2003 Toyota Corolla Seat Belts Problems

Your driver's side seat belt sometimes unbuckles or disconnects on its own while you're driving, especially during turns or when slowing down. This is a serious safety issue because you wouldn't be properly restrained if an accident occurred. The fix will likely involve inspecting and repairing or replacing the seat belt buckle mechanism or latch assembly.

Your seat belt unexpectedly unlocks while driving—sometimes over bumps, during turns, or for no apparent reason. The seat belt now won't lock at all. The locking mechanism likely needs inspection or replacement to restore proper restraint function.

Your driver's side seat belt buckle doesn't lock consistently and may unbuckle on its own while you're driving. This is a safety concern since the belt won't keep you restrained in a crash. The buckle mechanism will likely need to be replaced or repaired.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT UNLATCHES WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH AT ALL. IT FIRST CAME UNLATCHED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET. AFTER THIS THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO MAKE IT CLICK INTO PLACE.

THE DRIVERS SEATBELT RELEASED WHILE I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD AND I CAN'T GET IT TO LATCH ANYMORE.

SITTING IN DRIVE THROUGH AND DRIVER SEAT BELT RELEASED. COULD NOT GET TAB TO LOCK BACK INTO BUCKLE.

DRIVER SEATBELT BUCKLE BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING,

MY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT LOCK SOMETIMES I HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING IT IN UNTIL IT LATCHES

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE VIA MAIL REGARDING THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT IN JUNE OF 2016. I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO HAS PERFORMED RECALLS IN THE PAST ON MY VEHICLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. ON JUNE 13TH, 2016 I SPOKE TO A REP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE OUT OF PARTS AND WOULD CALL ME WHEN THE PARTS WERE IN, APPROX 4-6 WEEKS. ON JULY 13TH, 2016 I PLACED A FOLLOW UP CALL AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE STILL NOT IN AND THEY WOULD CALL ME IN APPROXIMATELY 6-8 WEEKS. TO THIS DATE I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CALL THAT THE PARTS ARE IN; THEREFORE I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TOYOTA DEALER HAS REMEDIED THIS RECALL IN A TIMELY MANNER. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS ON THE NHTSA.GOV WEBSITE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER. THE SPECIFIC TOYOTA DEALER THAT HAS NOT HAD THE PART IS: AUTOLAND TOYOTA, 170 US 22, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, NJ 07081 (800)288-6526.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT CONNECT TO THE HARNESS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 202,718. UPDATED 07/13/16*LJ; UPDATED 04/23/18*JB *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RETRACT AND CONNECT INTO THE HARNESS HOUSING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 157,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT AND HAD A LOOSE CONNECTION UPON LATCHING. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT TIGHT AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY AND A LACERATED EAR. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND MINOR BRUISING. THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 7/16/15*CN UPDATED 10/17/2017*CN

I HAVE BEEN TO OUR LOCAL TOTOTA DEALER AND CALLED MANY TIMES REGARDING THE RECALL FOR AIR BAG. THEY WILL NOW NOT RETURN MY CALL. MY FIRST VISIT WAS O3 MARCH 2015. I WAS TOLD PARTS WOULD BE IN AS EARLY AS THE NEXT WEEK. I HAVE ONLY 53000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT. ONE PERSON THERE SAID NOT TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT WAS FIXED AND ANOTHER SAID NOT TO ALLOW ANYONE TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. NEITHER OF THESE OPTIONS ARE SATISFACORY. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE AND HELP ME. THANK YOU

I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THE FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS RETURNED ABOUT ONE YEAR BEFORE TO THE DEALER FOR A RECALL TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE THAT, IF NOT CORRECTED, COULD CAUSE THE AIRBAG AND/OR SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS TO DEPLOY. THE DEALER I RETURNED IT TO WAS GIRARD TOYOTA SCION, 543 COLEMAN ST., NEW LONDON, CT 06320. *TR

