle manufacturer is responsible for the seat belts in a car, in the state of California?
The passenger-side seatbelt retractor in my 1998 Ford F150 stopped working last week and it’s going to be a few hundred $$$ to get it replaced (!). I have heard that in some states the manufacturer is wholly responsible for the seat belts up to some limit (say 100k miles) and I want to find out whether this is true and if so what the limits are.
Ford’s website is no help (although I’m going to call them tomorrow). F150 owner forums have multiple instances of the same complaint from other people but nobody’s posted their resolution.
Didn’t find anything at the Center for Automotive Safety.
My previous car (Toyota Celica) had the same thing happen when it was 10 years old, however when I dropped it off at the local Toyota dealer they immediately replaced the belt and didn’t charge me a nickel - no parts, no labor, just fixed it right away.
Read your owner’s manual. There will be a booklet in the packet that has all of the warrenty info for all the different warrenties on the car.
IIRC Toyota had a recall on seat belts a while back. If a part is under recall there is no limit on years or mileage it must be repaired.
The only safety equipment that I am aware of that a manufacturer is required to warrant for life is the SRS airbags. I recently had the retractor on the driver’s side of my Toyota pickup quit working and when I inquired at the parts department of my local Toyota dealer, he said they only have to fix the airbags, nothing else. Also, once the airbags have been deployed for any reason, the warranty ends. Toyota only charged me $39 for the replacement belt and retractor and I replaced it myself, it only took an hour. A Google search of “seat belt warranty” did not provide an definitive proof. Some manufacturers are offering lifetime warranties due to potential defects in the seat belts. Adding Ford to the search reveals Ford has recalled some vehicles for problems with the seat belts but it was the buckles, not the retractors.
Ford belt $150. Urk. I’d like to replace it myself (I think it involves fastening two bolts) but the attachment points are hidden under a hunk of plastic with no apparent way to remove (another common complaint on F150 forums, my Chilton/Haynes books don’t touch seatbelts) other than drilling 'em out. I’ll keep digging though,thanks!