Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DT: THE CALLER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT 25 MPH AND THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HER CHILD. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WILL NOT CATCH. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK INTO IT. THE DAUGHTER CHIPPED A TOOTH AND WHERE IT HIT HER HEAD, THERE WAS A BRUISE. *AK
I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT MY CHILDREN ARE NOT SAFE RIDING IN OUR MINI VAN. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND THE GEN3 BELTS ARE IN MY VAN. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL VEHICLES WITH THESE SPECIFIC BELTS BE RECALLED AND SAFE VERSIONS INSTALLED. *CB
CONSUMER HAS NO DEFECT/ REQUEST TO BE ADDED TO MAILING LIST FOR GRACO A8462HAV CARSEAT. *MR *SC
THE SEAT BELT ON BOTH INTEGATED CHILD SEATS FAILED WITHIN A MONTH OF EACH OTHER. ONE FAILED WHILE VAN WAS IN MOTION WITH CHILD IN SEAT. THE LATCH SYSTEM THAT LOCKS THE SHOULDER BELTS BROKE. THIS FAILURE PREVENTS THE SHOULDER BELTS FROM SAFELY RESTRAINING A CHILD IN THE SEAT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE SOMETHING IN THE CABLE ASSEMBLY THAT LOCKS SHOULDER BELTS AFTER BUCKLE IS LATCHED. I WAS TOLD REPAIR WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND COMPLETE SEAT REPLACEMENT WAS MY ONLY OPTION. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS FAILURE COULD PUT A CHILD IN SEVERE RISK IF IT HAPPEN DURING AN ACCIDENT. DT
MR
NHTSA RECALLS 97I001000 & 98V185000 INTEGRATED SEAT; OWNER HAS A PROBLEM DUE TO DEALERSHIP REPLACING REGULAR BENCH SEAT WITH AN INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEAT BENCH. OWNER IS AWARE OF RECALLS FOR INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEAT BENCH, BUT MANUFACTURER DECLINES DUE TO VIN. BUT WHAT ABOUT SEAT WHICH WAS REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP? NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE GIVEN BY MANUFACTURER OR DEALERSHIP. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE GEN-3 SEATBELT BUCKLES AND ESTABLISH THE 40MM OR MORE STRINGENT 30MM BALL TEST AS A STANDARD FOR BUCKLE SAFETY. ALSO, I THINK THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL ALL OF THE VEHICLES THAT THEY PUT THESE IN. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS, BECAUSE THERE IS NO TELLING HOW MANY HAVE FAILED SINCE THERE IS NO EVIDENCE AFTER A CRASH, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THEY CAN EASILY BE BUMPED IN A COLLISION AND RELEASE. THE GEN-3 SEATBELT CANNOT PASS THE 30 OR 40MM BALL TEST AND CHRYSLER KNEW ABOUT THIS SINCE 1996. THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT IN A CAR IS THE SEATBELT. IF IT ISN'T THEN WHY ARE THERE SEATBELT LAWS? IF IT RELEASES DURING A COLLISION, THEN I MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE IT ON TO START WITH. PLEASE TAKE ACTION ON THIS!!!!*AK
THE GEN3 SEATBELTS THAT ARE IN QUITE A FEW FAMILY VEHICLES ARE KILLING PEOPLE! THEY ARE REELEASE WITH TOO LITTLE PRESURE. HOW ARE THESE BELTS SUPPOSE TO KEEP OUR CHILD SEATS SAFELY SECURE? WE NEED TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO ALL AND WE NEED TO GET THESE FIXED! I USE THESE BELTS EVERYDAY FOR MY TWO LITTLE GIRLS, WHO ARE MY WORLD! THEIR SAFETY MEANS THE WORLD TO ME, AND I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THE MESSAGE IS OUT TO ALL THAT THESE SEATBELTS ARE DANGEROUS AND NEED TO BE RECALLED IMEDIATELY! PLEASE HELP ME!*AK
WHILE TIGHTENING A CAR SEAT IN REAR OF A BENT SEAT DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINT BELT SLIPPED DOWN BETWEEN SEAT. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK
WITH THE CAR PARKED AND ENGINE TURNED OFF, I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE MY CHILD FROM THE INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEAT OF MY DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE STRAPS ARE SUPPOSED TO PULL FORWARD FREELY, WHICH THEN LOOSENS THEM ENABLING THE STRAPS TO SLIP OVER THE CHILDS HEAD. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, I WAS UNABLE TO PULL THE STRAPS FORWARD AT ALL. I THEN MANAGED TO UNCLIP THE CLIPS WHICH ARE LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM SIDES OF THE SEAT AND THEN JUST BARELY SLIP THE STRAP AND YOKE OVER HER HEAD TO FREE HER FROM THE SEAT. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION ABOUT THIS MATTER. I WAS TOLD BY BOTH PARTIES THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS OVER THE 3 YR./36,000 MILE WARRANTY THAT NEITHER WOULD HELP TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIR. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST SOMEWHERE AROUND $700.00 MAKING IT A VERY COSTLY REPAIR!!! I HATE TO THINK OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF I WERE REALLY IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND HAD TO GET MY CHILD OUT OF THE SEAT QUICKLY, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE BELT SEIZED OR FROZE UP LIKE IT DID UNABLING ME TO GET MY CHILD OUT OF THE VEHICLE!!*AK
