How to fix seat belt latch facing the wrong way?

March 30th, 2021 by

Straightening Out a Stubborn Seat Belt Latch Plate

Here at CrossPointe Motor Cars in Winchester, VA, we love teaching you DIY maintenance skills to help you keep your car in tip-top shape. Today, we want to show how to fix one of the most annoying things that can happen in your vehicle: the seat belt latch is facing the wrong direction.

Follow the step-by-step guide below to fix a seat belt latch and get it facing the right way again.

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seat belt latch close up

Correcting a Seat Belt Latch That’s Facing the Wrong Direction

If your seat belt’s latch is facing the wrong direction, you’ll have to twist the seat belt to get the latch to go into the buckle. This is both annoying and unsafe. Here’s how to fix it:

  1. Pull the seat belt out until you have a lot of slack to work with
  2. Slide the latch up toward the pillar loop; the higher, the better
  3. Underneath the latch, fold the belt over itself, so you can see the rear side of the belt
  4. Slide the latch down over the folded belt; there will be a lot of resistance
  5. Continue sliding the latch downward until it reaches where the belt is no longer folded

The latch will now move freely and be facing the correct direction! Feed the belt back into its mechanism and enjoy a seat belt that has its latch now facing the correct direction.

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Posted in DIY Maintenance