Raptor75

Well if you are reading this chances are you'll been bitten by a very bad design flaw of Mazda's. In their infinite wisdom they designed the front belt to lock into the rear belt buckle and become jammed. Mazda’s policy of screwing the end user for their design defects continue to this problem and you will most likely be quoted a price of $85 to $450 to fix a problem which should never have happened.

Fear not because the situation can be fixed by you if you wish to for $24 or free.

Step 1:

Remove the rear seat cushion. This is very easy to do in the RX-8. Two clips in the front hold down the seat. To remove this grab the seat under its front lip with both hands and pull up. It may take a little force but there is nothing to damage so give it a sharp pull up.

Step 2: Now you will need to slide the seat from under the stuck seat belt. The rear of the seat cushion is not anchored so once the front is free you’re set to start wiggling the seat out.

Now you have a decision to make. Do you want to replace the existing buckle with a new piece or fix the existing one? Both methods will require you to disassemble the existing buckle in order to release the stuck belt. The new piece will cost you around $25 dollars and seeing that this is a safety item this would be my recommendation. If you decide to fix the buckle you do it at your own risk.

Raptor75

Lets assume you plan to replace the buckle first, I will discuss fixing it at the end.

Step 3: So you’re just going to replace the buckle. The first thing your going need to do is to free the belt buckle. I used a pair of Channel Locks to twist the plastic buckle enclosure apart, since I was replacing it with a new unit the fact that this method will ruin the buckle housing is no big deal. Once the housing is apart start disassembling the inners of the buckle lock, this can be done with out any tools. There will be a square rod, which once removed will allow the buckle to come out.

Now you will have a handful of pieces and the buckle will be stripped to metal assembly that is attached to the anchored bolt. The belt is free at this point.

Step 4: Lets remove the bolt now. This bolt is on pretty tight, you could probably remove this with a socket and breaker bar, do not use a 12 pt. Socket to do this use only a 6 pt. Socket. A 12 pt. is likely to strip the bolt. If you have an impact wench this is the best solution. The nut to this bolt is welded to the body of the car so you don’t have to worry about it. Remove the bolt and buckle assembly.

Step 5: Now just put on the new buckle assembly, bolt it down. Torque according to specs supplied with the buckle. Next put the seat back in rear first then press down on the front until you here it snap in, remember there are two clips so you need to hear two snaps.

Your done and for only $24, congratulation.

Raptor75

Now if you decide you want to use the existing assembly here is how I would approach it. Note I did not do this but might if it ever gets stuck again.

Step A: You are going to have to remove the Plastic buckle housing with out destroying it. The best way to do this is to insert a screwdriver at the bottom of the housing and pry it apart. The housing is assembled by inserting 2 flat flaps into 2 slots on the other side of the housing then closing the bottom together until it snaps shut by two plastic tabs. So to remove it you must separate it from the bottom so as not to damage the housing locking assembly.

Step B: Now that the assembly is apart the tricky part starts. The assembly must be disassembled to the point that the buckle can be removed then reassembled. Unfortunately I did not disassemble the unit with the idea of reassembling it so I did not record how I disassembled it. This still should not be difficult because there are only about half a dozen parts. Just be careful to diagram how they were put together and note in what order you disassembled them. If you are careful and reassemble properly you will be in good shape and have a fixed belt buckle.

Keep in mind that the buckle is a safety device and I strongly recommend replacing it rather then repairing it.

If in the end you screw this up you have two choices buy the replacement piece $24 or the preferred choice. Reassemble the unit and bring it in for warranty repair, as Mazda should have covered it in the first place. The difference this time is the front seat will no longer be in the rear assembly, it just stopped working. You should have no problems assuming you didn’t bring it to Mazda in the first place.

Good luck.

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

raptor--

thanks for the good info. i'll be using to replace as soon as i can order a replacement seatbelt. seems easy enough to do and well worth the DIY.

zenmoused

I'm just curious as to what circumstances would lead someone to plug a front seatbelt into a rear buckle?

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

It's actually all too common, the buckle for the front seat hangs in your face when you sit in the back. In fact, if you remember those creepy motorized belts from the '80s, ALL buckles would hang in front of you like that.....

An excellent DIY.

Now, if someone can complete it by posting how to dis-assemble the "bits" in the right order.....

S

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

especially with kids, it's bound to happen. it is the first you see when you get in the back so it's only a matter of time before someone reaches over and grabs it. it fits in just fine but doesn't come out.

zenmoused

Ah gotcha. Guess I don't spend enough time in the backseat of my 8.

(I guess for most cars that would be a sexual pun, but really I can't see anything happening back there in our cars.)

