I just aquired an 06 Outback that was in a wreck and the front seatbelts are locked up. Any clues on what it takes to replace them? Thanks Good_time

Welcome.

 

You'll need the new belts, and need to remove some of the interior panels to get at the belt mechanism so it can be replaced.

 

I would suggest being cautious about removing some of the interior side panels if the car has side airbags.

The seatbelts could be pyrotechnic as well, which is why the old ones locked up. there is the equivalent of a shotgun shell in there that sucks up all the loose webbing in an accident.

 

Don't mix up side to side, disconnect the battery for 1 hour with the headlights on and you should be ok

I just bought and repaired our OBW as well this year with the "one time use", exploding seat belt mechanisms, whatever they're called. You'll need to confirm that you have those though, as the regular seat belts would be worlds apart difference.

 

If yours has the "lock up" mechanism like mine, they are a one time replacement item. Buy a set from a junk yard and install them. Sounds like you're repairing this thing yourself, so surely you can replace a seat belt.

 

It's an entire assembly, just start removing the side panel/trim pieces and you'll see how it works, it's very simple and only requires removing like 3 bolts to get it out once the trim pieces are removed.

Hey thanks for the info. I was just confirming what I thought about the locking belts. I was just a little wary about the air bags. Another thought is do they have to be the locking ones I install?

 

Thanks again Good_time

They don't "have" to be, but subaru did put millions of dollars into a safety system that assumes that there will be locking retractors in case of a collision

I would install the exact same belts in the system. It's integrated into the SRS system so if you installed something else the entire system wouldn't work, meaning the front air bags, side air bags, and seat belts. I wouldn't disable the air bags just to save a few dollars on seat belts, particularly on such a new and valuable car.

Subaru guarantees seatbelts for the life of the car, maybe call a dealer and save headaches?

Subaru guarantees seatbelts for the life of the car, maybe call a dealer and save headaches?

they're not going to guarantee wrecked parts.