I don't know about you, but personally I'm voting the G35 coupe as this year's winner for "Worst Seat Belt Design In Automotive History." As much as I love this car, I dread facing the idiotic seat belts each day. I've never experienced a vehicle that requires this much forethought regarding such a simple piece of equipment. It's like a pre-launch check on the Space Shuttle:

1. Once you open the door and slide into the seat, remember to dislocate your shoulder and grab the seat belt BEFORE shutting the door. Forgetting this routine and shutting the door first means the seat belt buckle is trapped behind your seat and smashed up next to the door. Retrieving said buckle without reopening the door is utterly impossible.

2. When exiting the car, make sure that the seat belt has retracted ALL THE WAY back into the pillar. Failure to do so will result in the seat belt buckle attempting to occupy the space between the seat and door. This space is 2 inches wide. The buckle is three inches wide. When the 300 lb. door is slammed shut, something must give. Usually it's the plastic on the door.

3. Be aware of the infamous "Passenger-Side Seat Belt Jingle", a unique and penetrating sound reminiscent of an old western-style buckboard loaded down with horse harnesses. The constant clinking of the buckle against the glass and hard plastic on the doors has been known to cause high hysterics in drivers after a period of time. Please note that no amount of volume on the car radio can drown it out.

4. Lastly, there's the "Finger of Death" (as my wife called it)- that retractable arm-thingy that you have to move into the horizontal position to actually make use of the seat belts, but need to move to the vertical position to allow passengers to get in to the back seats. Failure to lower this arm before entering or exiting the back seat results in puncture wounds to the sides, abdomen and thorax of your passengers. Lawsuits are inevitable.

I would love to meet the person who designed the seat belts. Just for a few minutes. While he may only speak Japanese and I only speak Texan, I'm sure I could find some means to convey to him my feelings concerning his work.

-Just needed to vent. Headed to the hospital (forgot to lower the "finger of death" and poked my right eyeball out.) [img]/w3timages/icons/wink.gif[/img]

 

Best post of the day. I myself have noticed the poor design of the seatbelts and the "finger of death". Mine actually has made little pimples in the plastic on the side of my door that look like absolute crap. I don't see the need for the seatbelt buckle to have its own little cubby between the door and the seat for which it must exactly align in order to be happy and not destroy our door. Redesign is a must, that guy that doesnt speak english who did design the seatbelt for our cars must have been drinking tooo much saki that day.

 

The seat belts are the only thing on my coupe that gets an "F" rating. They are totally uncomfortable for me. I'm constantly having to pull the belt off my neck and the lap belt rides too high on my waist. I don't know if it was designed for shorter people or taller people! (I'm 5'11" and slim).
Have they redesigned it at all for the '05s?

 

"I would love to meet the person who designed the seat belts. Just for a few minutes. While he may only speak Japanese and I only speak Texan, I'm sure I could find some means to convey to him my feelings concerning his work."

Lets not forget his buddy........the guy who designed the
OIL DIPSTICK!!!!!
He's in for a sound flogging from me.

"I like you.....You remind me of myself when I was young and foolish"

 

You forgot one........

The "finger" can also rub on the seat top when the belt is in use, making yet another interior noise as you drive!!!

 

LMAO..very good, very funny & very true.

 

Hahahaha, same complaint!!! I hate the position of the seatbelt on my collar bone. I have to sometimes put the seatbelt under my armpit because it rubs right where i broke my collar bone (clavical).

Also, who designed the STUPID highbeam relay?!!?! When you have the headlights off during the day and you "flash to pass," the xenons ignite!!! BOO HOO, I rarely highbeam now!

 

I finally was able to get my dealer to replace my seat belt retractor under warranty. I just showed him mine again and another new G where the belt retracted all the way back to the pillar, the way it should be. Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads up that it can be warranteed.

G35C 6MT/Dynashield/Z-Tube/JWT Pop-Charger/Nismo Exhaust/Crawford Cats/UR Crank Pulley/ Tein H-Tech Springs & 30% Tint

 

i fookn hate the G's seatbelt clip.. wow.. it irates the hell out of my neck /collar area... i have to push it down somtimes.. worst design..this is the only car i have had a problem with

 

i fookn hate the G's seatbelt clip.. wow.. it irates the hell out of my neck /collar area... i have to push it down somtimes.. worst design..this is the only car i have had a problem with

 

i hate these seatbelts..........especially cause of the fact that i put seatbelt pads on and they dont retract all the way and they hang down and this really bothers me

03 coupe
Pro-1 Exhaust
clear corners
Escort X50 Blue
Momo shift ****
15% tint
others coming.....

 

Great post Dabour!

Infiniti still owns BMW though...

 

I think most of the things you mentioned could happen to any other seatbelt. Any seatbelt not retracted could possibly be squeezed in when you close the door. And if it's retracted, then I guess you shouldn't have that problem of it being slammed by the door when you get in. How tall are you? I'm not that tall, so my seat is a bit upfront I think than most tall ppl here, but I could reach that seatbelt easily w/o looking with the left hand. Don't use your right.

I've had the passenger seatbelts on my old Honda and Toyota rattle against the pillar too when they were left unretracted. No big deal for me, I just adjust the way it hangs or retract it.

The "finger of death" is a compromise to the coupe's design, having the B pillar so far back it puts back the seatbelt as well. My concern here is the opposite of yours, people getting out might tripped on the belt. We'll just have to be careful I guess.

 

That's why I posted you can get it corrected under warranty.

G35C 6MT/Dynashield/Z-Tube/JWT Pop-Charger/Nismo Exhaust/Crawford Cats/UR Crank Pulley/ Tein H-Tech Springs & 30% Tint