BoosTED

iTrader: (2)

If a person was pulled over on the way to the service department would the locked seatbelt excuse work?

What about the poor person that is locked in the seat?

"No really it is locked into the rear seat buckle."

"Lemme see that."


No one wants to believe that it locks in... for good... without taking the buckle apart.

Good DIY Raptor.

Raptor75

Ya, Mazda really screwed the pouch with this design. My son's 9 year old friend was in the back and grabbed the first belt he saw which was the front belt, that's all it took. I have stopped no less then three other people from doing the same thing.

The belts have to be were they are but there is no excuse for Mazda allowing the front belt to jam into the rear buckle and then to not fess up to their mistake makes it even worse. It is things like this that keep them so poorly rated in customer service satisfaction and they really don't seem to care.

The best way to let Mazda know this is a problem is to check if they have fixed it on the show room demo cars. After the dealers are forced to fix enough of these they may do something about it. Enjoy.

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

now, who would ever recommend such a horrible thing?

BoosTED

iTrader: (2)

Does the replacement buckle fix the problem from happening again?

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

it's still the same buckle so it doesn't. i suppose if you really wanted to, you could replace the full seatbelt with a front seatbelt and never have to worry about it.

BoosTED

iTrader: (2)

Has anyone tried hooking the rear seatbelt to a front buckle?

Thinking it would be tough to do that one. But if a person could try it to see if it would lock down. If not then just replace the buckle to the same that is in the front.

Why would Mazda use a different buckle and clasp for the rear?

Dremd911

I didnt even know people could sit in the back of an 8....i need midget friends if thats the case, midgets are chick magnets 2 im going to start looking for some....

BoosTED

iTrader: (2)

Maybe I should take a trip to an unsuspecting dealership and check on the buckle from the back to the front.

If it can even reach.

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

i asked this and i know that raptor asked this of MNAO. their response was that there are a lot of cars that have different clasps for front vs. rear and even vs. a middle buckle and that the back was only intended to buckle with the back and vice versa. this is true of course but those that have other clasps don't let it go in or if it does go in, it doesn't lock. i have never in my life seen one in which a buckle will go in and not release (until i saw my 8's).

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

my brother-in-law is 6'2" and he doesn't mind being in the back. i wouldn't recommend it for long drives but for 20 minutes or less it really isn't that bad. i remember reading or seeing something that said it has more legroom than the IS300. of course you're making a joke and i'm taking it literal.

Raptor75

This is the million dollar question. If they did not want the front to go into the rear then it would have been very easy to design it that way. What they had in mind is a mystery to me. It would have also been simpler and cheaper to make them all the same and we wouldn't have this problem.

Zoom-Zoom-Dumb

Whitbarb

Hi Raptor75: Just a great big thank you from a couple of old timers
(retirees) with a new RX-8. While securing our grandson and his large safety
car seat in the back seat, we grabbed the front belt and stuck it in the
rear receiver. You, and quite a few others in the Club, know the results.
But, thanks to your excellent DIY information and photos we were able to
free the belt and put the receiver back together fully functional within
about 20 minutes.

Just for your info, your guidance for doing this without buying a new buckle
is right on target. Since I did not have a large short-shaft screw driver, I
used the bottle opener end of an old fashoned "church key" to pop the
plastic housing apart. Worked great with no damage. And if you take it apart
very carefully you only have to remove 3 of the internal parts in order to
slip the buckle out. Putting it back together was a snap.

Raptor, thanks again for coming to our rescue and saving us the hassle and
costs of a 105 mile round trip to our local dealer.

Whit & Barb

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Aw, shucks, RapGuy - now you're a hero !

(Speech!, Speech!)

S

Raptor75

Sorry I was just in the closet taking off my red cape and blue tights with the big "S" on the chest and putting back on my mild manor Rx-8 owner outfit.

Yes were ever Mazda's engineering stupidity and poor customer service threaten the good owners of the RX-8 I will be there to stand for justice and the Rotary way of life.

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

just bumping this back up to hopefully prevent someone else from having to break the buckle and paying mazda to "fix" the seatbelt for them.

pfloydss

The back buckle will not go into the front receiver because its slightly wider, but it would be nice to have front style belts in the back for people with kids in boosters because of the longer receiver. My son cant find it because it sits so low in the seat and trying to do this for him is a pain and frustrating. Do they make some kind of extension for this reason or possibly a longer one?

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

none that i know of but you might be able to get some front seatbelts and install in the back. i dont know how hard the actual seatbelt would be to replace but i know the receptacle is pretty easy. it's just one of those items you have to be willing to do yourself knowing very well that it's a safety piece and not one you want to be wrong on if you install incorrectly since you won't know unless it's a bad situation.