Yaris Hybrid Excel Rear Seatbelts

[Mick F]

Hi guys, newbie here, and a proud owner of a Yaris Hybrid.

We bought ours last week, used and at 25,000miles and still getting to grips with such a wonderful car.

Looking at the rear seatbelts, the bottom parts where they cone through the seat, seem to me to be the wrong way round.

The centre clips are outboard of the side clips - if you see what I mean.  We plan a trip out next week and we'll call in at the dealers to see what they say, but I'd like to know that I'm not speaking a load of twaddle.

I'll attach a photo by way of explanation.

Any comments?

Are they all like this?

 

Thanks and regards to all,

Mick.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Mick - welcome to Toyota Owners Club. Have you tried to fasten all three rear seat belts to see whether the buckles were as you think?

[CPN]

What's confused you here Mick is the orientation of one buckle and it's the 2nd one up from the bottom of your picture (the centre belt's nearside receptacle) because someone has used it for a nearside passenger belt and twisted it around! I've included two photos of mine which hopefully will be self explanatory. I've lifted the offending buckle up in the 2nd photo so that it is a bit clearer...

 

[Mick F]

Good morning, and thanks for getting back to me.

The belts work fine but they are not twisted.  They are incorrectly positioned.

I can pull on the buckles and look down to where they are anchored, and there is no twist.  It's as if they have been installed the wrong way.  The centre ones are outboard of the side ones.

I'll try and get a better photograph later this morning.

CPN:

Your top  photo shows the LH and centre correct, but mine will not go like that no matter how I tug or twist.  It's impossible for the centre left to lie flat into it's little pouch because it's on the wrong side of the left buckle.  Your right hand buckles are the same as mine, in that the centre one is outboard of the right one ........ though this is of little consequence.

 

Thanks,

Mick.

[Mick F]

Difficult to photograph effectively, but here goes.

 

[Mick F]

If I could get the rear seat out, I could maybe do something about this.

How do you get the seat out of Hybrid Yaris?

[mrpj]

Mick, the clips for the centre belt in my Yaris are exactly the same orientation as those in your picture and do look to be the "wrong way round".

I don't think they are but why they are installed to look that way I've no idea. However, when you connect the right side belt that receptacle does adopt to a more logical position when moved by hand. So I think that is how it's meant to be. I'll try and post a pic. of mine. Done.

One pic. shows similar to your's with clip to car's right hand side. Other pic. shows with right belt secured and "new" position of clip for centre belt.

I suspect that's just the way they are.

 

[Mick F]

6 hours ago, mrpj said:

I suspect that's just the way they are.

Yes, maybe that's it.

Doesn't make it right though.  We've had cars before that had the centre belt in the middle and the side ones outboard of them.  No criss-crossing required.

How do you get the seat bottom out of a Yaris Hybrid?
It seems rather involved to me, but if I could get it out, I could fix this issue.

 

Thanks,

Mick

[mrpj]

" Doesn't make it right though."

It must be the way Toyota want it though. I doubt they would fit them that way in error. There must be a reason. I agree it does seem to defy logic.

I've never removed the seat base, only the backs so can't advise there. Possibly it is secured by spring clips attached to the car body and slides forward out of those clips. I've never risked trying in case it wouldn't go back easily.

 

[Mick F]

Our grandson was on the back seat yesterday, and he was confused regarding which buckle to put his belt into.  I don't blame him, as they are stupidly positioned.

I've emailed the dealers and I've emailed Toyota.

Mick.

[Mick F]

No reply at all from the dealer's, but Toyota have replied.

They say that they are sorry for the seatbelt issue, and to get in contact with our Toyota dealer.  We will pop over to them next week sometime but telephone first because they obviously don't check their emails. 

Mick.

[Bomber209]

Hi, isn't it set up like that to prevent the outer seat passengers from inadvertently releasing the centre passenger's belt. ??? 

[Mick F]

Somehow this seems wrong. If it were to prevent inadvertent release, why aren't all cars like that?

Off to Snows Toyota Paignton tomorrow to see what they say.  No matter what they say about WHY ............  I'll be asking them to put them in the correct orientation.  If they won't, I'll be asking about how to remove the rear seat bottom so I can do it myself.

Wish me luck! 

Mick.

[mrpj]

Let us know what they say Mick and if they tell/show you how the seat base is removed passing on that information would be much appreciated.

 

[mrpj]

On 11/09/2017 at 5:58 PM, Bomber209 said:

Hi, isn't it set up like that to prevent the outer seat passengers from inadvertently releasing the centre passenger's belt. ??? 

In my car it is a different type of fixing, no red release button, and requires using the ignition key or similar to release the buckle. So the outer passenger cannot release it in error.

[CPN]

2 hours ago, mrpj said:

In my car it is a different type of fixing, no red release button, and requires using the ignition key or similar to release the buckle. So the outer passenger cannot release it in error.

It's the same in the Yaris. You can't release the anchored part of the centre lap strap without using a key either. 

[Mick F]

Hi guys, an update.

We called in at Snows Toyota Paignton and had a good discussion about the belt buckles. They agreed with me that the belts are installed incorrectly, so the car was driven round the back for the technician to look and advise.  

Basically, they are all like that! They don't know why, but they are ALL incorrectly orientated. !!!!!!  

They cannot swap them round, and I cannot either due to the way the electrical connectors are fitted.  If they were to be moved, the wires and connectors wouldn't reach. There are also "MOT implications" of modifying the seatbelt anchorages, so they will have to remain in their positions.  Sadly, I forgot to ask how the rear seat comes out.

The technician used a great deal of strength and dexterity - with experience and knowledge - and was able to get the LH buckles to lay correctly.  They now appear correct, and as we're very unlikely to ever have three people in the back of the car, the buckle won't ever be disturbed.

So yes, they are wrong, no-one seems to know why, and they must remain wrongly orientated, and now they've been manhandled firmly to lay correctly.  End of story. 

[Mick F]

An update to this story.

It was bugging me about these seatbelts, and it was bugging me that I dind't know how to get the rear seat bottom out.

Sorted! 

 

I surfed the net, and had done on and off over the last week or two, and today I found this. https://priuschat.com/threads/removing-rear-bench-seat-oy.151922/

I figured/hoped/guessed that a Prius would be the same system as a Yaris Hybrid, and I wasn't wrong.  You have to pull up extremely hard.  It's difficult to do in the confines of the car, but I managed it one side at a time.

The seatbelt anchorages cannot be swapped.  However, when I put the seat back in, I was very careful to put the seatbelts in a good position.  They are now much better than before.

Those little button thingies that hold the covers on are easy enough to pull out, but getting them back in was impossible ............ until I hit on the idea of using Selotape to hold the wings in so they could fit in the holes.  Pressing the button moved the Selotape away.  The buttons are a sort of nylon stuff and are sort of waxy, so the Selotape doesn't stick too well, but well enough to get the buttons in.

I took photos of it all, and I'll let them explain the story.

Best wishes to all,

Mick.