What B0074 means
The driver seatbelt pretensioner deployment circuit is shorted to battery voltage, risking unintended firing.
Written from public technical sources and not yet checked by a mechanic. How we write these pages
Symptoms
- Warning light or symbol related to the affected system
- Comfort or safety function impaired
Common causes
- Wire shorted to powered conductor Most likely
How to diagnose B0074
- Read every stored code with an OBD-II scanner. If misfire or fuel trim codes are there too, fix those first: they often cause this one.
- Inspect the parts involved: driver seatbelt pretensioner, srs seat wiring.
- Work through the causes above from most to least likely, cheapest checks first.
- Clear the code and drive a full drive cycle to confirm the repair held.
Vehicles that report B0074 most
| Vehicle | Years | Reports | Share | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Equinox | 2007–2011 | 6 | 90k | |
| Chevrolet Volt | 2012–2014 | 3 | — |
Counts of owner complaints to the NHTSA that mention B0074 (17 in total), not failure rates: popular models get more complaints simply because more of them are on the road. Models with fewer than 3 complaints are left out.
Reading the code
- B
- Body
- 0
- Generic (SAE) code
- 074
- Specific fault
Questions drivers ask
Can I drive with code B0074?
The car drives normally, but with the airbag light on some airbags or seatbelt pretensioners may not work in a crash. Get the system checked soon, and leave airbag parts to a shop: they can deploy and injure you.
Often reported together
Codes that owners mention in the same NHTSA complaints as B0074. They can point to a shared cause, so it's worth checking them together.
This page is general information, not a substitute for a professional diagnosis. Repair costs are rough estimates for parts and labor and vary by vehicle and region.