[Haku]

Let's be realistic here. We're talking about seatbelts - not fashionable exterior parts or headlight bulbs that if aren't working are an inconvenience - this is one unit the if it fails may cost you your life.

For the sake of a few hundred dollars - get them professionally replaced and don't muck around with sprays etc that may cause even further damage.

 

[Haku]

the seat belt tensioners work fine (a hard pull, they stop in their track). the problem is that they do not retract when UNBUCKELED.

I actually had the same problem. It slowly got worse and I eventually had the dealer replace the entire unit (still under warranty).

For me personally, I wouldn't want to be scratching my head saying "oh it seems that giving it a test pull with my hand doesn't simulate an actual accident" as my wife or child (or I) go through the windscreen.

Like I said - it's the seatbelt - something of 'real' concern when not having 100% functionality.

 

[Haku]

i do not believe this to be a safety issue, otherwise mb would have issued a recall.

exactly when were yours replaced under warranty? was this under the factory or an extended warranty? how old was your car at the time? how many miles were on your car? if it was outside of the factory warranty and not under an extended warranty, how did you compel replacement?

a side question: have you replaced your airbags? to my understanding, proper functioning cannot be gauranteed past 10 years...

A faulty seatbelt is not a safety issue? Due to the age of the car I think MB are expecting some common sense when it comes to replacement of parts with moving mechanisms - like; wheels, electric window motors, hinges etc.


Yes indeed - airbage is one of the things I had read about here in the forum before I bought my car. As part of the purchase agreement I had them replaced - actually the amount of work I had done on the car pre-purchase was a little over the top - but I basically had them get the vehicle into good enough condition to be able to drop a 3 year parts and labor warranty on her. Glad I did, since last year alone (70,000km) I've had the air conditioning done twice, 3 electric window motors (actuators is it?) replaced, the interior lighting cluster and other bits and pieces done as well!

 

[Haku]

i do not know about tokoyo (w/r/t/ lawsuits), but in the us common sense would lend itself to mb issuing a safety recall for seat belts that have a safety feature that 'wear' with age - especially if a large number of vehicles are prone to such. but, i appreciate your concern.

Just want to clarify - it's not about laws - I'm referring to a seatbelt not retracting (buckled or unbuckled) followed by the owner of the vehicle pulling it to pieces and spraying lubricants into it. Not a MB issue but mere common sense.

 

[Haku]

if you can answer the following it would be a tremendous help: when were yours replaced under warranty? under the factory or an extended warranty? how old was your car at the time? how many miles were on your car at the time? if it was outside of the factory warranty and not under an extended warranty, how did you compel replacement?

all the best.

I'll answer these again ...

They were replaced last year (2007) - Dealerships extended warranty (3 year) and replacement was compeled by the fact that the belt (drivers side) wouldn't retract whilst unbuckled (and eventually buckeled as well - followed by not locking when pulled) which to me was simply and item on the vehicle not doing what it was supposed to :thumbsup:

 

[Haku]

when i think of it, vacuum cleaners have a similar problem w/ their power cords after a few years.

Haha - My vacuums cord retracts about 90% of the way in and that last 10% just sort of 'flops' there... :crybaby2: