Chevrolet Silverado Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 150 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the Chevrolet Silverado across 20 model years. The 1999 model year has the most (48). The words owners use most often: “seat belt” (61% of reports).
- 150seat belts complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 28mention a crash
- 24mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Seat belt: mentioned in 92 of 150 complaints (61%)
- Driver passenger: mentioned in 8 of 150 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 56 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 150 complaints, 28 mention a crash, 24 an injury.
Chevrolet Silverado seat belts complaints by model year
| Model year | Seat Belts complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Silverado | 2 | 2% | 28,619 |
| 2015 Silverado | 2 | 3% | 4,500 |
| 2014 Silverado | 2 | 2% | 4,778 |
| 2013 Silverado | 3 | 5% | 18,000 |
| 2012 Silverado | 1 | 1% | 75,859 |
| 2011 Silverado | 2 | 3% | 72,745 |
| 2008 Silverado | 5 | 3% | 71,040 |
| 2007 Silverado | 7 | 4% | 53,800 |
| 2006 Silverado | 1 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2005 Silverado | 4 | 1% | 53,000 |
| 2004 Silverado | 3 | 0% | — |
| 2003 Silverado | 10 | 1% | 1,000 |
| 2002 Silverado | 16 | 2% | 61,752 |
| 2001 Silverado | 10 | 1% | 40,500 |
| 2000 Silverado | 16 | 1% | 75,500 |
| 1999 Silverado | 48 | 3% | 97,500 |
| 1998 Silverado | 9 | 3% | — |
| 1997 Silverado | 4 | 1% | — |
| 1996 Silverado | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1995 Silverado | 4 | 2% | 118,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Seat belts
Model years: 2014, 2015
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks manufactured January 29, 2013, to January 21, 2015. While entering the vehicle, the seat belt tensioner cable may be positioned such that the driver slides over it. This movement may result in the fatigue and separation of the cable.
Risk: If the tensioner cable separates, the driver may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent the tensioner from being damaged. Any tensioner that has already been damaged will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15822.
Electrical system:software; seat belts:front:warning light/devices
Model years: 2014
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban vehicles equipped with a base radio and an internal amplifier. The radios in the affected vehicles may become inoperative, and as a result, there would be no audible chime to notify the driver if the door is opened with the key in the ignition or no audible seat belt warning indicating the seat belts were not buckled. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention," and 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Without an audible indicator, the driver may not be aware that the driver's door is open while the key is in the ignition, increasing the risk of a vehicle rollaway. Additionally, there would be no reminder that the driver's or front seat passenger's seat belt is not buckled, which could increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 2, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM's customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GMC owners may contact GM's customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 14315.
Seat belts:rear/other
Model years: 2003, 2004, 2005
Problem: On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
Risk: A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
Fix: Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on july 21, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Model years: 2003, 2004
Problem: Certain extended and regular cab pickup trucks and cargo vans converted to compressed natural gas (cng) fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' these vehicles have one seating position, the center rear seat, equipped with child restraint lower anchorages.
Risk: The standard requires child seat lower anchorages in two seating positions for vehicles with three rear seating positions. The standard cab and cargo van vehicles, which only have front seating positions, have an air bag off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have child restraint lower anchorages in the passenger seat. The standard requires passenger seat child seat lower anchorages in vehicles with an air bag off switch. However, the standard does not require vehicles with only front seating positions to have lower anchorage provisions if the vehicle is not equipped with an air bag off switch.
Fix: To bring the standard cab and cargo van vehicles into compliance, dealers will inject epoxy into the air bag off switch to prevent air bag activation, relocate the switch behind the instrument panel and then install a cover over the resulting opening. The sun visor label and owner's manual will also be changed. The correction for the extended cab vehicle will consist of changing the front passenger seat to a seat that has child restraint lower anchorages. The recall began on september 9, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V097000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated…
The contact owned a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, he dozed off as the vehicle drifted off to the right shoulder of the highway. The contact regained alertness once the vehicle drove over the highway's rumble strip. As the contact attempted to regain…
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, he lost control of the vehicle due to losing consciousness. The vehicle left the roadway and went airborne and crashed with a road sign landing in a field. None of the airbags deployed and only…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO LATCH. THE CONTACT CALLED PRINCE CHEVROLET BUICK GMC OF VALDOSTA (4550 N VALDOSTA RD, VALDOSTA, GA 31602 [redacted]) AND WAS WAITING TO SCHEDULE A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE…
Rear center seat has no head restraint. Rear outboard seats have head restraints that may not meet minimum saftey heights, they are too small and do not extend high enough, they also do not lock into position. Front center seat has no head restraint. Front center seat has no shoulder belt, has lap…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Silverados have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 150 owner complaints about seat belts for the Chevrolet Silverado. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Silverado seat belts?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list seat belts. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the Chevrolet Silverado?
The most frequent phrase is “seat belt”, in 92 of 150 complaints, followed by “driver passenger” (8).
Other Chevrolet Silverado problems
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (2,302)
- Power Train problems (743)
- Electrical System problems (711)
- Service Brakes problems (706)
- Steering problems (533)
- Structure problems (490)
- Visibility problems (486)
- Air Bags problems (478)
See all Chevrolet Silverado problems.