While parked, my [XXX] daughter was in the third-row bench seat. The seat belt became wrapped around her body/neck area. The seat belt entered its 'Automatic Locking Retractor' (ALR) mode and continued to tighten as she moved, pinning her against the seat. The locking mechanism would not release, and the belt became so tight she was unable to breathe. We attempted to manually release the buckle and create slack, but the retractor remained locked and continued to tighten. After several minutes of unsuccessful attempts to free her, we had to use a cutting tool to sever the seat belt to save her life as she couldnt breath, she has brusing where the seat bealt was tighten. The vehicle was stationary in a parking lot at the time. The car has not being inspected , there was not warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
GMC Yukon seat belt problems
32 of the 5,036 owner complaints about the GMC Yukon describe seat belt won't latch or retract, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 32
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 85,000
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
The seatbelt latch for the middle seat in the third row will not latch. Big safety concern when 8 people are riding because that seatbelt cannot be used. We have not yet taken it to a dealer. We rode with 8 passengers and did not see any warning lights when that person was not buckled.
Front passenger seatbelt has always locked up after being put on, which does not allow the passenger the ability to move more than a couple of inches at best.
Hi, my husband and I just purchased this vehicle. A few days after we took a drive with several passengers. The seatbelt behind the driver's would not automatically click. The passenger had to try several times before the seatbelt locked in place. This happens while driving and also while not driving.
The rented 2020 tahoe was stationary. A passenger sitting in the left third row seat became stuck in the seat belt. She was unable to open the seatbelt clasp as it got stuck and failed to unlatch. The more the passenger struggled to unlatch the seatbelt, the progressively tighter it became. Passenger could not disengage the seatbelt clasp by pressing the tiny red button. Three other passengers tried to release the seatbelt and could not. Passenger was trapped with tight seat belt holding her in. Other passengers called emergency personnel who also could not release the ever tightening seat belt. Passenger was released when the ranger cut the seat belt with a seatbelt cutting emergency tool. It was a very scary and dangerous experience. Later, some of our guests figured out that you have to press the tiny red button on the left latch with a piece of the right buckle. A passenger should be able to release the seatbelt by depressing the red button. A passenger cannot even reach the button from the seated position as the button is tiny and cannot accommodate an adult finger to depress it. This is the worst example of engineering I have ever experienced. I am frankly amazed that this design passed any safety tests. Please address the issue before someone is hurt or killed by being trapped in the vehicle and unable to escape.
Drivers side seatbelt buckle unlatches at random times without being touched. Driving or stationary makes no difference. Passenger side seatbelt will not latch. There appears to be a piece missing inside the buckle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 gmc yukon. The contact stated that the passenger side seat belt latch detached independently. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to dublin gmc (4400 john monego ct, dublin, ca) where it was diagnosed that the seat belt latching system was jammed due to an object. Upon inspection, the contact did not see anything inside of the buckle. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
The shoulder straps on the 2 outboard 2nd row seat belts are frayed. I took the vehicle to my gmc dealer today and he informed me that seat belts are only covered by the 36 month/36000 mile warranty, I was shocked to hear this. My vehicle has 57626 miles on it. I believe the design of the seat belt is faulty. What is obviously occurring is the seat belt buckle is rubbing against and through the shoulder strap when the belt is in the retracted position. I am concerned about the integrity of the belts, but I contend that gmc should be responsible to correct a faulty design. I highly doubt this condition is unique to my vehicle. I have attached 2 photos of the passenger side belt. The belt on the driver's side has the identical condition. Thank you.
The dashboard is cracked in three different places. The first cracked happened at about 24,000 miles right above the steering well. The second crack is on the passenger side leading up to the passenger airbag. That happened at about 50,000 miles. The third crack is in front of the steering wheel it travels upward to meet the first crack making it into a y shaped. This happened at about 55,000 miles. The car is parked in a garage most of the time. The passenger side seat belt buckle in the middle row and the middle seat belt buckle in the third row both fell apart making the buckles unusable.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2007 gmc yukon. The contact stated that the seat belt buckle in the rear middle seat was fractured and would not latch. The dealer (gmc ford in bakersfield, ca) was contacted and stated the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure was not repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v381000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure with the air bags. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
Seat belts: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (M) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats. The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.
- Risk
- A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 28, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 1, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N222372380.
Recall number 22V617000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism, which could result in damaged seat belts.
- Risk
- A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782, and Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313000.
Recall number 21V190000 · Recall details
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: pretensioner
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V‑651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
Recall number 17V437000 · Recall details
Seat belts: pretensioner
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
Recall number 16V651000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- 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. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
- Risk
- A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
- 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. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463, or hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493.
Recall number 05V163000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: retractor
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup and utility trucks. Some of these vehicles have an internal component in the outboard seat belt retractors for the 2nd and 3rd row of seats that could be cracked. With repeated actuation of the locking mechanism, the crack could spread to the point such that the seat belt would no longer lock.
- Risk
- In a crash, increased occupant injury could result from the no-lock condition.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the outboard seat belts for specific lot numbers and replace the belts if necessary. Gm is enclosing an inspection procedure for the owners to use or they can have their dealers do the inspections. Owner notification began july 2, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782.
Recall number 01V159000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: webbing
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles do not comply with the occupant protection requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the right front passenger restraint systems may not meet the neck extension requirements.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a tray insert on the top of the passenger side of the instrument panel. The tray insert corrects the noncompliance.
Recall number 00V122000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- Vehicles fail to conform to fmvss no. 210, "seat belt anchorages." the center rear seat lap belt was improperly routed.
- Risk
- Consequence of non-compliance: the occupant of this seat will not be properly restrained in the event of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Instructions for rerouting the center rear seat lap belt will be sent to the vehicle owners. If the owner prefers, they can take their vehicle to their dealer and have it rerouted free of charge by the dealer.
Recall number 95V081000 · Recall details
Questions about the GMC Yukon seat belt
Which GMC Yukon years have seat belt won't latch or retract problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (5 complaints), 2007 (5 complaints) and 2001 (4 complaints).
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