Unfortunately, these are probably new safety regulations that are appearing on all newer cars. Not just Ford, but all car manufacturers for that matter. Mine is the same, and i'm sure even if you bring it over to the dealership and have it replaced under warranty, it will still do the exact same thing. As mentionned by another poster they only way around this is to block the belt . My mom has this little neat plastic blocker that she attaches to the belt, and it blocks it into whatever position she feels confortable in. It's made especially for seatbelts. She had it for a while now, so not sure if they're still available today. Not really a good idea for safety though.

 

My wifes '04 grand prix has an overactive pre-tensioner....that doesn't like letting go.
Even in the event you undo the seatbelt it'll get stuck, keep retracting, but never unlocking.

Sometimes you have to give the unit a bit of a smack to unlock...which means smacking the pillar between the front/rear seats halfway up the column.
Once i actually had to take the panel off and actually tap the unit itself (which is located outside the frame)

Fun stuff....

 

As suggested, as long as you give it a slight, calm tug, it should unlock. When you are manhandling it freaking out, it is sensing g-forces from you yanking on it. If you are claustrophobic, you should have gotten the Glass Roof.

 

i've also noticed in pretty much every car, if you lean or pull on belt all the way, it automatically locks. sometimes i would reach to grab something and find myself locked in place. i've also noticed, leaning while breaking engages the lock earlier.

is it annoying? yes. am i glad to know that thing works like it's supposed to? yes.

 

What some are calling a pre-tensioner is actually a locking mechanism. Im pretty sure the explosive pre-tensioner would blow right through the clip.

 

This is what I was thinking also, that when the air bag deploys that the seatbelts automatically pulled up tight. This would definitely overcome any clip you attached to the belt.

 

Right right... thats the part that needs replacement in the case of an accident. its not a 'the fonz fix'
I'm refering to the lock ...

 

it was so good I had to say it again....

 

It sound to me like everything is working just fine.
Once the lock on the belt is engaged, you must wait for it to disengage before readjusting the belt.
If you keep tension on it by trying to adjust it, it will never disengage even if you are stopped.
That is how they are designed.
They will disengage when the inertia returns to a negligible amount if you don't keep yanking on it.

 

My car does the same thing, it's the hit you take for not getting your head smashed through your windshield, i'll take the sacrifice.

Just let it go in a bit and pull it out slowly till it's comfortable.
(that's what she said)

 

Every seatbelt except the drivers one is like that, it's that way for child carseats -- if you pull the belt all the way out it locks and won't let back out again until it's fully retracted.

 

and it is ALMOST as annoying to me as the poorly angled head restraints that push my head uncomfortably forward unless I incline the seatback uncomfortably backward. My '01 Taurus beater, however, has no seatbelt issues and allows a very comfortable seatback/head restraint position . My guess is overzealous safety legislation that will no doubt cause some drivers to dismantle these devices altogether to get comfortable. My $.02 for today.

P.S. I have been in a couple of serious accidents, so I am not anti-safety--just against attempts at it that IMO are poorly executed.

 

Look at the bright side. Being strapped in good and tight makes it easier to pretend you're a fighter pilot.

 

touche salesman..... touche