Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 | 1% | 81,000 miles |
| 2009 | 3 | 1% | 28,000 miles |
| 2008 | 4 | 1% | 77,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 0% | 96,000 miles |
| 2006 | 4 | 1% | 5,000 miles |
| 2005 | 5 | 1% | 106,000 miles |
| 2004 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2003 | 2 | 0% | 30,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 2% | 20,000 miles |
| 2001 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2000 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 1999 | 16 | 5% | 131,000 miles |
| 1998 | 10 | 4% | 68,000 miles |
| 1997 | 2 | 1% | 90,000 miles |
| 1996 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 1995 | 4 | 1% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
2009 Dodge pickup 2500 big horn edition. The back seat belts in the crew cab lock and won't unlock. The continue to get tighter and tighter restricting breathing. This does eventual lead to difficulty breathing. I had to reach back and unbuckle the seat belt for her several times, then the process starts over again. There is a problem with the release mechanism on these seat belts.r
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that the driver and passenger side seat belt failed to retract. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where both seat belts were replaced. The failure recurred. The VIN was unavailable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown.
I want to apologize for the lengthy description but I feel this is quite possibly the most critical area to not be vague in. **This problem occurs every time, NOT an intermittent condition.** REAR SEAT/CENTER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR; will not extend out from the retractor. The belt is locked in the fully retracted (unoccupied) position. The vehicle can be on a flat surface, an incline, or a declined position when this occurs. There's nothing obstructing any part of the belt and retractor. In order to use that position/seat belt, I must repeatedly (sometimes in excess of 20 times) pull the belt in different rates of speed ie. pull the belt very slowly, pull it normally, pull it very fast by basically snatching the belt. I've even tried to help the belt further retract into the retractor by slowly feeding the belt rearward. There's no 1 action that seems to work better than the other. …
The bracket that hold the break line to the rear end (axle) had rubbed the metal break line until it wore through the line and then split causing brake fluid to leak out (fast). I noticed my break peddle start going to the floor, I was driving on the highway when I pushed the break peddle to slow down because there was a speed zone ahead, the break peddle went to the floor. That's when the e break warning light came on notifying me that my break fluid was low or empty. I have a manual transmission so I was able to shift down to slow down, even though I was still trying to use my brakes the peddle would to the floor, stopping was 90% gone, I had to use my e brake to come to a complete stop.. When I stop the vehicle that's when I looked underneath the truck and noticed a large puddle of break fluid, I could also see a stream of fluid where I pulled in at. …
Death wobble on highway after hitting a bump in the road. The truck starts shaking and unable to control the vehicle while this is going on. Seatbelts will not release once this happens, even when seat belt is retracted all the way.
Front passenger and rear middle seat belts lock and will not release. Seat belts lock and will not allow passenger to extend belt from resting belt position to use position. Rear middle belt is constant, takes up to 5 minutes of pulling and releasing repeatedly before it will allow you to pull the belt out far enough to use. Front passenger belt locks intermittently while driving, passenger must unbuckle and reset belt in order to unlock.
Takara inflators April 28th 2019 we took our truck to the Dodge dealership to have the recalls fixed as they requested. Mainly the airbags and they did a 28 point inspection. July 1st 2019 someone pulled out in front of my husband and they were involved in a bad accident. The airbags never went off. My husband hit the steering wheel so hard there's a bruise and mark on his chest and the shape of the steering wheel. It also messed up the steering column and the gear selector. The truck is totaled the frame is bent the suspensions ripped off but we can't figure out why the airbags didn't go off. Insurance is being a pain. Dodge said they'd send out an investigator so far no one showed up. Something should be done about this.
While driving, my seat belts lock up and will not allow any movement - holding the occupant tightly to the back of the seat, inducing tremendous anxiety. With each movement of the occupant, the seatbelt tightens. Seatbelt must be unbuckled to releave pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Ram 2500 years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (16), 1998 (10) and 2005 (5) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Dodge Ram 2500 seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for any Dodge Ram 2500 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Dodge Ram 2500 seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles; 32% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › buckle assembly (6 mentions), followed by the front › retractor (6).
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.