2018 seat belt loop thingy

[Zathras]

Question about a quirk I noticed on my new '18 (might be on other years too...) The seat belt has a funny sewn loop or fold in it. It seems like it might be to position the buckle or keep it from banging around. I just wanted to make sure this loop/fold is "normal" for a delivered car, and wasn't something the dealer was supposed to remove or cut out.

To be clear, I'm not talking about the clip-on leather strap that secures the belt to the seatback, this is a fold in the actual belt fabric.

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[DickR]

Question about a quirk I noticed on my new '18 (might be on other years too...) The seat belt has a funny sewn loop or fold in it. It seems like it might be to position the buckle or keep it from banging around. I just wanted to make sure this loop/fold is "normal" for a delivered car, and wasn't something the dealer was supposed to remove or cut out.

To be clear, I'm not talking about the clip-on leather strap that secures the belt to the seatback, this is a fold in the actual belt fabric.

My 15 had this and so does my 18.

 

[Braski]

Not the best of design. I remember 3 yrs ago I was like really?

 

[PJR202]

Isn't that a stopper for the buckle?

 

[Braski]

Isn't that a stopper for the buckle?

It's just so chincy.

 

[DickR]

It's just so chintzy.

Examples of a better way? My only current comparison is a plastic "button/rivet" that goes through the belt on our 97 Mustang GT. In that setup the buckle is kept much further from the attachment to the floor and therefore lives near the top of the seat back. I would expect the 97's "button/rivet" to be less expensive to manufacture so I cannot guess why Ford used the S550 method instead. I don't recall what my 2001 and 2012 used.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

I never used it. Its so cheap it would break if used.

 

[w3rkn]

Used it for what..?

The loop is a a soft stop for the belt roll-up mechanism.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

Use it to stop the seat belt. Put the seatbelt inside the loop. And the loop will break. In other words. The loop is not strong enough to proform the task you decribed.

 

[sed6]

That loop is a "safety feature". The stitching in that loop is designed to rip out during a collision and somehow help with the severity of the impact. Common sense tells me they won't help and the lawyers and several other auto manufacturers agree. Here's a good read.

https://dysart-law.com/seat-belt-energy-management-loops-or-rip-stitching-failures/

 

[michail71]

Are we talking about two different loops? There is one by the buckle and one on the seat.

 

[Chef jpd]

Yes, there is some confusion.
The OP is talking about the loop sewn into the seat belt webbing itself.
Others are talking about the strap on the side of the seat that "retains" the belt from the B pillar.

 

[Zathras]

Thanks for all the feedback. Just wanted to make sure it was "normal", LOL.

 

[Rash]

I think the seat belt loop is causing my engine tick.

 

[Deleted member 33561]

Well I have not "tick" but I'm sure the extra weight is what's keeping from breaking into the 11 sec. bracket.

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