seat belt stuck in holder (subaru outback seat belt stuck & Subaru forester fix)

Fix for Seat Belt Stuck in Holder (Subaru outback seat belt stuck & forester)

Last updated on July 11th, 2023 at 08:34 pm

Is your seat belt stuck in holder? If yes, well, it is not a big deal. In fact, is for your safety if the seatbelt is not damaged.

When you come to a stop suddenly, while driving or slam the brakes, you must have felt your car seatbelt locking up. While driving, there is something that locks your seatbelt when you move forward too quickly. There is a system built in a car that does it, in order to save the driver’s life in case of a crash. This post is going to discuss the concept of seatbelt lock-in Subaru car. Related Article: At Oil Temp Meaning, Causes & Fix for Subaru AT Oil Temp Light Flashing

So if you have ever wondered what causes a seatbelt to lock up or maybe you want know  how to get a seat belt to unlock, this article is for you. It will show you how to fix Subaru seat belt most especially but the steps can also be utilized on other brand.

How a seat belt locking mechanism work will be covered here as well in conjunction with 2006- 2018 subaru forester rear seat removal guide.

Related Article: Subaru Head Gasket Repair & Replacement Cost

So here so subtopics that we will discuss in this seat belt stuck in holder article:

  • Fixing Subaru seat belt
  • How does a seat belt locking mechanism work
  • What causes a seatbelt to lock up
  • How do you remove the middle seat belt on a Subaru Outback
  • how to remove middle seat belt subaru forester
  • subaru outback seat belt stuck
  • subaru impreza seat belt replacement
  • 2018 subaru forester rear seat removal
  • subaru forester seat belt replacement

How to Fix Subaru Seat belt (Subaru Outback Seat Belt Stuck & Subaru Forester Fix)

Fixing Subaru seat belt (seat belt stuck in holder)

Subaru is an automobile that is very reliable and quite affordable. Every model of this car has seat belts which are well equipped with a gas charge that goes off, whenever an accident occurs.

Once your Subaru car is involved in an accident, you might notice that the seat belt stuck in holder or the seat belt will lock up and stop functioning totally (This system is built in most vehicles to help reduce fatality when there is an accident).  

So after an accident , you will need to repair the belt to make it new again.

Unless you have experience repairing a car, this is not what anyone can do. You will have to look for a good auto repairer to make sure your Subaru belt is in a better condition. To fix it, the repairer must rebuild the mechanism and then change the gas charge sensor. Fixing it will take about 24 hours and then your car will be as good as new.

How does a seat belt locking mechanism work

The seatbelt law has been enforced in many states. This device has saved thousands of people from losing their lives. Every seatbelt has a belt that is made up of a retractor device and flexible webbing. The former is located in a plastic housing which is just slightly above the user’s outer shoulder. It has a spool that winds the belt and also spring is attached to this spool so that the webbing will remain tight. When a passenger is pulling the belt across the chest area, the spool will rolls counter-clockwise and untwist the spring. When you then release the belt, the spring will twist back to its position and the spools spin clockwise to bring in the slack.

The spool mechanism makes the seatbelt stay taut, if there is any occurrence of a car crash. The seat belt will lock up either by the sudden movement of the belt or the car’s movement.

What causes a seatbelt to lock up?

If you drive cars a lot, then you are definitely familiar with the sudden lock up of your seat belt. This is mostly caused when you move too quickly to stand, then the belt will draw you back. Like I wrote earlier, the main purpose of the seat belt is to protect people in case of an accident event. So, when you move to forward, the belt lock up and drag you back to prevent hitting your head or chest on the steering wheel. This is why it is important to always use your belt while driving.

How do you remove the middle seat belt on a Subaru Outback?

Even after plugging in your middle Subaru outback, you can still remove it easily. After threading it across the seat and buckling the two ends, you can remove it and just hang it in the roof of your car. The trick to do this is to locate the groove which is around the seat belt. Take the tongue of the seatbelt and push the groove. That is all. The seatbelt will come right out. You can keep it at the back of your car and just at the back ceiling on the upper left side. That’s it. You have now removed the middle seat of your Outback.

How to remove middle seat belt Subaru forester

Most people know how to plug in the forester seat belt, but they are not aware that they can totally remove it. It is possible to get rid of your Subaru forester car and just keep in your car. The first thing you need to do is use the tongue of the belt to click on the groove. After this, the seat belt will pop out and you can do whatever you want with it.

How do you unlock the seat belt on a Subaru

Subaru outback seat belt stuck

If you notice that your Subaru Outback seatbelt is stuck, there is no reason to visit a repairer because of that. It is something you can fix yourself if you follow the following steps

  • First, try to release the seatbelt from its auto-lock function. Unlatch it from the cartridge and pull it from the belt so that the belt will slowly release. If it does not go snap back to its original position, then something is definitely wrong with its mechanism.
  • Now, remove the covers and hold the mechanism with a screwdriver. The hardware and loop of the belt will appear. However, if you are fixing a backseat belt, you will have to pull down the seats to expose the mechanism which will be in under the trunks floor. You can access it if you lift up the layer where the spare tire is located.
  • Now, pull out the seatbelt completely. If there are any objects blocking or jamming the mechanism of your Outback seatbelt, you should be able to see them. Remove whatever might be obstructing it with a nose flier or your fingers.
  • Now, let the belt roll back into its normal position. Make sure you test the belt to make sure it is locking in its normal place. Once it is, you can now replace the cover or return the back seats.

If this does not fix the error, then it may be time to visit an auto engineer. Make sure your seat belts are working properly to ensure your safety and those of passengers.

How do you unlock the seat belt on a Subaru

Subaru Impreza seat belt replacement product recommendation

  1. Subaru 02-07 Impreza WRX STI Front Seat Belt Bolt Trim Cover: This is a seat belt trim cover for Subaru Impreza manufactured from 2002 to 2007. It has a manufacturer part number 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, and 07 with model WRX STI. You can purchase this product here or look up current price details here.
  2. Subaru 2002-2007 Impreza WRX Seat Belt Cover Rear Right Passenger RH 02-07: This is another Subaru Impreza seat belt replacement. You can purchase this product on Amazon.

2018 Subaru forester rear seat removal

  1. Subaru 1998-2002 Forester Left Seat Belt Cover Trim Panel Driver LH 98-02: This is a replacement for the Forester model. You can purchase or see current price details this here
  2. Subaru Impreza Forester Outback Tribeca Seat Belt Cover: This is a seat belt cover which can be used for a seat belt, child car seats, and so on. You can purchase it here .

Conclusion on How to Fix Subaru Seat Belt

This is it for this post on Subaru Outback , Impreza and forester seat belt and seat belt stuck in holder mechanisms.

I hope you to see how a seat belt locking mechanism work, what causes a seatbelt to lock up and how to get a seat belt to unlock in Subaru vehicle?

As a driver, the most important thing is to make sure you and your passengers are protected during the course of a journey. Before you start driving, make sure all your seat belts are in perfect condition.

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