NHTSA Investigation EA05022

FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE MALFUNCTION

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) HAS CLOSED THE INVESTIGATION OF FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN MODEL YEAR 2002 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES.ON AUGUST 26, 2006, ODI OPENED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE)05-046 TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINT REPORTS THAT ALLEGED PROBLEMS WITH LATCHING AND UNLATCHING THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE.SEVERAL OF THE COMPLAINTS REPORTED THAT SOMETHING WAS BROKEN INSIDE OF THE BUCKLE.THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT SOME BUCKLES MAY EXPERIENCE FAILURE AND SEPARATION OF ONE, OR BOTH, OF THE INTERNAL LATCH GUIDE LEAF SPRINGS.LACK OF LEAF SPRING FUNCTION DOES NOT APPEAR TO INHIBIT BUCKLE OPERATION BECAUSE THERE IS ANOTHER SPRING THAT RETURNS THE RELEASE BUTTON.HOWEVER, A SEPARATED LEAF SPRING MAY IMPEDE THE MOTION OF THE BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTON IF IT BECOMES ENGAGED WITH MOVING PARTS.ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE DATA SHOW THAT VEHICLES EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE BUCKLES WERE EARLY PRODUCTION VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIMARILY IN CALENDAR YEAR (CY) 2001.IN EARLY CY 2002, A CHANGE WAS MADE TO THE TOOLING USED TO PRODUCE THE BUCKLES. THIS CHANGE AFFECTED THE LEAF SPRINGS AND APPEARS TO HAVE HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT IN CORRECTING THE BUCKLE ISSUES THAT WERE EXPERIENCED IN THE EARLY PRODUCTION VEHICLES.THE COMPLAINT REPORT TREND IS DOWN AND THE FREQUENCY OF CONSUMER REPORTS IN CY 2006 HAS DECLINED TO THAT OF CY 2004.SEE DOCUMENT FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS RESUME.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.