I thought there was a recall on the seat tensioners

 

To pull the B-Pillar trim panels ... (all pry-tools should be 'non-scratch' plastic)

1. Must remove the door sill panels front and rear first; pull-back the rubber gasket on the door opening then pry-up each sill panel

2. Pull-back more of the door gasket and pry off the lower B-Pillar trim panel

3. Pull-back more of the door gasket and pry-off the upper B-Pillar trim panel starting at the bottom

ALL of these panels have very tight clip fasteners - try to feel and insert an angled-pry-tool directly under each fastener to prevent breakage of the clips or retainers on the inside of the trim panels.

FWIW I would suggest you NOT apply any 'lubricant' to seat belt mechanisms; they don't need it if working correctly and any lube has the risk of becoming gummy or attracting dust/dirt over time (both which can cause more problems down the road). The Pretensioner/Retractor is a sealed unit anyway - you can't 'service' the inside.

Honestly, if you can't solve the problem by gently pulling the entire length of the seatbelt out of the retractor and letting it carefully feed-back-in straight without twists or folds (perhaps a couple of times), I'd leave this critical safety feature to the dealer for inspection/repair.

 

My 2013 escape titanium has an issue with the drivers seat belt very slow or not retracting at all. Not sure if this is on any recall but I would like to pop the interior panels on the center pillar and look at the retractor myself to see if there are any issues that I could fix like just lubing the retractor or see if anything is caught in there.


I couldn't find anything on Utube or online showing how to pull the panels off.


Do these panels come off easily? I don't want to pry or pull on anything without having an idea how it comes off. Looked on line and a new seatbelt W/ retractor is $310.


I do have the ESP PremiumCare warranty W/ $100 ded. Just a hassle to take to the dealer, probably twice to get it fixed.


Hoping I can fix it myself with minimum hassle.

I just recently bought a 2014 Escape SE. I, too, have noticed my seatbelt does not retract very well. Did you get your problem fixed? If so, what did you do? Thanks

 

I pulled the panel loose and lubed both the mechanism's and that seemed to fix the problem.

Can't remember for sure but I think the panel wouldn't come all the way off so just had to work around that issue.

 

Seatbelt slow to retract.

My problem was a buildup in the upper plastic guide. I was able to work a piece of sand paper under the belt in the guide, work it back and forth a while, problem solved. MM

 

wash the seat belt with ammonia and water
pull belt all the way out and lock with vise grips
let soak in a bucket of water, you will be amazed have much grease "body oil" comes out in the bucket of water
do this twice! the seat belt will retract like new!
drape belt over the steering wheel to dry

 

@waverunner10 - I don't know if promoting the use of chemicals to wash a safety restraint is such a good idea? It could adversely affect the seat belt webbing strength.

 

I have been driving 52 years and have been working on cars since I was 12 years old
I have cleaned numerous seat belts over the years when they won't retract
I have never had any seat belt failures. the cars usually rusted out spending my first 30 years in Ohio
my old 1994 Chrysler has almost 300,000 miles on it
I have cleaned the driver's seat belt more than once

 

That's a great attitude to have. "Listen here you whipper-snapper, I'm old so I know more..." .

I was talking specifically about weakening the seat belt and possible repercussions in an accident. There are numerous sites that give methods for cleaning, once again - use any suggested methods with caution.

This one specifically says

Do not use any cleaner that contains ammonia or bleach as they can deteriorate the fibers or stitching on the belt, making it less safe.

Another

Solvents or harsh cleaners like ammonia or detergents may degrade the nylon webbing, which would be bad.

If you want to keep using it, that's fine. Perhaps don't suggest it for other people's use.

 

THe only time I wash the drivers seat belt is when It wont retract
my car is a 2013 with 77,000 miles
so when it acts up again it will probably have about 150,000 miles on it!!!
I will clean it again
I plan on keeping this car for 300,000 to 400,000 miles
So what is you point!!! my 2013 2 liter Titanium AWD has 77,000 miles on it and it looks brand new
I am very anal about preventive maintenance
I am 68 years old and I do know how to take care of a car!!
I do all my own maintenance except for 4 wheel alignments