Rear seatbelt assistance

[99Questions]

The rear center seatbelt in my 99 Avalon has come loose from the bottom and is now retracted all at the top.

What is involved in reparing this???

[toyomoho]

The seatbelt has unbolted from the frame? Don't understand. The rear seat comes out allowing access to the belts which can be unbolted from the frame.

[99Questions]

Whatever holds the seatbelt at the base of the seat has "let go" and now the whole seatbelt is at the top of the seat just below the rear window. Does that make sense?

[toyomoho]

Is the center seatbelt a lap only or does it have a shoulder harness setup?

The end of each half of the belt is bolted to the cars frame. Follow the top portion until you find the end. If the end goes behind the seat you will need to take out both the bottom and top seat cushions. Pull up from the front of the bottom seat (there are no bolts holding it in) then remove the seat.

The back cushion is normally held in place by a bolt on each side below the cushion. Hooks hold the upper half on, pull the cushion out and up. Once out you should be able to see where the belt is bolted on.

[aigochamaloh]

the rear seats in the avalon all have 3 point over the shoulder belts. from what i understand, your center belt has retracted all the way to the top? did a bolt come out with it or you just have the metal bracket for the belt come up?

anyway, it's as easy as pulling up the seat cushion. it's anchored in 3 points; the center, left, and right. if you were sitting in each seat, it'll be right between your legs. if you pull hard enough at the edge, it should come right up. then you can check out what happened...

[99Questions]

Yes, the center belt has retracted all the way to the top. Nothing came out into the seat when this happened so hopefully when I remove the seat cushion, I will find a bolt or broken clip or something.

This is my Saturday project, so I will give it a whirl. Thanks for your input.

[99Questions]

After removing the seat cushion I don't have a clue as to how it should be fixed

Any suggestions?

[99Questions]

This was not so bad after all. I had already removed the seat cushion, which is very easy, and the top cushion was only slightly more difficult. Just undue four bolts and lift the top cushion straight up. It comes out that easily.

I still am confused as to how the belt was behind the seat, but once the cushions were removed, I simply put the top cushion back in place and reconnected the seat belt over the top of the seat; just as it was originally. Reconnected the four bolts and put the seat back in and that was that.

Thanks.

[kingsuperdad]

Want to try and revive this thread. I have a situation with the the buckle end of the seat belt, the part that mounts to the car frame behind/under the seat has come out. I've taken the discovered that the threads in the socket where the bolt goes have stripped. Anybody know if I can repair this myself and how?

[fourwheeler]

You can try to run a tap through the threads but I wouldn't feel the seatbelt is safe. There should be a nut welded onto the underside of the seat pan. I would drill out the diameter of the nut to a new larger size and use a new nut and bolt. Any size larger than original and slightly longer would be fine, just make sure it is grade 8 for safety. I would use SAE, they are cheaper and easier to find.

[Jack Deth]

you could put in a heli-coil insert. they are stronger than the original thread.

[bob2]

you could use a shorter belt, fastened to the rear shelf (under the window). just wrap it around the neck of the passenger a couple time, then click it... no tick-it!