SRS Airbag Warning - pretensioner

[PUFFLING]

Would appreciate some advice on this. I have a V60 - 68 plate. My SRS airbag warning light came on a few weeks ago, I took it to Volvo today. They said it's the rear seat pre-tensioner, and it needs a new seatbelt at £642. The car was 3 years old on 13/12/2021 - done 75k miles. So admittedly out of warranty, but only just in terms of time. It had its MOT on 9/12/21 and there was no light at that time.

There has literally never been anyone in the back seat at that side - the garage suggested it will have become faulty when the back seats were flattened - they have been put down, I think 2-3 times in the time I've had the car - 2 years.

So it doesn't seem like it's excessive use or coarse handling on my part.
1) Is it worth asking another garage to take a look?
2) Do you think I have any chance of Volvo making a contribution to the repair (the service dept at the garage suggested I contact Volvo, but didn't offer to help me with this - which they have in the past)?

Any thoughts would be appreciated

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by PUFFLING

Would appreciate some advice on this. I have a V60 - 68 plate. My SRS airbag warning light came on a few weeks ago, I took it to Volvo today. They said it's the rear seat pre-tensioner, and it needs a new seatbelt at £642. The car was 3 years old on 13/12/2021 - done 75k miles. So admittedly out of warranty, but only just in terms of time. It had its MOT on 9/12/21 and there was no light at that time.

There has literally never been anyone in the back seat at that side - the garage suggested it will have become faulty when the back seats were flattened - they have been put down, I think 2-3 times in the time I've had the car - 2 years.

So it doesn't seem like it's excessive use or coarse handling on my part.
1) Is it worth asking another garage to take a look?
2) Do you think I have any chance of Volvo making a contribution to the repair (the service dept at the garage suggested I contact Volvo, but didn't offer to help me with this - which they have in the past)?

Any thoughts would be appreciated

1. I would say definitely yes, worth not only asking another garage but perhaps hunting out a seatbelt repair specialist. I too find it difficult to believe. I tend to believe that sometimes garages just diagnose a part because that is what the fault code says, but is it the connection? Is it just a spurious and transient fault which could be reset and never come back?

2. If it is definitely the part and you want to get it done at a main dealer I would be very surprised if you couldn't get 50% parts contribution out of Volvo.