Hi, I just bought a retired service van, 2005 E-250, and the driver's seat is absolutely untenable. The seat and back covers are torn to pieces and the foam is mostly missing... driving it feels like sitting with one cheek in a 5-gallon bucket. Of course there are no replacement driver's seats at junkyards because those are the ones that see all the wear. I took it to a local auto upholsterer and he swapped the passenger and driver seats, but the seat belt is now unusable. He drilled a hole and put the buckle in the right side of the frame but it's not usable (the belt *will* buckle if I stretch it real hard, but there's no give at all) and naturally it beeps the whole time I'm driving now because the sensor doesn't recognize that it's buckled. What's the fix for this?

Where can I find a decent replacement seat? I only paid $3k for the van and it's "just" going to be a delivery van and occasional camper, so I don't want to sink a lot of cash into it... but I have people to live for so I don't want to drive it like it is. I found some decade-old forums where they talk about replacing E-series seats with Sienna seats... what's compatible now?

Also, the seat belt itself is worn, do I need to take it to a dealer for replacement? Safety is important to me, I don't trust my life with some rigged crap and whatever bolts are laying around the shop. (Needless to say I'm not happy with the shop I took it to.) I have an appointment for new tires in the morning and I don't want to drive it like this at all

Thanks for any help and advice.

 

I wouldn't be too hasty. There are a lot of vehicles on the road that are in worse condition than those in the junk yard, hopefully you aren't driving one of them.

Some were involved in accidents or had a condition that the former owner didn't care to spend the $$$ to repair.. Keep looking , they are out there.

 

Keep looking for what? I have to be hasty, springtime delivery season is upon us.

There’s a certain kind of person who drives junkyard cars… and I am not that kind of person.

 

There is so much we don't know about your vehicle.
Like why was it retired?
It must have seen quite a bit of action to destroy the seat.
What kind of miles on it?
What kind of service did it receive by the previous owner?
You need to be able to depend on it for several reasons , so I would wonder why you just won't have a new seat installed correctly.
Have you had the vehicle checked over thoroughly so you don't require road service in the middle of a delivery or camping trip?

 

You can buy a buckle that plugs in where the belt is supposed to connect that will make the sensor think it is plugged in or a seat belt extension. It is illegal not to have the belt connected in many states but I have used one when I was constantly getting in and out. If there is room, you can also buckle the belt behind you and that should shut off the sensor. Meanwhile, look for a van that has been wrecked for a seat or look for a new one. A local salvage yard should be connected to the nation wide network of salvage yards and may be able to find you a good seat.
Amazon has a selection of seat belt extensions.

 

The van was upgraded, it was used in an electrical service company. It has 209,000 miles on it. They showed me the service records, it has had regular oil changes, alignments, new alternator, windshield etc. - at $3k I consider it a good buy for what I'm doing. I don't mind keeping up regular maintenance and occasional repairs as it will make me money (as long as it's not in the shop ALL the time, lol). It's at the shop now getting checked out.

I was unaware that I could "just have a new seat installed correctly". Where do I do that? Ford dealership? Do they even have new seats for a 2005 model? What should I expect to pay? Similar junkyard driver's seats are running $500 and they're in tough shape, too. Better than this one though.

I inquired at the local junkyard and they said the nearest seat(s) available is in Georgia (I'm in Kentucky), and there were only a few available nationwide. Same story on eBay. Again, I'm guessing junkyards are short on driver's seats because those are the ones that get worn.

Swapping the seats/seat belt buckles worked OK for now - after the initial drive home from the upholsterer, the sensor appears to be working. I'm not willing to drive without a functional/safe seat belt - safety is important to me, as I said, and I'm not about to bypass the mechanisms, even for short trips. I guess some phone calls to dealerships are in order!

Thank you for your replies

 

I would be reasonably sure you are not the first person needing a new seat for your vehicle.
If a decent dealership can't get one for you , they would probably be able to direct you to a source.