Dangerous seat belt issue?

I deliver in my 2014 Mirage, which means I'm in and out of the car in the neighborhood of 50-75 times a day. Even though I have less than 20,000 miles on the odometer, I've used things like brakes, clutch, windows, doors, etc. more times than most people with 100k on the clock.
That means that I also use the seat belt more often than it was designed to be used. Lately when I connect the belt, it doesn't fully engage. It turns off the idiot light, and it stays plugged in unless I lean forward. It occurs to me that this is probably quite dangerous. It does feel slightly different when it engages versus when it doesn't, but the difference is subtle if you're not paying attention. I am rather more circumferentially challenged than most people who might drive a Mirage (6'1", 265 lbs.) which means the angle of attack is not quite perfect, but this has never been an issue in any other subcompact I've driven.
I'm not really looking for a solution here, as the obvious solution is to take it in to the dealer and get the parts replaced. It's just something to look out for. If you use your Mirage for normal driving, I doubt you'll ever have this problem. But who knows? Just keep an eye out for it.

Why don't you let the stealership check it out. Anything safety involved, I usually want them to check it out.

On another note, one can usually tell if the lock has engaged or not because it clicks. Are you saying that even after it clicks, you're able to undo it without pushing on the release button?

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Originally Posted by Ares

Why don't you let the stealership check it out. Anything safety involved, I usually want them to check it out.

On another note, one can usually tell if the lock has engaged or not because it clicks. Are you saying that even after it clicks, you're able to undo it without pushing on the release button?

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There is a click. It sounds slightly muted compared to the click of a successful engagement, and it feels slightly muted as well. If you're not specifically listening/feeling for it, you'd never notice the difference. And when it fails to engage, it looks and feels as if it's completely engaged...except for the fact that you can just pull it right out, or even pull it out by shifting your body in the seat. It cannot be engaged by pushing harder; it has to be removed and reinserted.

And, yes, I'll be taking it to the dealership...when I can. Unfortunately, I don't have a dealership closer than an hour away from me, and I work nights. It will take some effort for me to make an appointment (at least two weeks in advance, naturally) and drive an hour when I should be asleep, then wait in the lobby until they're done, and drive home. Then I'll have to deliver on no sleep. It's a bad deal all around. I probably should have bought a car locally, but the Mirage saves me so much money in fuel cost that I couldn't turn it down.

Do the passenger seat test. See how different the driver's seat is compared to the passenger's seat.

Unrelated - but it would be a good test to see if the flywheel ring gear wears out, or how long the starter will last along with ignition switch, door latch, etc.

Wouldn't the dealer point out that you are using the car for commercial purposes?

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Originally Posted by R01k

Wouldn't the dealer point out that you are using the car for commercial purposes?

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I rather doubt it. They don't pay for warranty work. In fact, lots of dealerships love warranty work, because they can bill at a higher rate than they can gouge paying customers.

Mitsu might have a different opinion, but...

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Originally Posted by M-88

Unrelated - but it would be a good test to see if the flywheel ring gear wears out, or how long the starter will last along with ignition switch, door latch, etc.

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Indeed. I assume I'll have to replace a starter before I hit 50k, if I own the car that long. Since Mitsu won't allow you to lock a running car, it gets a lot more use than my previous cars' starters did. I'll probably have to replace a window motor as well.

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Originally Posted by R01k

Wouldn't the dealer point out that you are using the car for commercial purposes?

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I wouldn't burden them with the information. It's a safety issue just like a faulty airbag would be.

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Originally Posted by inuvik

I wouldn't burden them with the information. It's a safety issue just like a faulty airbag would be.

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I agree.