1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Seat belts Problems

1 DRIVER GETTING INTO THE DRIVERS SEAT, PREPARING TO LEAVE BY BUCKLING THE SEATBELT AND PUSHING IT FIRMLY INTO THE BUCKLE LOCK 2 THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN AFTER MANY FAILURES, AS THE BELT SIMPLY BEGINS TO WIND BACK TO THE B-PILLAR AS IF THE DRIVER HAD JUST EXITED THE VEHICLE. NO NOISE IS MADE, NO FORCE NEEDS TO BE EXERTED ON THE BELT TO RECREATE THE FAILURE, IN WHICH RECREATION IS IMPOSSIBLE. OFTEN FAILURE MAY OCCUR AFTER AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF DRIVING TIME. 3 UNKNOWN TO DATE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10397441

Incident

Dec 31, 2010

Mileage

120,000 mi

DT: IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT AND THE SEAT BELTS ARE SUPPOSE TO LOCK TO KEEP CONSUMER FROM GOING FORWARD ,AND THEY DID NOT LOCK. *AK

NHTSA ID

10126636

Incident

Jun 24, 2005

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HIT A TREE AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK THE CONSUMER ALMOST WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AS THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT CAME OFF OF ITS BASE. *TC

NHTSA ID

10103723

Incident

Dec 8, 2004

Mileage

90,095 mi

WE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE IS ONE OF THE VEHICLES WITH THE GEN3 OR GEN4 SEAT BELTS THAT HAS A RELEASE BUTTON THAT PROTRUDES FROM THE REST OF THE BUCKLE AND CAN COME UNDONE WHEN BUMPED BY AN ELBOW, HAND, OR CHILD'S CAR SEAT. IT HAS BEEN BLAMED FOR 17 DEATHS AND 27 SERIOUS INJURIES. WHAT RIGHTS DO THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE AS FAR AS HAVING THE FAULTY SEATBELTS REPLACED? WE DIDN'T BUY FROM A JEEP DEALERSHIP, BUT IF THEIR PRODUCT IS DEFECTIVE, I THINK THEY SHOULD FIX IT REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. I DON'T WANT MY SON TO BE A STATISTIC. *AK

NHTSA ID

10074675

Incident

Jun 2, 2004

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVE IN AN ACCIDENT. THE JEEP WAS HIT ON THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL. THE SHOULDER HARNESS OF THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE PASSENGER IN WHICH SHE WAS THROWN FORWARD HITTING HER HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD.*AK *JB *NM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK IN THE CRASH. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DID LOCK AND THE DRIVER HAD WITNESS MARKS AND BRUISING FROM THE BELT WEBBING. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS THROWN FORWARD AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT RESULTING IN AN INJURY TO THE BACK OF HER HEAD WHEN HITTING WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER HAS NECK SPASMS AND SUSTAINED BRUISING ON EXTREMITIES. THE VEHICLE IS TOTALED. THE AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY IN THE EVENT. THE SEAT WAS IN THE FULL REARWARD POSITION AND WAS SEATED NORMALLY. THE PASSENGER CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE NOT OUT OF POSITION. CW CONSUMER CALLED BACK STATING THAT THEY INSPECTED THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT BELT AS PER A REQUEST BY ODI. THE WEBBING WAS TUGGED NUMEROUS TIME BUT WOULD SELDOM LOCK UP AS A RESULT OF THE QUICK JERKS ON THE WEBBING. ALSO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER HIT HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT TO BREAK. CW

NHTSA ID

10040750

Incident

Sep 22, 2003

Mileage

6,500 mi

THE SEAT BELTS UNLATCHED WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT THE SLIGHTEST BUMP. *JB *TT *JB

NHTSA ID

10017831

Incident

Apr 18, 2003

Mileage

81,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY 10 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER TO SCHOOL I HANDED HER A WATER BOTTLE. THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE HIT THE RELEASE BUTTON OF HER SEAT BELT AND RELEASED THE BELT. I THOUGHT SHE MUST HAVE DONE IT AND A LECTURE FOLLOWED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE BELT FASTENED. I KNOW NOW HOWEVER THAT THE BOTTLE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RELEASE WHEN IT HIT THE RELEASE BUTTON. THE BELT WAS REFASTENED AND NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT IT UPSET ME THAT THE BELT RELEASE WAS SO EASY TO ACCIDENTALLY RELEASE. DT

NHTSA ID

770604

Incident

Jul 11, 2002

DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELTS WILL NOT RETRACT, AND WILL NOT HOLD.*AK

NHTSA ID

8006179

Incident

Nov 1, 2001

SEAT BELTS IN VEHICLE WILL COME UNDONE WITH A SMALL BUMP. CONSUMER HIT SEAT BELT WITH HER ELBOW, AND THE SEAT BELT CAME UNDONE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID

8005652

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

PLEASE HELP US GET THE GEN 3 SEATBELTS REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

759073

THE FRONT PASSANGER SEAT BELT LOCKS IN THE FULLY RETRACTED POSITION (UNFASTENED) WHEN THE TEMPERATURE FALLS BELOW 20F. TROY SHAFFER AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT MY CAR WAS A TEXAS CAR AND REFUSED TO REPLACE IT UNDER EXTENDED WARRENTEE WITHOUT SEEING THE DEFECT. HE RECOMMENDED TO MY HUSBAND THAT HE TAKE THE CAR UP NORTH TO HAVE IT FIXED.*AK

NHTSA ID

758869

Incident

Dec 24, 2001

SEAT BELT LOCKS IN COLD CONDITIONS. ONLY USABLE WHEN VEHICLE WARMS UP. *AK

NHTSA ID

757597

Incident

Dec 15, 2001

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH CONSUMER T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND NEITHER FRONT OR BACK SEAT BELTS WORKED. NONE OF THE SEAT BELTS TIGHTENED UP. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8002125

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

SEATBELT BUTTON HAS TO HAVE A LOT OF PRESSURE APPLIED IN ORDER FOR SEATBELTS TO RELEASE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

899004

Incident

Sep 9, 2001

JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WAS INVOLVED IN A VIRTUAL HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MILES PER HOUR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, NOR DID THE SEAT BELTS LOCK UPON IMPACT. CRASH RESULTED IN MINOR INJURIES TO DRIVER AND PASSENGER. *AK

NHTSA ID

752410

Incident

Aug 3, 2001

AFTER BRAKING, THE SEAT BELTS LOCKED UP.

NHTSA ID

712755

Incident

Sep 30, 1999

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH SEAT BELTS. THE SEAT BELTS DON'T STAY ATTACHED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

831452

Incident

Nov 10, 1998