Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 | 2% | 29,000 miles |
| 2015 | 2 | 3% | 5,000 miles |
| 2014 | 2 | 2% | 8,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 5% | 18,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | 76,000 miles |
| 2011 | 2 | 3% | 75,000 miles |
| 2008 | 5 | 3% | 74,000 miles |
| 2007 | 7 | 4% | 54,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 1% | 30,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 1% | 75,000 miles |
| 2004 | 3 | 0% | — |
| 2003 | 10 | 1% | 1,000 miles |
| 2002 | 16 | 2% | 62,000 miles |
| 2001 | 10 | 1% | 41,000 miles |
| 2000 | 16 | 1% | 80,000 miles |
| 1999 | 48 | 3% | 125,000 miles |
| 1998 | 9 | 3% | — |
| 1997 | 4 | 1% | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1995 | 4 | 2% | 118,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On Tuesday March 18, 2014 I was driving a 2013 Chevy Silverado and rear ended a Chevy tahao at approximately 20 MPH without hitting my brakes. Conditions at the time were clear and dry although very windy. I was the only passenger in my truck. I was wearing my seatbelt. I hit the steering wheel with my chest. The OnStar system called to say they could see I was in an accident and help was on the way. I exchanged info with the other driver and returned to my vehicle. The seatbelt was in the extended position and would not extend further or retract. On the display panel it had an 'airbag deployed' icon and message 'service airbag'. …
Hit a deer at 47mph on left front of vehicle. Air bag light came on with code b0052 deployment commanded. No air or pretensioner deployed. Contacted GM they sent an inspector out to retrieve crash data from recorder. They contacted me after they received the info from the inspector , and said I needed to take the vehicle to dealer to diagnose concern. There were no codes. They have not told me if there was a problem with the sdm that was replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado. While driving 40 MPH, there was a loud banging noise. The front driver and passenger side seat belts extraction buckle exploded and emitted smoke from the front driver side extraction buckle. The contact was trapped in the seat. The seat belt and service air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the two front bumper sensors corroded and needed to be replaced. Also, the front driver and passenger seat belts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,581.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that there was a loud abnormal noise inside the vehicle. The air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. In addition, the seat belt pre-tensioner failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,080.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado. While parked, the vehicle rolled away. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the emergency brake fractured and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that there were multiple messages displayed across the message board. In addition, the contact stated that the seat belt failed to buckle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failures recurred on numerous occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 60,000.
I was driving my 2007 Chevrolet Silverado on a highway at approximately 65 MPH during a light rain shower when there was a loud bang sound similar to a shot gun blast and the seatbelt pre-tensioners pulled myself and my passenger hard back into the seats. The hazard lights began flashing immediately and the airbag sensor light came on. Contacted OnStar to run a diagnostic and they showed there was a collision detected which fired the seat belt pre-tensioners. There was no collision, not even a bump in the road that caused this. This was a very startling event that easily could have caused a panic reaction and an accident. There was a smell of spent gunpowder in the cabin of the vehicle after this occurred. We unlatched our seat belts to relieve the pressure against our bodies and noticed they would not retract or pull back out. They are now useless. …
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, he lost control of the vehicle due to losing consciousness. The vehicle left the roadway and went airborne and crashed with a road sign landing in a field. None of the airbags deployed and only the seatbelt lap belt tensioned not the shoulder strap. The contact sustained injuries such as several lacerations across the face and inside the mouth, and broken L1 vertebrae. The contact mentioned he fractured the steering wheel with his face during the impact. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed to a local lot then towed again to the contacts insurance lot where it was awaiting a diagnosis. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 281,000.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 MPH on a country road, the vehicle fishtailed causing it to crash into an embankment. The lap part of the seatbelt held however, the shoulder portion failed to hold. The contact sustained minor injuries and a police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for repairs due to the crash however, the dealer was not contacted about the seatbelt.
Related recalls (3)
Seat belts
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks manufactured January 29, 2013, to January 21, 2015. While entering the vehicle, the seat belt tensioner cable may be positioned such that the driver slides over it.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent the tensioner from being damaged. Any tensioner that has already been damaged will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016.
Seat belts › Rear/other
On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing May make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position.
Remedy: Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2005.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Certain extended and regular cab pickup trucks and cargo vans converted to compressed natural gas (cng) fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: To bring the standard cab and cargo van vehicles into compliance, dealers will inject epoxy into the air bag off switch to prevent air bag activation, relocate the switch behind the instrument panel and then install a…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Silverado years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (48), 2000 (16), 2002 (16), 2001 (10) and 2003 (10) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Silverado seat belt problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 16V-209 (seat belts, Apr 12, 2016); 05V-163 (rear/other, Apr 22, 2005); 04V-225 (anchorage, May 11, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Silverado seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles; 48% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › retractor (37 mentions), followed by the front › anchorage (26).
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.