ADVISED OF RECALL FOR SEAT BELT HARNESS SYSTEM. MADE APPOINTMENT TOOK FOR REPAIR. ADVISED BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED - A HARNESS SYSTEM AND SEAT BELT COMPUTER. THREE MONTHS LATER, AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO DEALERSHIP ASKING ABOUT THE PARTS - DEALERSHIP CONTACTED US TO BRING CAR IN WHICH WE DID ON JUNE 13, 2013. WE WERE ADVISED THAT COMPUTER WAS NO LONGER NEEDED TO "FIX" THE RECALL. HARNESS SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS AND CONTINUES TO BE ON. DEALERSHIP SAYS PROBLEM IS THE SPIRAL CABLE AND WILL BE $450 AND ADVISED AIR BAGS MAY NOT WORK IN A CRASH IF WE DON'T HAVE SPIRAL CABLE REPLACED. WE WERE TOLD THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN THAT THE DASH LIGHT BEING ON WAS BECAUSE OF THE COMPUTER. NOT HAPPY WITH THIS WHOLE SITUATION. NOT HAPPY THAT TOYOTA ISSUES A RECALL WITH REPAIR PARTS UNAVAILABLE. NOT HAPPY THAT SEAT BELT LIGHT REMAINS ON - WE DON'T FEEL THAT THE RECALL PROBLEM HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR A MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 299,000.

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT NOT RETRACTING. I HOPED WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR THE RECENT SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE RECALL THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT WOULD BE FIXED TOO. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE THE TENSION IS NOT RIGHT ON THIS SEAT BELT AND MANY TIMES THE SEAT BELT BECOMES SO LOOSE WHEN I AM PARKING MY CAR, I CAN'T CLOSE MY CAR DOOR WITHOUT MOVING MY SEAT BELT MECHANISM OUT OF THE WAY. *TR

1. 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA LE SEATBELT STARTED TO HAVE PROBLEMS INSERTING INTO THE LOCK AT 90K MILES OR MY 6TH YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED IT 2. OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME 3. NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE, CAUSE OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 21,000.

THE PASSENGER'S REAR SEAT BELTS LOCK GOES THROUGH THE SEAT. SEAT COVER HAS BEEN CHANGED, AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT MADE FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE CONSUMER.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER TWO PIECES OF CARPET INTO CIRCLES AND A SLIT IN THE CENTER AND PUSHED THE REAR SEAT BELT LOCKS THROUGH THE CARPET AND NOW IT LAYS ON THE TIP OF THE REAR SEAT. *TC

VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED IN THE REAR WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. DRIVER WAS THROWN INTO THE WINDSHIELD. *AK *CB *NLM

PROBLEMS WITH SEATBELTS. *MR THE DRIVER SEAT BELT LOCKED UP WHICH IMPAIRED THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMERS DRIVING. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THAT THE BELT IS TOO SENSITIVE FOR LOCKING ITSELF. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 2-3 MONTHS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER SUGGESTED THE DEALER TO FIX THE BELT TO A HIGHER DECELERATION FACTOR OR RETURN THE VEHICLE FOR FULL CREDIT OF ALL COSTS. *SCC

THE SEAT BELT IN MY 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA LE, PURCHASED IN APRIL 2002 IS LOCKING ME UP IN MY DRIVER SEAT AT EVERY, EVEN VERY LIGHT DECELERATION OF THE CAR. I HAVE TO STOP MY CAR BEFORE THE INTERSECTION, RELEASE THE LOCKED SEAT BELT AND FOLLOW SLOWLY TO THE INTERSECTION LINE, BEING ABLE TO MOVE IN MY SEAT AND OBSERVE THE INTERSECTION SITUATION. IF INSTEAD OF OBSERVING THE TRAFFIC I HAVE TO WORK WITH RELEASING MY SEAT BELT THE SITUATION IMPAIRS THE SAFETY OF MY DRIVING. *JB