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My seat belt buckle won’t release. What do I do?
So, silly question. I was moving, and I put a box of delicate valuables in the back seat and used the seat belt to hold it in place. Well, now that seat belt buckle won’t release. It’s jammed up or something. How do I fix this?
Matt Terzi · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Seat belt buckles are fickle things, and it’s not uncommon to have a seat belt buckle that won’t release. Given the buckle’s proximity to pockets, foreign objects have been known to get stuck in them like coins, guitar picks, and other tiny objects.
So, step one: see if there’s something stuck in there. Use your phone’s flashlight if you can’t see something easily. Though this may not work if the seatbelt is already latched.
That leads us to step two: use some WD-40 and see if it will wiggle free. Sometimes bits of dirt and grime can gunk up the works internally and cause the mechanical stuff to work poorly or not at all. WD-40 can loosen everything up and get the parts moving more freely.
If the WD-40 doesn’t work, you might need to deploy more drastic measures: visiting a mechanic, who can quickly pop open the seatbelt and fix it. If you’re a fan of DIY projects, you can find instructions and very easily do this yourself at home, but you need to be extremely careful. Seat belt buckles have lots of tiny bits and bobs that can go flying if you aren’t careful.
Seat belt buckles are built to withstand a lot of heavy use over years and years, but they do sometimes get burned out and need professional repairs, or even a replacement. Visiting a mechanic can confirm if this seat belt issue is minor, or its internal components are goofed up and need more serious or drastic fixes.
Trying that WD-40? Let it sit for a few minutes. And hey, while you’re waiting, why not save hundreds of dollars or more on car insurance? The
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