1998 Toyota Tacoma Seat Belts Problems

Your driver's side and rear seat belts are frayed and locking up, making them difficult or impossible to use properly. This is a safety concern since seat belts are your primary protection in a crash. The seat belt mechanism will likely need to be inspected and replaced.

Your driver's side seat belt started fraying and then became stuck, unable to retract or extend. The same problem has now developed on the passenger side—the belt won't move whether the engine is running or not. Fixing this will likely require replacing the seat belt assemblies on both sides.

Your seat belts are locking up and won't release or retract properly, and the strap material is tearing apart. This is a safety concern since seat belts need to work reliably in case of an accident. The seat belt assembly will likely need to be replaced or repaired by a technician.

EXCESS FRAYING BOTH DISES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER, FRONT PASSENGER, AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO BUCKLE AND REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT HAVE VARIOUS PROBLEMS - FRAYING, JAMMING, TOO SHORT, NOT RETRACTING, NOT EXTENDING. DEALER WANTS $500 TO REPAIR THE DRIVER'S SIDE ALONE. THIS IS TOO MUCH. THEY SHOULD FIX IT FOR FREE OR A REASONABLE PRICE CONSIDERING NIT IS FAULTY AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN MARCH 2014 AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER SEAT BELT SHREDDING OR FRAYING AND BECAUSE OF THAT I CANT PULL THE SEAT BELT THROUGH TO HOOK IT. I ALSO NOTICE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS ALSO STARTING TO COME APART TO. I CALLED TOYOTA MAIN OFFICE AND THEY SAID THEY CANT DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I WANT TOYOTA TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS . I HAVE SEEN A FEW COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE DRIVER SEAT BELT ON THIS WEB SITE.. I HAVE HAD ONLY TOYOTA CARS AND TRUCKS FOREVER. *TR

MY SEAT BELT ARE DEFECTIVE. I AM SO USED TO WEARING THEM. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED AND HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE SEATBELT. I WOULD LIKE THEM REPLACED FOR SAFETY REASONS IF POSSIBLE . THANKS *TR

NOT LONG AFTER MY BASIC WARRANTY EXPIRED, I HAD FRAYING IN MY SEAT BELT THAT WAS TO THE POINT IT DIDN'T PASS INSPECTION. I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER IN WACO, TEXAS, AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE BELT FREE DESPITE THE MILEAGE. ALMOST A YEAR LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I WENT BACK TO THAT DEALER AND THEY REPLACED IT FREE EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OBLIGATION. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME OCCURRED. I HAVE MANAGED TO GET THE TRUCK INSPECTED BUT I NEED BADLY TO REPAIR THE BELT, BUT I CANNOT AFFORD IT. ALTHOUGH THE WEAR IS NEAR THE WAIST, WHERE ONE FIGURES ANY FRAYING MIGHT TAKE PLACE, BELT AFTER BELT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. ALSO, MY FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CAME LOOSE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND IT OCCASIONALLY WILL BUNCH UP AND HIT MY ACCELERATOR AND WILL ON OTHER TIMES BUNCH UP UNDER MY CLUTCH AND I AM UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS ARE ABNORMALLY FRAYED, BELOW THE BUCKLE. PASSENGER SIDE ARE SLIGHTLY FRAYED AS WELL, BUT NOT AS SEVERELY. DEALER INSPECTED AND SAID THERE ARE NO RECALLS. SIMILAR VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED THAT ARE OLDER AND HAVE MANY MORE MILES HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM, THEREFORE I AM SURE THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND IS LIKELY UNSAFE IF AN ACCIDENT SHOULD OCCUR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS SHREDDING AND TEARING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED AND AFTER THE REPAIR, THE SEAT BELT BEGAN TO SHRED AND TEAR AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE TENSIONER. THE DRIVER WOULD BE UNABLE TO WEAR THE SEAT BELT DURING TRAVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,669 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,700.

I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK AND HAVE NO COMPLAINTS EXCEPT THE SEAT BELT CAME OUT AND WILL NOT GO BACK IN AND I FASTEN THE SEAT BELT BUT I KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE A NEW ONE ON IT. TRIED TO FIND ONE BUT HAVE NOT FOUND ONE . WHERE COULD I GET ONE TO PUT ON IT THAT WOULD NOT COST SO MUCH. I'M ON A FIXED INCOME SINCE MY HUSBAND DIED RECENTLY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELT WEBBING HAS UNRAVELED. AS OF OCTOBER 2, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 115,000. * UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER INFORMED NOT UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

THE SEATBELT JAMMED IN THE "CLOSED" POSITION AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DEPLOY IT FOR RESTRAINING PURPOSES WITH CONSIDERABLE EFFORT. THE BELT HAS FRAYED ALONG THE FRONT LEADING EDGE AND THIS COULD BE JAMMING THE RETRACTOR MECHANISM. THE BELT HAS SO FRAYED - JUST FROM THIS JAM - I WILL HAVE TO HAVE IT REPLACED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I CAN OPERATE THE VEHICLE. *AK

THE COVER OF THE FEMALE PART OF THE BUCKLE ON THE DRIVER' S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE IS TEARING. IN JAN OF 98, THE COVER ON BOTH BUCKLES WERE REPLACED. *AK

DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT IS TOO SHORT. THIS IS MY THIRD TOYOTA TRUCK. THE FIRST TWO HAD AMPLE AND EQUAL SEATBELT LINKS ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES OF THE TRUCK. THE 1998 TACOMA DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT IS MUCH SHORTER THAN THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING FLAW AS ANOTHER 1998 TACOMA TRUCK MEASURED BY THE DEALER HAS THE SAME IRREGULARITY, BUT THE 1999 TRUCK DOES NOT. REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FROM TOYOTA SOFAR SAID THAT ONLY OPTION IS TO ADD AN EXTENDER. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE BOTH FOR SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE REASONS. SINCE NEITHER THE 1987/994 OR 1999 TRUCKS HAVE THIS PROBLEM, I WOULD LIKE IT REPAIRED AND PREFEREABLY BEFORE I FREEZE TO DEATH IN BUFFALO BECAUSE I CAN'T GET THE SEATBELT AROUND ME WHEN I HAVE MY WINTER COAT ON. PLEASE HELP QUICKLY. *AK

DRIVER SEAT BELT FAILED. *YC

FRONT RESTRAINT BELTS ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR THE VEHICLE, AND THE DEALER TELLS CONSUMER TO PAY FOR EXTENTIONS IF THEY DON'T FIT. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROX 20 MPH HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON.SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD, LOCKED UP. DUE TO THIS DEFECT, IT CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HIT WINDSHIELD ,SHATTERED GLASS. ALSO CAUSED NECK INJURIES. TOYOTA CLAIMS CANNOT FIND PROBLEM, AND CLAIMS AIR BAG SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. *AK