MOT fail - rear seatbelt

Ocean-Devotion · Oct 9, 2023

This is really just an ‘FYI’ post as I think people might be interested in the availability of parts. My Ocean has just failed its MOT at the VW Colindale Van centre. The rear nearside seatbelt is not retracting smoothly, this is classed as a ‘major’ fail and needs replacing. So it is now off the road until fixed. They ( VW Colindale ) cannot find a replacement seatbelt in the whole of the UK. They have placed an order with the factory in Germany , this will take up to a month to arrive. A MONTH!

B J G · Oct 9, 2023

If seating capacity not essential the seat could be removed until ne w belt arrives and Cali used.

Ocean-Devotion · Oct 9, 2023

B J G said:
If seating capacity not essential the seat could be removed until ne w belt arrives and Cali used.

B J G said:

If seating capacity not essential the seat could be removed until ne w belt arrives and Cali used.

Click to expand...

Thanks for reply , would that require removing the whole back bench seat then having the MOT done again in order to comply with MOT regulations ?

andyinluton · Oct 9, 2023

Are you 100% sure it's the belt mechanism & not just the rear bed shelf pinching the belt against the seat back ? Do you have the rubber spacers on the front edge of the bed frame?

Lambeth Cali · Oct 9, 2023

Ocean-Devotion said:
This is really just an ‘FYI’ post as I think people might be interested in the availability of parts. My Ocean has just failed its MOT at the VW Colindale Van centre. The rear nearside seatbelt is not retracting smoothly, this is classed as a ‘major’ fail and needs replacing. So it is now off the road until fixed. They ( VW Colindale ) cannot find a replacement seatbelt in the whole of the UK. They have placed an order with the factory in Germany , this will take up to a month to arrive. A MONTH!

Mine has been like this for at least 5 years. Never failed. MOT tests are very variable. It hardly retracts at all but works correctly when you pull it.

FYI I did temporarily fix it by removing the jack etc on the back of the bench - whilst removing a toy unicorn that was stuck under the bench - and jiggling about with the belt. About a month later I noticed it was misbehaving again but that might get you through the MOT retest….?

Alan Andrews · Oct 9, 2023

Ocean-Devotion said:
This is really just an ‘FYI’ post as I think people might be interested in the availability of parts. My Ocean has just failed its MOT at the VW Colindale Van centre. The rear nearside seatbelt is not retracting smoothly, this is classed as a ‘major’ fail and needs replacing. So it is now off the road until fixed. They ( VW Colindale ) cannot find a replacement seatbelt in the whole of the UK. They have placed an order with the factory in Germany , this will take up to a month to arrive. A MONTH!

Check out https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/38533330...GdSC7NomxdarhEouDRFcRhMts=|tkp:Bk9SR5KludPiYg

Ocean-Devotion · Oct 9, 2023

andyinluton said:
Are you 100% sure it's the belt mechanism & not just the rear bed shelf pinching the belt against the seat back ? Do you have the rubber spacers on the front edge of the bed frame?

Genius ! It was the mattress pushed up against the rear of the seat . Funnily enough, when it failed the MOT I suggested to them to look in the back to see if that was the case but my suggestion was dismissed immediately, then a whole load of mansplaining about how the seatbelt mechanism works and it had to be faulty.
Thank you so very much .

WelshGas · Oct 9, 2023

Ocean-Devotion said:
Genius ! It was the mattress pushed up against the rear of the seat . Funnily enough, when it failed the MOT I suggested to them to look in the back to see if that was the case but my suggestion was dismissed immediately, then a whole load of mansplaining about how the seatbelt mechanism works and it had to be faulty.
Thank you so very much .

I hope you will take great delight in pointing this out to the “ mansplaing “ numpty who did the MOT.

ArunAlec · Oct 9, 2023

WelshGas said:
I hope you will take great delight in pointing this out to the “ mansplaing “ numpty who did the MOT.

Maybe this club should offer VW dealers a consulting proposition….. for a small charge the forum could offer them advice, before they speak to their customer !