1997 Toyota Camry Seat Belts Problems

Both rear seat belts on your car won't retract properly, leaving them loose and hanging. This creates a safety hazard since the seat belts won't be able to hold passengers securely in a crash. The seat belt retractor mechanisms will likely need to be replaced or repaired.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LATCHES FOR ALL OF THE SEAT BELTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT HOLD THE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT EACH LATCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REPLACED FOUR OF THE FIVE LATCHES IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

THE REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT ROLL BACK AFTER PULLED OUT. NOW THEY ARE STAYING ON THE SEATS. DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTS SLOW. *JB

SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILURE. SEAT BELT WAS EXTENDED TO USE, BUT ONCE EXTENDED AND SECURED WILL NOT RETRACT TO PROPER TENSION. HAS NOW HAPPENED A THIRD TIME TO SEPARATE BELTS. TWICE ON DRIVER'S SIDE, ONCE ON PASSENGER'S SIDE IN THE FRONT.*AK

DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT FAILS TO RETRACT AS IT SHOULD...I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE 8 OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE DATABASE. I ALSO HAVE 2 FRIENDS THAT HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE WITH THEIR CAMRYS.*AK

REAR SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT AFTER EXTENDING SEAT BELT TO LOCK IN PLACE. *AK

2 YEARS AGO I HAD THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR SEAT BELT FAIL. THE LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED ALLOWING THE SEAT BELT TO COME OUT AND THEN WOULD NOT RETRACT. IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS PAST SUMMER I HAD THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SEAT BELT DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEM (IT ALSO FAILED) AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK

DRIVERS SEAT BELT LOCK IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND HAS TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WILL CHARGE ALMOST $600.00 TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

SEAT BELTS WON'T RETRACT. HAVE HAD FRONT BELTS REPLACED ON MY 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY TWICE AND PROBLEM COMES BACK. BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT AND HANG OUT DOOR OR ON ME AFTER RELEASING. *NLM

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP. *JB MADE ATTEMPT TO CONTACT CONSUMER 10/16/07, NO ANSWER *LJ RETURN USPS, MADE 2ND ATTEMPT 07/16/07 FAILED. *BF

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BEATS DO NOT RETRACT PROPERLY.

THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY IS BROKEN. THE SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE. THIS OF COURSE POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD TO PASSENGERS IN THIS SEAT. IT ALSO PRESENTS A LEGAL ISSUE BECAUSE A CHILD IS NORMALLY SEATED THERE WHO NOW CANNOT OPERATE THIS SEAT BELT. CONTACT WAS MADE ON 8/28/02 WITH THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED . THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE SEAT BELT AT THEIR EXPENSE.*AK

THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT FROZE AND WILL NOT RETRACT OR RELEASE ADDITIONAL LENGTH. THREE TO FOUR MONTHS LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS RETRACTING AND RELEASING. IT WILL PROBABLY FAIL COMPLETELY TOO, SOON. REPORTED TO DEALER WHO STATED IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY. REPORTED TO MANUFACTURER (TOYOTA) WHO STATED THAT THE 5YEAR /60000 MILE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED FOR THIS COMPONENT. OPENED UP COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA WHO ADVISED US TO HAVE IT FIXED AND SEND THEM A COPY OF THE BILL. THE SUPERVISOR STATED THEY WILL "LOOK INTO IT, BUT CAN'T MAKE ANY GUARANTEES". WHEN QUESTIONED THEY ADMITTED THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. SINCE THIS IS A PRIMARY SAFETY COMPONENT IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN SAFETY DEFECT.*AK

SEAT BELTS IN REAR SEATS FELL FALL APART WHEN BRAKING, CONSUMER'S GRAND CHILD FELL FORWARD. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK *JB

SEAT BELTS FAIL TO RETRACT. DRIVERS SEATBELT WAS REPLACED ONCE ALREADY AND IS NOW A PROBLEM AGAIN. ESTIMATED COSTS IS $108 FOR NEW RETRACTOR AND $80 LABOR. *AK

I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THEY ORDERED A LEFT-SIDE BACK SEAT BELT RATHER THAN THE CENTER BELT. THEY RE-ORDERED AND TOLD ME THE BELT SHOULD BE IN TODAY (9/13/00). I CALLED TODAY AND AM NOW TOLD THAT IT WILL NOT BE HERE UNTIL AT LEAST NEXT THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. I ASKED IF IT WAS COMING FROM JAPAN AND WAS TOLD THAT IT PROBABLY WAS. THIS IS A VERY BIG SAFEFY ISSUE AS I HAVE THREE CHILDREN - AGES 4, 9 & 10. ALL ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE FRONT SEAT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT.*AK

THIS IS MAINLY AN INQUIRY REGARDING A FAILURE IN A SEATBELT THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER IS SAYING THAT THE SEATBELT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AS IT IS OVER THE MILEAGE LIMIT. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ITEM, WE ASSUMED IT WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY FOR MUCH LONGER. THE REAR SEATBELTS ARE RARELY USED. THE CAR WAS REAR ENDED BY AN SUV LAST YEAR BUT IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AS IT WAS USED A COUPLE OF TIMES AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED. *AK

MOTORIZED REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

SEAT BELTS FAILED. NLM

SEAT BELT BUTTON FAILED. NLM

REAR SEAT BELT TIGHTENED AROUND CHILDS NECK, TIGHTENED EVEN MORE AS THE CHILD MOVED. SEAT BELT HAD TO BE CUT OFF. QCAW

DRIVER'S SEAT TRACK LOCKING MECHANISM DISENGAGED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS, ALLOWING DRIVER'S SEAT TO SLIDE FORWARD/BACKWARD. DRIVER MADE SUDDEN STOP, SEAT SLID FORWARD, LAP BELT SQUEEZED DRIVER'S BELLY, RUPTURIED AMNIOTIC SACK. DEALER HAS NO PART TO CORRECT PROBLEM. REPORTED BY LAWYER. *AK

THE NEW SEAT BELTS THAT IF PULLED OUT THEY LOCK UP. DRIVER'S SON GOT TANGLED UP AND HAD TO BE CUT OUT. THE MORE ONE MOVES THE TIGHTER IT GETS. *AK

OWNER STATES THAT WHEN SEAT BELTS ARE USED, THEY BECOME TOO TIGHT ON EITHER SIDE. *AK