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
The driver side seat belt don't stay fasten. This results in driver not being secured in the seat if vehicle is in an accident. The dealership is not fixing the problem, cause they can't duplicate. The problem has worsen as time goes on. Please provide more details. Ts
Vehicle rear ended while at a complete stop. Drivers' side seat back let go, and seat belt released, causing driver to be thrown forward and backwards. This was a low impact collision,and no injury would have occurred if seat and belt had held up during collision.
I was in an accident that totaled my car. I was only traveling 15-20 MPH when I hit a car with no lights on. I had two passengers in my car. All of us sustained injury because the seatbelts did not lock up and hold us. My back set passenger was on the driver's side and she was rushed to the hospital with facial injuries that left a gash under her left eye and run burn all over her face. My front passenger went flying into the from widshield and his head hit at the top right corner. The belt restrained him inside of the vehicle as it stayed connected to the car but my front passenger only stoped as soon as the seatbelt extended as far as it could. I was driving and was pused down into the airbag by my passenger sitting behind me. I sustanined a small fracure that loosened my two front teeth. …
I was involved in a two car accident on 5/10/00. Another car pulled out infront of my Saturn, which caused a collision. I was doing 30-35 miles per hour at impact. Both air bags deployed, and the seatbelts restrained, but not completely. The passanger side completely pulled away from the vehicle casing. The part the belt loops around cracked, and the passanger did not receive any mark from the seatbelt, which makes me think the belt did not function correctly. I was the driver and received a large bruise from my shoulder to my breast bone, from the shoulder restraint, but my seatbelt system only seperated where the two casings conect. I am consered that if in another accident at a higher rate of speed, the seatbelts will not hold passengers, or myself in place. That they will seperate from the car again. …
The front side passenger seat/shoulder belt system would not retract or release on my 1997 Saturn 4-door sedan. I was told by the dealer that the retractor had "frozen" & I needed a whole new seat belt replacement. Although there has been a recall of the '97 Saturn seat belts for retractor doing the same thing in the 2 dr coupe model; I was told my model was not covered in the recall. The car has never been in a major accident and rarely does the passenger front seat have an occupant. The seat belt will be replaced as we need it to ensure safety of passengers as well as comply with the il state law.
The consumer complained about the front seat belt problem. The driver's side seat belt will not retract after use. The passenger's side seat belt will not extend out for use. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and was informed that the repair will cost $900.00.
On feb. 24, I was rear-ended while stopped at a red light. The impact pushed my car into the intersection ahead of me. Fortunately, there were no injuries. However, my driver's seat was forced into the fully reclining position as a result of the impact. There was no other damage - not even a scratch. My 2-year daughter was seated in her car seat, located in the rear passenger side. If the front passenger seat was occupied, or if the child car seat was positioned behind the drivers seat, she could have been seriously injured by the force of the front seat suddenly and forcefully reclining onto her legs. I am deeply concerned about the safety of transporting my daughter in my Saturn. As a result of this experience, I have moved the car seat to the center position. But the seat does not fit tightly there - it moves from side to side. …
The vehicle has caused me nothing but problems, it eats oil without any sign of where it is going. The auto belt tightener is not working and cost an arm and a leg to fix. Sunroof broke without any notice or cause, the fan switch never did operate correctly, now it is shifting real hard all the time while your driving, once it is warmed up. This vehicle is definitely a lemon. Ak scc ***dimsii ivoq posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****744336
Related recalls (1)
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles do not comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." some of the vehicles were produced with seat belt shoulder guide anchor bolts that were not adequately tightened at the center pillar and could fall out, making the seat belt inoperative.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles for proper installation and torque of the seat belt shoulder guide anchor bolts.
Frequently asked questions
Which Saturn SL years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (25), 1998 (17), 1999 (12), 1995 (11) and 1996 (6) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Saturn SL seat belt problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 99V-280 (anchorage, Oct 20, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Saturn SL seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles; 36% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › anchorage (20 mentions), followed by the front › retractor (19).
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.