2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Seat Belts
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
DURING HOT WEATHER THE SEAT BELT GETS STUCK AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE SEAT BELT AT ALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED UNDER HOT WEATHER. THIS IS IN THE DRIVERS SIDE. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE LAST 1 YEAR.*DT CONSUMER STATED SEAT BELT GETS JAMMED WHEN TEMPERATURE GOES OVER 90 DEGREES AND IS UNABLE TO USE SEAT BELTS AS WELL AS PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS BUT MALFUNCTIONING.*JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. DURING WARMER OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES, THE FAILURE WOULD WORSEN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.
THE SEAT BELTS WILL PERIODICALLY NOT EXTEND. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT SEIZED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT OR PULL OUT FURTHER FROM ITS PRETENSIONER. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES ADDRESSING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY DURING HOT WEATHER. MORE PARTICULARLY, THE BELT WILL NOT EXTEND. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL THE BELT OUT ENOUGH TO FASTEN IT. THUS, THE ONLY WAY THE CAR CAN BE DRIVEN IN HOT WEATHER IS WITHOUT THE DRIVER WEARING A SEAT BELT. THE BELT WORKS PROPERLY IN THE MORNING WHEN LEAVING OUR AIR-CONDITIONED GARAGE, BUT WHEN RETURNING TO THE CAR WHILE IT HAS BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE IN HOT WEATHER THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT WORK. *JS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE SEAT BELTS ARE LOCKED AND WILL NOT RELEASE WHEN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 95000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE SEAT BELTS ARE LOCKED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE WHEN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THEM. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURRED FREQUENTLY AND WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS FOR $1200. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,402.
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. DURING HOT WEATHER, THE BELT WILL NOT EXTEND. PASSENGER IS UNABLE TO PULL THE BELT OUT ENOUGH TO FASTEN IT IN THE LATCH. THE CATCH MECHANISM WHICH NORMALLY LATCHES DURING A CRASH OR RAPID STOPPING SEEMS TO BE STUCK CATCHING ALL THE TIME. *TR
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has 8 Seat Belts complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.