Front Seat Belt Retractor problems of the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado

I own a 2001 k2500 hd Silverado extended cab pickup. The problem is that the passengers seat belt will lock up and not release its tension until the seatbelt is released and allowed to fully retract, and then refastened. The seat belt tensioning system has been replaced once with no improvement. The dealer reports that the unit is working as designed. However I believe that the design is defective in that the system should not lock the passenger in place until the seatbelt is released and allowed to fully retract, and then refastened. This problem creates a safety issue in that if an accident occurs while the passenger is resetting the seatbelt, the passenger is likely to be injured. This condition also makes it less likely for the passenger to be willing to wear the seatbelt.

While driving 40 mph vehicle was involved in a side collision. Passenger's seat belt did not function properly, resulting in minor injuries.