I have a 91 civic hatch, here's my safety issue:

My driver's side belt, the shoulder portion that comes from the top of the door, has pulled ALL the way out and refuses to roll/coil back up. The lap belt, which comes from the bottom of the door seems to pull out & roll back up just fine.

The only 'symptoms' it exhibited was a reluctance to roll back up for a little while, then I'd have to pull it out a little bit further and the mechanism would catch & wind it back up, then it seemed to right itself and more or less 'tighten up,' but now it is toast.

I've pulled off the door panel, and checked it out myself, but I don't see anything obvious that would cause the trouble unless it's inside the seatbelt wind up unit or something.

BTW, I have used the search and I have called honda and a coupla places...they say $ 200+ for the entire seatbelt "assembly" plus install, which I'm sure they'll bang me @ least 50 + on, so this is why I am seeking alternatives or other's experience with this same issue.

PS Please reply w/any info u may have available, because right now I have only a lap belt, and was almost run off the highway at 70+, which with a lapbelt only, probably would have meant my untimely demise.

PLEASE REPLY! THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE MY OWN!

 

I have heard that Honda should warranty the seat belts for life. If your dealership will not do anything call up Honda's Amercian office and ask them what you should do. Say that you love your Honda and are planning to buy a new one, etc and that you have heard that the seatbelt were covered for life and was wondering if it was true.

 

I had the same problem happen on my 88 CRX. I just went to the junk yard and got the mechanism which makes it wind up. Mine had broken. It's basically a metal roll of tape inside the housing. As you pull your seat belt out, it winds up, then when you let it go, it unwinds, and thus pulls your seatbelt back in. You just have to look at it and find out how the seat belt works, and I'm sure you'll get it. One thing though, be careful when working with the mechanism because if you don't open the housing carefully it will just out and unroll and could cut you like it did to me.
Later.

 

should be steel said so and he works at honda

 

i think that, by law, manufacturers have to cover saftey items under warranty no matter how old the car is.