WHEN USING THIS BOOSTER SEAT IN MY VAN, WHEN MY CHILD LEANS FORWARD, THE SEATBELT, WHEN PUT THROUGHT THE SEAT BELT GUIDES ON THE BOOSTER SEAT, BECOMES LOOSE AND SLACK. WHEN MY CHILD SITS BACK THE SEAT BELT GETS CAUGHT UP ON THE SEAT BELT GUIDE, AND THE SEAT BELT JUST HANGS LOOSE- THIS WOULD DEFINATELY BE A PROBLEM IN A CRASH. I'M SURE THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS BECAUSE CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE JUST DID AN ARTICLE ABOUT CAR SEATS, AND THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT UP. I AM GOING TO BE CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER MYSELF- BUT YOUR HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.*AK
WHILE STOPPING ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT CONSUMER FROM BEHIND, CAUSING CONSUMER TO RUN INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT. THEN, CONSUMER RAN INTO A FENCE. PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE AND HUNG DRIVER BY LEFT ARM. DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE, FELL BACK, AND HIT CHILD IN CAR SEAT IN THE HEAD, THE MIDDLE SEAT WHERE TWO TODDLERS WERE, ALSO BROKE AND FLIPPED BACKWARD, CONSUMER WAS INJURED, ALSO STATED HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK, POSSIBLE CLOCKSPRING FAILURE. *SLC
RIGHT SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS OF INTEGRAL CHILD SEAT SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AND WOULD NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. BROUGHT IMMEDIATELY TO DODGE DEALER, WHO TOOK OFF THE BACK OF THE SEAT TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS SOMETHING SIMPLE LIKE A TWISTED SEAT BELT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT RETRACTING PROPERLY WHICH HAPPENS WITH SEAT BELTS. THE REPAIR WOULD INVOLVE THE PURCHASE OF A $710 CHILD SEAT MODULE FROM DODGE PLUS AT LEAST AN HOUR OF LABOR. MY VAN HAD 500,500 MILES, 500 OVER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND WAS PURCHASED AS A DEMO. DODGE TOLD THE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD PAY HALF OF THE $710 AFTER I COMPLAINED I COULD PURCHASE A CHILD SEAT FOR MUCH LESS. I HAVE MOVED MY 18-MONTH-OLD TO THE OTHER SIDE, BUT I WONDER IS IT SAFE? WILL IT RESTRAIN PROPERLY DURING AN ACCIDENT? WHAT IF THE OTHER SIDE ALSO SPONTANEOUSLY STOPS WORKING WHEN WE ARE OUT, I HAVE NO OTHER IN THE VAN. I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR SAFETY. I WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH THESE SEATS UP UNTIL NOW, BUT I NEVER REALIZED HOW QUICKLY THEY COULD FAIL AND HOW COST PROHIBITIVE REPAIR WOULD BE. ANY INFORMATION YOU COULD PROVIDE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
INTEGRATED CAR SEAT CHEST HARNESS DOESN'T RESTRAIN, TIGHT UP AGAINST CHEST. WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER AFTER 36,000. CONSUMER HAS TO COVER COST.*AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, FIRE CONTAINED TO ENGINE COMPARTMENT ONLY, APPARENTY THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY AND IT IGNITED THE ENGINE, CLAIM 15-3030-879. *SLC
REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. IT WON'T GIVE ANY SLACK, IT GETS TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. IF CONSUMER HAD TO GET OUT IN AN EMERGENCY IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET SEAT BELT UNLOOSENED. *AK
HEADREST HAS DESIGN FLAW, HEADREST COLLAPSES WHEN PRESSING HEAD BACKWARDS. YH
THE HARNESSES ON THE INTEGRATED CHILD RESTRAINT SEATS DO NOT RESTRAIN MY CHILD AT ALL. SHE CAN SIMPLY WIGGLE HER SHOULDERS THROUGH AND CLIMB OUT. SHE HAS WIGGLED HER SHOULDERS AND UPPER BODY THROUGH SEVERAL TIMES AND BEEN STUCK AT THE HIPS. TWICE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING OVER 60 MILES PER HOUR ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE AND DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD COMPLETELY FREED HERSELF FROM THE RESTRAINT AND WAS WALKING AROUND IN THE VAN! THE HARNESS WAS STILL CLIPPED CLOSED, BUT LOOSE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I NEED HELP FAST. MY DAUGHTER IS ONLY 17 MONTHS OLD AND I WILL HAVE ANOTHER BABY IN JUNE. *AK
HAD PLACED CHILD IS IN BUILT-IN CSS, HEARD THE MECHANISM MAKING A CLICKING SOUND; HARNESS STRAPS TIGHTENED UP WHEN TRYING TO GET CHILD OUT OF SEAT; WOULD HAVE TO CUT STRAPS TO RELEASE CHILD. (INVESTIGATION #EA 97 003). *AK
NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE LAST (3) OR (4) MONTHS THE HARNESS ON THE INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BECAME SO TIGHT AROUND CHILD THAT OWNER HAD TO USE THE AUXILIARY RELEASE. *AK AIR CONDITIONER HAS GIVEN CONSUMER PROBLEMS ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, BRAKES WERE NOISY AND WERE REPLACED. POWER LOCK FAILURE. POWER STEERING PROBLEM, CONSUMER DID NOT SPECIFY. *SLC
INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEAT RETRACTABLE HARNESS COMES OUT UNEVENLY AND IT STICKS, DOESN'T PULL OUT SMOOTHLY. THE CHILD IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE SEAT. ALSO THE SHOULDER HARNESS STRAPS TWIST EVER TIME USING THE SEAT. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .