Retractor won't pull driver side seat belt back in
2004 Saab 9-3 seat belts problems
79 complaints (38% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 85,000.
- owner complaints
- 79
- of this car's complaints
- 38%
- typical mileage
- 85,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 3
Which part fails
- Front: retractor11
- Front2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Saab 9-3 seat belts problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Saab 9-3 seat belts
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Seat belts: front: retractor
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1‑800‑955‑9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.
Recall number 14V318000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: retractor
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling certain model year 2004 saab 9-3 sedans. Some of these vehicles were produced with front seat belt retractors that, over time, could fail to retract.
- Risk
- Using a seat belt that has not retracted, and in the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver side retractor free of charge. If the front passenger retractor were to fail to retract, gm will replace the front passenger retractor free of charge under a special coverage that will be released for the same population for 10 years from new vehicle date of sale. The safety recall is expected to begin during july 2010. Owners may contact saab at 1‑800‑955‑9007 or at the owner center at saabparts.com/us. Note: in june 2014, gm expanded the special coverage from 10 years to be for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Recall number 10V043000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: retractor
- What is wrong
- Some sport sedans were built with seat belt retractors that were damaged during the manufacturing process. If damaged, over time, the automatic tensioning system (ats) cable in the seat belt retractor could break causing the belt webbing to not retract.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, a front seat occupant may receive more severe injuries.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the seat belt retractor assemblies. The recall began on january 24, 2005. Owners should contact saab at 1‑800‑955‑9007.
Recall number 04V226000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Seat belt retractor
Odi has received eight complaints of front seat belt retractors breaking on model year 2004 saab 9-3 vehicles.a common failure scenario involves the driver hearing a noise and the belt suddenly losing tension.a non-functioning seat belt increases the risk and severity of injury in the event of a crash. General motors initiated a recall in may 2004 (04v226) to replace both front seat belts because of a similar problem in 25,355 model year 2003 and 5,980 model year 2004 saab 9-3 sedans.the retractors contained an automatic tensioning system (ats), a design feature and mechanism to enhance occupant comfort by reducing shoulder belt pressure.investigation found that the cable in the ats mechanism was damaged during the supplier's manufacturing process.the failures occurred when the cable broke. Recall 04v226 did not cover model year 2004 9-3 sedans manufactured after september 30, 2004, and before may 10, 2004, which incorporated modified ats manufacturing processes.the current investigation finds that the ats on the drivers' seats on the post-recall population is failing prematurely.this is a different problem than the manufacturing defect that LED to the original recall.general motors now will recall the balance of 2004 saab 9-3 sedan driver seats with the ats feature.not all 2004 9-3 seat belt retractors are subject to recall.the retractors on 9-3 sedan passenger seats, due to their less frequent use than drivers' seats, do not have the same risk of premature failure as those on the drivers' seats.saab will replace the passenger side retractors for 10 years from new vehicle date of sale under a special coverage program.model year 2004 9-3 convertibles have a different seat/seat belt design and construction.saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured on and after may 10, 2004, do not have the ats feature and therefore are not subject to this problem.
PE09048
What 2004 Saab 9-3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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Called devoe automotive in naples to have recalled seatbelt fixed, it just failed to retract. I sent a picture of the VIN. And was told they could not find it and could not help us with out a letter with our VIN on it saying the broken seatbelt was recalled, just because it will not retract that didn't mean it was a recall issue. I astked how I would get a letter but received no guidance. I was also told saab is out of business and they will help known customers and since we were in tampa they couldn't help it was so far for us to travel. I stated they are one of five dealership who was listed to fix this recall. Also told them tampa repair man was sick with carona virus and that's why I called them. She told me anyone can fix a broken seatbelt, but that's not true and we can't find anyone to help us. Basically because we were not a local known customer this dealership would not support us unless I proved they had too.
I recieved a letter recall 15027 dated december 2018. I had to have my seatbelt repaired in june 2016. The cost of the repair was $401 and was repaired by bicklers repair. I am requesting reembursement for the repair in 2016. It is still not functioning correctly so I currently have it in for repairs at rimrock pontiac in billings.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt failed to retract without warning. The vehicle was taken to autonation chevrolet west amarillo (7300 I-40 frontage rd, west amarillo, tx 79106, 806‑553‑5673) and was informed that the repairs were not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v318000 (seat belts). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 164,000.
I have a recall on the driver's side seatbelt. It was broken and is unspooled.
Front driver seat belt retractor has failed when I went to fasten my seat belt.
Saab recall. I received both seat belt retractor and airbag inflate defect safety recall notice. However, in my car the seat belt retractor malfunction is in the driver side. I have called the saab official service center and the dealer for both problems several days up today and I have not had an answer or solution to those problems. Besides, I have tried to repair the seat belt, but I can't find the part. As you can see in the attached photos to drive with a seat belt in that conditions is extremely dangerous. However, I feel that I am not safe driving my car, and that the hazard has increased with this car's airbag malfunction. I am a 79 years old man who has this car as the only mean of transportation that I have.
Seatbelt retractor on driver's side completely unspooled and will not retract under normal use effecting driver's safety in event of a crash. While convertible and passeger side retractors seem to be covered under warranty we are told our car is not covered and it is $550 to repair the problem. This doesn't make sense when so many saabs have this problem. The car was parked when it unspooled and wouldn't retract. This is a major safety issue in operating the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saab 9-3. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the seat belt retractor became inoperable without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat belt retractor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The technician stated that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign number:14v318000 (seat belts); 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 manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.
Questions about the 2004 Saab 9-3 seat belts
Does the 2004 Saab 9-3 have seat belts problems?
Owners have filed 79 complaints about the seat belts of the 2004 Saab 9-3, 38% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2004 Saab 9-3 seat belts problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 85,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Saab 9-3 seat belts?
Yes, 3 recalls: 14V318000, 10V043000, 04V226000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Saab 9-3 have the most seat belts problems?
The Saab 9-3 model years with the most seat belts complaints are 2004 (79 complaints), 2005 (22 complaints) and 2006 (15 complaints).
Other 2004 Saab 9-3 problems
Suspension 52Airbags 20Electrical 13Engine 12Fuel system 9Brakes 7Lights 5Transmission 5Steering 4Tires 4Seats 3Acceleration 2Body 2Locks 2Visibility 1Wheels 1
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