1997 Mercedes Benz E320: seat belt won't latch or retract

Filed Jan 27, 2023 · Electrical, Seat belts · CA

Driver seatbelt exploded while buckled up as the car was going about 30 mph on a 4 lane street. No warning and was very traumatic. I had to pull over when I smelled something burning. When I released seatbelt to get out of the car it would not buckle up when I tried to get back in the seat. Had to drive home without seatbelt on Christmas Eve. The same thing happened a month later to the passenger seatbelt when I was a passenger in my car. This was very traumatic while driving down a 4 lane Avenue.

Filed Nov 26, 2017 · Seat belts · 146,000 miles · CA

Was driving slow like 10 MPH and preparing to make a right turn and there was a loud explosion as the passenger seat belt retracted with such force that it slammed into the sternum of my 73 year old mother, who almost had an episode of cardiac arrest, both from the impact of the belt pushing on her heart and the explosion. One week later the drivers side seatbelt did the same thing . I had not used the drivers side belt on the day of the first incident, or any day since. But they are exploding about the same time as the second incident happened the very first time that the drivers belt was put in use after the passenger belt incident. The same slow right turn, while braking into a the turn, was being performed. The SRS light has been on ever since.

Filed Jan 9, 2017 · Seat belts · 137,000 miles · WA

While proceeding straight on a city street, at about 30 MPH, during the day, with no other vehicles on the road, I heard a metallic explosion inside our 1997 mercedes benz e320 sedan. The seat belt immediately and painfully pinned me back into the drivers seat, rendering me breathless and disorientated. I felt like I had been shot, and I looked around outside the car for the source. I turned off the street and parked. I was able to release the seatbelt, but it did not retract. The SRS warning light was on. I got out of the car and inspected its exterior. There was nothing to note. I subsequently took the car in for an authorized inspection and evaluation. I learned that the seatbelt retraction system had activated, even though there was no input to the activation sensor. There is no recall for this issue, so the repair bill is on me.

Filed Jan 10, 2012 · Airbags, Seat belts · 130,000 miles · WA

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e320. The contact was driving 40 MPH when the seat belt began to retract and lock accompanied by an abnormal noise. The air bag warning light also illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

Filed Jan 12, 2011 · Seat belts · 192,000 miles · TX

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e-320. The contact stated that the driver was driving approximately 25 MPH when the front driver side seatbelt tightened and would not retract. The seatbelt was unlocked but still would not retract. The failure also occurred on the front passenger side seatbelt. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the seatbelt modules failed. The seatbelts were replaced but the failure continued intermittently. The vehicle had been repaired after each failure. The failure mileage was approximately 192,000 and the current mileage was approximately 201,000.

Filed Nov 5, 2009 · Seat belts · 113,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes e320. While driving 20 MPH the driver-side front seat belt retractor separated. The next day the passenger front seat belt retractor failed identically. The seat belts no longer work properly. A technician from the dealer concluded that the seat belt control module was contaminated. The repair cost $3400.00. The dealer will not release the vehicle until the seat belts are repaired. No repairs were made. The failure and current mileage was 113000.

Filed Dec 22, 2008 · Seat belts · 171,000 miles · OH

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e 320. While driving approximately 40 MPH on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud popping noise inside the vehicle. Unexpectedly, the front and passenger side seat belt retractors instantly locked and secured the occupants. This caused extreme discomfort for the occupants. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the seat belts. The seat belt retract mechanism failed to disengage. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was related to the emergency lock retractors (elr). The emergency locking retractor only activates during a crash or sudden stop, not normal driving. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 171,000.