Lazy seatbelt recoil

[Jeffksf B]

THe passenger side belt keeps getting slammed in the door by my wife. I know lazy seatbelt recoils are pretty common, just wanna know if there is anything I can do to help it? Maybe spray the mechanism with some WD-40. Anyone out there with a cure?

Thanks, Jeff

 

[Tom Schindler]

People complained that the belt is too tight if it recoiled any faster.



The best cure I found is to put the belt beck in place before you shut the door?





Tom

 

[Todd Z]

I have hit mine a couple of times, i need to pull put the belt a lot....



I just make sure it is recoiled...



YOU can replace it but it will be the same in a Short period of time..



Todd Z

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Jeffksf,



I feel your pain. I don't know what the issue is, but the ST is the only vehicle I have ever owned wherein it was common to slam the seatbelt in the door.



I think it is a design issue, myself, either with recoil mechanism not strong or fast enough, or the belt getting bound up in the seat or the door frame, etc.



Caymen is right, probably your only real solution is to conciously and deliberately extract yourself from the seatbelt on exit and assure that it is in place properly even if needing to provide a little assistance before shutting the door.



In other words, in typical Ford fashion, the customer has to learn how to use the product based on its limitations and to lower their expectations on what it means to have a quality product.



Yeah, I know, I am coming off as a jerk and a Ford basher. Heck, I still drive a Ford. They could be such a better company if they would only take things a little more seriously and if we would all hold them to a higher standard.



TJR

 

[Todd Z]

My moms Hyundai Sonata seat belts are worse then the ST.......

 

[Tom Schindler]

Todd Z,



You are just saying that. No way would anything be as bad as a Ford is.



Quit making stuff up. Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Honda, etc. are infalable companies and they never make mistakes.





Tom

 

[Todd Z]

:lol::lol:

 

[Greg Stuhlsatz]

No problems with my 2001

 

[J Piroth]

Never a problem with the front seatbelts in my '01, but the passenger-side one in the rear has quit on me a few times. Probably my own fault though. I use it to secure a TV that I drag out to tailgates with me.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Caymen you are so saracastic and absurd it's actually funny.



But consider what it says to apologize for a Ford's limitation by comparing it to a Hyundai.



Henry is rolling in his grave.



TJR

 

[Gavin Allan]

Soak the entire recoil reel in WD-40 and see if that helps! :lol:

 

[Tom Schindler]

But consider what it says to apologize for a Ford's limitation by comparing it to a Hyundai.

No apologizing here. People that do not know do not understand. Since you do not understand, that means you do not know. Therefore since the signals you give mean you do not know, I will tell you.



Ford had complaints on prefious generation Explorers that the seat belt was too tight from the recoil spring. Complain anfter complaint. So, they redesigned the spring so it wasn't as tight and the customers quit complaining.



Now you are educated in this subject.



Of course, you can claim that Ford is not telling the truth in this subject and they are just trying to cover their butts, but another thing to consider is that Ford does not even make the seatbelt.



Now you know two things.



If you want to know more...just ask.





Tom

 

[Gypsy me]

....I have to do this....Tell us more Caymen! 'tis true what Caymen is saying. And for folks that are just past warranty...seat belts are covered a few thousand miles more than the 36 thous given on the bumper to bumper. I am not sure how much more but I know they are. (just a heads up on that)

 

[Gavin Allan]

Seatbelt assemblies are made by TRW.

 

[Ed Miles]

I have an 04 and I believe there was a service tech report on this. I had the same problem on the driver side. Ford fixed both front seat belts free of charge for me.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Look even Gavin knows something. Good call bud!





Tom

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Caymen with the insults again; re.. "don't know".



I don't need to know the history that provides the "excuse" for why the Ford ST seatbelts don't retract well. I just know they don't.



Other manufacturers of other cars seem to get this right without having seatbelts that are too tight. I guess that's beyond Ford's capability, or so it seems to be what you are saying.



Again I hear more apologies and excuses for Ford, and a general lowering of expectations.



Me, I would rather see the "Ford" that I know they can be...the Ford that can make a seatbelt that retracts well and isn't too tight across the chest when buckled.



Yeah, yeah, maybe Ford doesn't build the seatbelt assembly...does that REALLY matter? They should be and are responsible for the quality of the entire vehicle; right?



P.S. Caymen, I never said you were apologizing. But you are making excuses for why the seatbelt doesn' retract properly. Like I said, you can lower the bar, but I will keep it raised.



TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

I don't need to know the history that provides the "excuse" for why the Ford ST seatbelts don't retract well. I just know they don't.

You now know the reason why.

Other manufacturers of other cars seem to get this right without having seatbelts that are too tight. I guess that's beyond Ford's capability, or so it seems to be what you are saying.

You know this for a fact or does one other manufacturer mean that all others do?

Yeah, yeah, maybe Ford doesn't build the seatbelt assembly...does that REALLY matter? They should be and are responsible for the quality of the entire vehicle; right?

Again knowing when someones hands are tied and understanding that sometimes you jkust can't get what you want goes a long way into helping someone see the light and actually understand the way things go.



Remember, I am in quality control. I know some things are just that way because powers the be make it that way. Beyond my or your control. Beyond the control of anyone else. Sometimes you just have no other choice. Untill you are in those shoes, it is easy to sit back and say it can be better. Sometimes it just can't make it any other way.





Tom

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Caymen, you know I don't try to ever speak in absolutes.



So, when I said:

Other manufacturers of other cars seem to get this right without having seatbelts that are too tight. I guess that's beyond Ford's capability, or so it seems to be what you are saying.

…



I found it interesting that you then asked:

You know this for a fact or does one other manufacturer mean that all others do?.

Note that I didn't use the word "ALL". I said "Others", which only really requires "ONE or MORE" based on my understanding of the word. And, YES, I know for a fact that there are other manufacturers that get it right.



Caymen also said:

Again knowing when someones hands are tied and understanding that sometimes you jkust can't get what you want goes a long way into helping someone see the light and actually understand the way things go.

Sorry, but that's more excuses and a defeatist attitude. Saying your in customer service and trying to educate me on the trade-offs inherent in putting out a quality product, on-time, and at a reasonable price is somewhat insulting. It's something I have strived to do my 20+ users in business as well...heck, most all professionals do that.



Ford isn't doing it (putting out a quality product) when it comes to good, retractable seatbelts in the ST. Saying that there just "isn't any other way" is a defeatist attitude.



Sean Connery in the movie "The Rock" said:

Losers always cry about doing their best; winners go home and f_ _ _ the prom queen!

As I said before, a consumer really shouldn't care WHAT the reasons are. If a manufacturer falls short in enough expectations their sales suffer.



Ford isn't even close to being able to even feel up the prom queen. I don't even think they are doing their best.







TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

Saying your in customer service and trying to educate me on the trade-offs inherent in putting out a quality product, on-time, and at a reasonable price is somewhat insulting. It's something I have strived to do my 20+ users in business as well...heck, most all professionals do that.

Customer Service?



Did you just give me a new job?





Tom