Seat Belt complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Buick Park Avenue. While parked, the contact attempted to extend the front driver side seat belt to but it would not extend. The front passenger side seat belt also would not extend. The failure recurred intermittently but with time, became progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician stated that the front driver and passenger side seat belts would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Updated 1/20/12 updated 02/01/12
Tl* - the contact owns the 2000 Buick Park Avenue. The contact stated that the safety belt on the front passenger's side was stuck and it will not work . The buckle of the seat belt was stuck and cannot be moved. The contact stated that the dealer from whom he purchased the vehicle went out of business. The contact stated this problem started on 03/11/2007, and continued since that date. The current and failure mileage were both 72000. Update 4/9
Front passenger seat belt will fully retract after use and then for no reason seat belt will not release. The seat belt is unavailable for use for extended periods of time. Thus causing us to use the vehicle with out the use of a safety feature that is required by law to be buckled when automobile is in use. Had dealer look at car and was informed that seat belt would need to be replaced at a cost of $600.00. I see that there are other complaints about the seat belts not working yet no service bulletin has been issued or a recall for this very important safety devise.
Nar 06/19/2003. The passenger side seat belt could not be removed from it's receptable. The vehicle was taken to the service shop and the mechanic discovered plastic parts in the seat belt receptable had been grounded up. The consumer believed that there should be a recall for replacement of the seat belts if other Buick owners are having the same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Buick Park Avenue. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the passenger side seat belt was twisted. As a result, the seat belt failed to retract and became jammed in the retractor. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 00V117000 (seat belts); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 72,000. ...updated 09/14/16 consumer stated the front seat belt failure on the vehicle is entirely consistent with the attached recall notice yet GM asserts that this recall doesn't apply to vehicles VIN number. Updated 5/30/18
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Buick Park Avenue. The contact stated that the driver and front passenger side seat belts were not properly retracting and detracting. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 00V117000 (seat belts). The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
Dt: the consumer stated there was a recall 00V117000 concerning the seat belts. The recall was completed by the dealer in 2002. But the dealer only corrected one of the front seat belts. The dealer failed to inform the consumer that only one of seat belts was repaired. In October 2005 both front seat belts failed. The driver seat belt began to retract intermittently and the passenger seat belt will not retract at all. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who refused to make any additional repairs under the recall. Updated
Several years ago the front passenger seat belt ceased working on my 1997 Buick Park Avenue. Since the car was no longer under warranty, I paid for a new seatbelt assembly and installation. Then, on August 6th (two weeks ago) 2007, the driver side seatbelt became inoperable(the seatbelt will not retract), therefore making it useless. I have been driving another vehicle until I can get this repair done.
Related recalls (2)
Seat belts › Front › Webbing
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles have front seat shoulder belts that May twist, allowing the webbing to become jammed in the retractor.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for the presence of updated front shoulder belt bezels and where necessary, install new front seat shoulder belt opening bezel kits.
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
These vehicles were assembled with one or more incorrect safety belt and/or safety belt buckle ends. This does not conform with the requirements of FMVSS no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect all front and rear safety belt latch ends and safety belt buckles for correct parts and replace any incorrect parts.
NHTSA investigations
Front shoulder belt malfunction
There is no summary currently available
Front shoulder belt malfunction
There is no summary currently available
Frequently asked questions
Which Buick Park Avenue years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (52), 1998 (32), 1999 (17), 2000 (9) and 1995 (5) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 24% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Buick Park Avenue seat belt problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 00V-117 (webbing, Apr 18, 2000); 96V-044 (buckle assembly, Mar 5, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Buick Park Avenue seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › retractor (42 mentions), followed by the front › webbing (24).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.