The drivers' side front seatbelt will not retract back into the b pillar when taken off. It will get caught in the door when closing it and prevent the driver's door from closing. The transmission slips out of gear when decelerating and accelerating in traffic. This causes the transmission to slam back into gear.
Chevrolet Equinox seat belt problems
46 of the 9,236 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Equinox describe seat belt won't latch or retract, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 46
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical mileage
- 58,900
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
No deployment 7Engine failure 3Airbag light 3Won't start 2Hesitation 2Headlights 2Fire or smoke 2Door locks 2
What owners say
My car only has 60,000 miles and it shifts hard. Also my drivers seat belt has issues latching
I was in a rear end collision on May 14th 2026 the impact of the speed totaled my car in my airbags did not deploy and from my understanding where the sensors are on my vehicle they should have I ended up getting a concussion and soft tissue damage because my head hit the steering wheel my seat belt did not lock either.
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side seat belt became loosened. The contact pulled on the seat belt, which went across the chest, and the seat belt failed to lock and restrain as intended. The contact was able to pull and stretch the seat belt up to the steering wheel. The contact then pulled the lap belt, and the lap belt failed to lock securely as intended. The contact was able to pull and stretch the lap belt upwards. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the dealer; however, no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 500.
My wife and I were driving to Galveston on I-45 and were driving through La Marque when our car suddenly lost power. I started moving over to the outside lane and went to turn on the emergency lights. I realized the lights were already on. We heard a thump and thought that the serpentine belt had broken and that the engine would overheat, followed up by white smoke coming from the dash vents. My wife opened her window and leaned out the window while I tried to control the SUV without power. A truck pulled next to us and the passenger screamed that our car was on fire. I stepped on the brakes, but my foot went to the floor without effect. I hit the button for the emergency parking brake, but it didn't stop the car. I let the car slow down and then black smoke was coming from the vents. We were choking from breathing the smoke and I tried to open my window, but all electrical systems had quit working. The car finally slowed enough for me to shove the gear shift into park. My wife jumped out of the car and fell to the pavement, also hitting the concrete barrier on the side of the highway. My seat belt was stuck and I kept pushing the button and reached for my pocket knife to cut the belt when it released. At this point, flames were coming from the vents when I reached for the door handle and open the door. I fell out of the car onto the highway, rolling away. I was finally able to get up and saw several vehicles stopped behind us, but some were still driving through. I got away from the car and found my wife who was being helped by another man who stopped ahead of us. The car was on fire, mostly from the back, heavily in the left rear where the gas tank is. The car was completely burned and an unknown retired firefighter said all of the signs point to a defective fuel pump.
We were in a 9car pile up. Front and back and drivers side were hit and severely damaged. Airbags did not deploy. After the accident smoke was seen coming from the sides of the car where the seat belts come out of. Both front and back were white puffs of smoke from all four seatbelts. The front passenger seatbelt failed to tighten on impact as all the other seatbelts did. Passenger was thrown about the front area, hitting multiple parts of the body. Car is currently in a tow lot. Insurance is going to inspect it.
The contact owned a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while stopped in traffic, he was involved in a rear end crash. The contact stated that the vehicle was pushed forward by the impact into the rear end of another vehicle. The contact stated that the rear end of the vehicle was crushed in to the rear wheel wells, and the front end of the vehicle, the hood, front bumper, and grill were also crushed back into the front wheel wells. The contact stated that the front air bags had not deployed after being pushed into the rear of the other vehicle. The contact was not sure what happened to the other two vehicles. The contact stated that the Police were called and EMS was also on scene. The contact stated that a Police report was filed. The contact stated that he was not transported to the hospital, but later had been taken by a friend to seek medical attention. The contact stated that the jolt of the impact had caused a concussion. Additionally, there were some bruising from the seat belt to the left shoulder. The contact stated that after the crash the seat belt failed to retract and the issue might be due to a sensor failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later declared a total loss by the Insurance Company. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.
The driver's side seat belt would only extend a few inches so I was not able to pull it across my body and latch it. Until this happened, there was no prior indication that the seat belt was about to fail. Fortunately, this happened at home so I was not stranded. Although the vehicle is a 2019 model year, it has barely been used and is in excellent, clean condition. I tried to free the mechanism myself, but was unable to do so. I ended up calling a mobile mechanic who also tried freeing up the mechanism and was unable to do so. The entire seat belt mechanism had to be replaced. I was very surprised that GM did not cover the cost of replacing this essential (and legally required) safety device, which I believe failed due to a manufacturing defect. (I have over 35 years experience as an automotive reliability/test engineer.) I have the original malfunctioning part in my possession if it is useful to your investigation. Thank you.
My son was just in his car seat with the seat belt as an extra layer of protection and the seat belt wouldn’t retract. My son was stuck. Thank god it wasn’t an accident. Passenger side back seat belt. This needs to be dealt with. It took me 30 mins because I was trying to get it to retract and it started to squeeze my baby legs. I did take a video. It only lets me upload photos. Please contact me
Front impact crash with two deer, rear seatbelt came unlatched causing car seat to fly into the front seat and the front seat belt did not lock nor did the airbags go off. No sensors alerted.
Related recalls
Seat belts: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
- Risk
- If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8785, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
Recall number 20V811000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac srx, chevrolet equinox and gmc terrain vehicles. The driver and /or front passenger safety belt buckle anchor may fracture and separate near the seat attachment in a vehicle crash.
- Risk
- The safety belt system may not restrain the occupant(s) as designed and could increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will modify the passenger and/or the driver safety belt buckles as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before january 18, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V623000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Equinox seat belt
Which Chevrolet Equinox years have seat belt won't latch or retract problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (6 complaints), 2011 (5 complaints) and 2013 (5 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Equinox?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history