2025 Rear Seat Belt Buckle Seizing

[Runt2025Sport]

I have a 2025 BSBL and after only a few months, the back seat belt buckles stopped working. Specifically, the rear center buckle will not latch the belt tongue when inserted, and the rear driver's side buckle won't unlatch from a dog tether. Can anyone on this forum help?

SHORT STORY:
Dealer was no help, no on-line resource to help me, blowing them out didn't help, poking them with small probes hasn't helped either ... still non-functioning buckles.

LONG STORY:
I took it to the dealer and their response was "there's something stuck in it" along with a nearly $700 estimate to replace the buckles (OUCH). Thank you, no! I thought I'd try cleaning it out or fix it myself ... haven't figured that out yet which is why I'm posting here.

Initially I blew compressed air into the buckles, but no benefit. Then I took took a look at the rear passenger side buckle which still operates correctly, and using two (2) small screw drivers I figured out there's a two-stage operation to latching - a trigger and a latch:
LATCHING: (A) first the seat belt tongue presses down on a spring loaded trigger, (B) after reaching the bottom of the buckle, the trigger releases the latch to spring over towards the tongue, (C) finally the latch passes into the slot/hole in the tongue to retain the seat belt tongue within the buckle.
RELEASING; (a) pressing the red button pulls the latch back against its spring force, (b) the retracted latch frees the tongue to be pushed out by the trigger spring force, (c) when the trigger reaches the top of the buckle, it keeps the latch in the retracted position.

Comparing the rear center buckle to the good one, I can see the latch is not fully retracted and the trigger is not returned to the top of the buckle. Pressing the red release button does not release the trigger from the bottom of the buckle either. Though I can push the latch back with a small flat screw driver tip, the trigger remains at the bottom of the buckle. Best guess at the root cause of the problem is: the spring mechanism that returns the trigger to the top of the buckle is either (1) blocked by debris, or (2) the spring has slipped/broken, or the linkage/guide that allows the trigger to rise up is (3) blocked by debris, or (4) has become misaligned. As for the rear driver's side buckle, similar to the center buckle, pressing the red release button fails to retract the latch and release the tongue.

I took out the seat bottom of the bench seat to get better access. (that's a whole other story). Since I don't have a T-50 Torx head/wrench I couldn't remove the buckle assembly. That's okay, cuz the buckle assembly also has the shoulder harness belt looped and sewn to it (and I don't yet know how to remove the upper should harness retraction assembly from the seat back). I can confirm there is no place for debris to fall out the back of the buckle, so any small debris (sand, dirt, food crumbs, etc.) will just build up in the buckles. I haven't yet determined if the buckle outer housing/cover can be disassembled to allow cleaning out debris.

I'll attach some pictures later today or tomorrow (once my wife's back home with the BSBL).

Any thoughts, comments, feedback, or ideas to help?

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[RC Turner]

I would flush it with WD-40 with silicone. Protect everything around it to prevent soiling the fabric.

 

[tchncnMk]

Don’t disassemble it, take it to another dealer, seat belt issues should be replaced free if defective, especially on a new car. Unless it’s debris or owner caused damage. Also the retractors have SRS components that should only be worked on by a technician, for safety sake.

 

[Runt2025Sport]

Don’t disassemble it, take it to another dealer, seat belt issues should be replaced free if defective, especially on a new car. Unless it’s debris or owner caused damage. Also the retractors have SRS components that should only be worked on by a technician, for safety sake.

I took it to the dealer once already and declined a warrantee fix... said " something is stuck in it, not covered by warrantee".

 

[Runt2025Sport]

Well, I disassembled both buckles. Rear driver side turned out the tongue insert got bent severely and was bind up the buckle. Just used a flathead screw driver to help push the latch pawl back enough to release. The belt tongue was belt almost 45 degrees, and once straightened the buckle latched and released normally. The rear center buckle had a loose piece fall out when I disassembled the cover. Turned out an inner piece had broken on two. In the photos, its the white piece. The white piece is attached to the trigger that the belt tongue pushes down, which also activated the micro-switch for the seat belt sensor (medium brown colored price in the photo).

Guess I'll make a compliant with Ford, and spend the hundreds of dollars to buy a replacement.

 

[Runt2025Sport]

Here's what the "good" buckle looks like. Notice the white piece reaches under the metal pin... the rear center buckle broke the white piece here (brike off at the metal pin).

 

[Runt2025Sport]

Found the replacement part price range was $46 to $84. Plus whatever the cost to buy the right sized Torx driver. Not as bad as i thought.

Also, I'll post some photos later of the cover pieces so others can see how they come apart and go together. I damaged the plastic a bit by using two small flat head screw drivers to force them apart .. not too badly though.

 

[Quashish]

Don’t disassemble it, take it to another dealer, seat belt issues should be replaced free if defective, especially on a new car. Unless it’s debris or owner caused damage. Also the retractors have SRS components that should only be worked on by a technician, for safety sake.

this is the only correct response. you went to a dealershit.

 

[Runt2025Sport]

I would flush it with WD-40 with silicone. Protect everything around it to prevent soiling the fabric.

To each their own, but I never use WD40 on anything exposed to dust ... it just seems to collect more dust and gum up, so you have to spray it again and again. I prefer silicone sprays.

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