Tl* the contact owns a 2011 buick regal. The contact stated that the front passenger seat did not move and made an abnormal noise. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact also stated that the seat belt buckle would unlatch while driving. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v517000 (electrical system, seats). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,000.
Buick Regal seat belt problems
46 of the 2,973 owner complaints about the Buick Regal describe seat belt won't latch or retract, most of them for the 1992 model year.
- owner complaints
- 46
- worst model year
- 1992
- typical mileage
- 135,000
Is there a fix? There are 9 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Headlights 1Door locks 1Check engine light 1Brake failure 1No deployment 1
What owners say
While normally driving on an interstate highway and attempting to pass a semi truck, the vehicle suddenly went out of control. The vehicle went to maximun acceleration and the brakes and steering both failed to respond. The vehicle went into a spin and crashed into the semi truck's rear trailer wheels. The truck ran over the left front portion of the vehicle, blowing both outer tires on the truck and crushing the front, left portion vehicle in the process. There was no tickets issued by the police agency that investigated the accident. The insurance company involved settled all claims and totaled out the vehicle. I repurchased this vehicle from the insurance company because I was determined to figure out what happened. It took me 3 months to figure it out, however I have. The main cause of the accident was gm's failure to install an electrical ground strap from the engine to the chassis. Now there is no path for the electricity to get back either to the alternator or the battery. While there are some small ground returns in the engine wiring harness, nothing large enough for the required amperage to get back. When it can't find a path, it looks for another way through the body or the small returns in the cable. The wires in the cable got hot and melted the insulation off and shorted out the other wires. This dropped the voltage on the main buss which feeds the computer. The computer controls the power settings to the engine, the braking system, and the electronic power steering,all failed. Only good thing that they have a completely separate system for the air bag controls and seat belt retractors. They all worked perfectly, otherwise my wife would be dead. Updated 07/11/17*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 buick regal. When removing the rear passenger seat, it was discovered that the seat belt was not properly anchored to the bolt that connected the seat belt buckle to the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and diagnosed. The contact screwed a nut to attach the bolt that anchored the seat belt. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000. Updated 05/10/16*lj the consumer stated the nut was never installed during the manufacturing process. Updated 05/11/16,
Seatbelt buckle froze, wouldnot release, had to cut the seatbelt to get out of car...
My drivers side seat belt has stopped locking into place. This is a concern because I am not able to use my seat belt; this becomes a safety issue. I have not misused the seat belt in any way for it to just fail on me is an issue. I see that other consumers have had similar issues.
Safety belt was defective. Passenger's seat belt functioned. Driver' seat belt malfunctioned and I flew forward hitting my head against steering wheel. *bf the release mechanism that releases the holding unit was loose. The consuemr was rear ended and the consumer was injured as a result of the seat belt failure. *tc
(1) both rear seats safety belts did not operate; (2) unsafe condition for passengers in rear seat; and (3) took car to dealer. They told me it needed both new rear seat belt assemblies.*ak vehicle: 2000 buick regal ls VIN [xxx] I feel that this being a safety related problem, with a law in force that says you have to wear a seat belt should be something that should be taken care of by gm. I have had the vehicle since february 04, 2004 I was not aware of the problem, because no one has been in the back seat. If it would have been one rear seatbelt assembly, I probably would have paid to have it fixed, but the fact that both rear seat belt assemblies are completely locked up says to me that there must be some kind of defect, and I feel that this type of problem should be reported, and checked for similar complaints or malfunctions. Updated 07/24/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Failure of the buckle of drivers seat belt. Failure occurred with no more than routine buckling and unbuckling. *bf
While sitting at an intersection another vehicle rear ended consumer's vehicle. This caused the vehicle to move forward and the seat belt failed to hold the driver and she hit her head on the steering wheel. *ak
Consumer states that the passenger front seat belt does not retract.
Related recalls
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Buick Regal vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the rear seat belts may have been improperly routed around the bolster bracket on the rear outboard seats, which can cause inadequate restraint of the passengers.
- Risk
- If the seat belt fails to adequately restrain the passengers in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear outboard seat belts, correcting the routing of the seat belts as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300. GM's number for this recall is 18117.
Recall number 18V230000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, equipped with sunvisor located air bag labels, fail to conform to federal motor vehicles safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." these vehicles have a message area less than 30 cm which does not meet the requirements of the standard.
- Risk
- These vehicles do not comply with the standard.
- Remedy
- Gm will mail a new bilingual air bag label with installation instructions. However, the customer may bring the label to their dealer for installation free of charge. Owner notification began may 4, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free label and installation instructions within a reasonable time should contact oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537 or buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300.
Recall number 01V109000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly.
Recall number 00V228003 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- The center rear seat belt anchor plate exhibits stress cracks.
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat belt system can fracture, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the center rear seat belt system.
Recall number 98V306000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- The center rear seat belt anchor plate exhibits stress cracks.
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat belt system can fracture and injury to the seat occupant can occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the center rear seat belt system.
Recall number 97V065000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- The front door shoulder belt guide loops may be cracked and are not in compliance with fmvss 208.
- Risk
- The seat occupant faces increased risk of injury in theevent of a sudden stop or accident.
- Remedy
- Install reinforcing plates on the cracked shoulder belt guides.
Recall number 92V003000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Front shoulder safety belt webbing may separate at front belt upper guide loops on either side of the front seat.
- Risk
- Webbing separation could occur without prior warning andincrease the risk of injury to belted front outboard occupants in a high energycrash.
- Remedy
- Install a controlled rotation bracket on driver and passenger side front seat belt guide loops.
Recall number 91V005000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: webbing
- What is wrong
- Owners manuals did not fully explain how front shoulder belt comfort feature works.
- Risk
- Cars would not comply with fmvss 208, and incorrect use of safety restraints could lead to personal injury to occupants if an accidentshould occur.
- Remedy
- Insert sticker that provides missing information in owners manuals.
Recall number 90V112000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Front shoulder belt guide loop attachment fastener may pull through door mounted anchor plate.
- Risk
- Seat belt may not sustain loads required by fmvss 210, and in a vehicle accident, the seat belt may not properly restrain a passenger, resulting in increased risk of greater injury to an occupant.
- Remedy
- Replace front shoulder belt guide loop attachment nuts and install new guide cover.
Recall number 90V054000 · Recall details
Questions about the Buick Regal seat belt
Which Buick Regal years have seat belt won't latch or retract problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1992 (15 complaints), 1991 (5 complaints) and 1995 (5 complaints).
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