A seatbelt pretensioning retractor assembly for use in a passenger vehicle, the seatbelt pretensioning retractor assembly comprising: a housing adapted for being mounted to a vehicle structure and having an interior cavity; a tube having an arcuate and curved shape having a first end for fluid communication with a gas generator and a second end in fluid communication with the interior cavity of the housing; a sprocket rotatably mounted to the housing and fixedly coupled to a spindle adapted for taking up seatbelt webbing during pretensioning; a driving element comprising a polymer rod having a proximal end portion that is disposed towards the gas generator and a distal end portion that is opposite the proximal end portion, and is configured to extend in a longitudinal direction from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, wherein the polymer rod is disposed within the tube and is translatable through the tube in a first direction toward the sprocket in response to an actuation by the gas generator; a stopper coupled to the proximal end portion of the polymer rod; and a seal member disposed between the gas generator and the stopper, wherein the tube includes a projection extending within the tube adjacent to an exit of the tube at the second end to define a constriction portion that has an opening dimension smaller than an inside dimension of adjacent portions of the tube to restrict the stopper from passing the constriction portion, characterized in that the polymer rod has a retention feature that is disposed at or proximate the distal end portion, the retention feature being configured to engage the projection to retain the polymer rod in the tube prior to the actuation by the gas generator and being configured to release from the projection in response to the actuation by the gas generator. a housing adapted for being mounted to a vehicle structure and having an interior cavity; a tube having an arcuate and curved shape having a first end for fluid communication with a gas generator and a second end in fluid communication with the interior cavity of the housing; a sprocket rotatably mounted to the housing and fixedly coupled to a spindle adapted for taking up seatbelt webbing during pretensioning; a driving element comprising a polymer rod having a proximal end portion that is disposed towards the gas generator and a distal end portion that is opposite the proximal end portion, and is configured to extend in a longitudinal direction from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, wherein the polymer rod is disposed within the tube and is translatable through the tube in a first direction toward the sprocket in response to an actuation by the gas generator; a stopper coupled to the proximal end portion of the polymer rod; and a seal member disposed between the gas generator and the stopper, wherein the tube includes a projection extending within the tube adjacent to an exit of the tube at the second end to define a constriction portion that has an opening dimension smaller than an inside dimension of adjacent portions of the tube to restrict the stopper from passing the constriction portion, characterized in that the polymer rod has a retention feature that is disposed at or proximate the distal end portion, the retention feature being configured to engage the projection to retain the polymer rod in the tube prior to the actuation by the gas generator and being configured to release from the projection in response to the actuation by the gas generator.