When I ride in the front passenger seat and buckle my seatbelt, some of the time the belt remains 'unlocked' so that I can lean forward to get something from the glovebox or pick up something from the floor, etc... The belt retracts when I lean back to sitting position, but will remain 'unlocked' so that I can lean forward again or move/adjust my seating position...

Other times, after I buckle the belt it is locked and will not allow me to lean forward or even move in my seat. The only way to get some more slack in the belt is to unbuckle and let it retract, then rebuckle it. Of course, sometimes this takes 3-4 tries before I get the 'unlocked' mode again. It seems to be totally random and unpredictable.

Our belt doesn't do that. It's always free to let the person bend forward.

I believe there are two devices - one is a pretensioner which works off the energy of an impact, and the other is an inertial device which locks the seatbelt if it is spooled out too quickly. If I had to guess, I'd say there was some malfunction with the second of these devices.

Wayne

 

How much of the seatbelt do you pull out when you buckle yourself in? Like, do you pull it all the way out? When it is locking up on you and you must unlatch it and feed it back in, does it make a faint clicking noise as it is recoiling?

All passenger seating positions are equipped with switchable retractors. What this is is a seatbelt system that can be "switched" from normal emergency locking retractor mode (when it is "free" and you can move around) to automatic locking retractor where it is locked and will only recoil until the webbing is fed all the way back in and the system is reset. On most cars the way to switch to the locked setting is to pull the webbing all the way out. This is intended for use with child safety seats so you can bypass use of a locking clip.

Next time it happens pay close attention to how much belt you pull out and if it clicks. If it doesn't fit the description I gave, perhaps the system is faulty and a visit to the dealer is in order.

 

Ours does the same thing and drives my wife nuts. We have had it to two different Honda and an independent shop and none have found a problem.

The belt doesn't get pulled out all the way, but a I agree that there is some mechanism inside the door well that doesn't seem to be right.

 

I've had the same problem in the front passenger seat of my 2000 LX. I have to remove the belt, let it completely return to it's resting position, then reattach it. It's only a sporadic problem, so I never brought it to the dealer's attention.

 

We have an '04 Ody with just over 10K miles. We have just begun to experience the exact problem you describe. I am planning to mention it to the dealer when I take it in for service next time. I'll post the outcome after that.

 

Another Seatbelt problem

I have a slightly different problem. My middle 2002's row belts get tighter and tighter and do not release. The passengers have to unbuckle, retract the belt and buckle the belt again. They find it very annoying.

Happens with adults and children. No car seat is ever used. I do not find this with the driver's belt and I do not sit in the middle row. Why?

 

Re: Another Seatbelt problem

I have a slightly different problem. My middle 2002's row belts get tighter and tighter and do not release. The passengers have to unbuckle, retract the belt and buckle the belt again. They find it very annoying.

Happens with adults and children. No car seat is ever used. I do not find this with the driver's belt and I do not sit in the middle row. Why?

It sounds as though somehow your passengers are locking their seat belts. Normally you do this by pulling the seat belt all the way out from the retractor and then feeding it back in. Yours may be messed up somehow if it's not being pulled out all the way.

The driver's seat doesn't have this feature as you'll (hopefully) never have a need to install a child safety seat there.

I'd see how everyone is buckling up and perhaps go to the dealer if that doesn't reveal the source of the problem.