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 Jeep Wrangler submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 35 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.
The 25 most recent of 35, in the owner's own words
THE SEATBELTS IN MY CAR DO NOT FASTEN PROPERLY. THERE IS A GAP, NEXT TO THE CLIP, THAT IT GETS STUCK IN DUE TO ITS BAD DESIGN. FOR FEAR OF FAILURE, IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, I AM REPLACING ALL OF THEM.
WHEN DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT UNLATCHED. CONSUMER NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *AK
RIGHT FROM SHOULDER HARNESS IS LOOSE AND GETS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LATCH WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED CAUSING A HOLE TO BE TORN IN THE WEBBING OF THE HARNESS. *LA
DEPRESSING RED SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON DOES NOT RELEASE BELT. TWO HANDS ARE REQUIRED TO DISENGAGE CLIP FROM LATCH. PROCESS CANNOT BE DONE IN TIMELY MANNER.*AK
SEAT BELTS IN THE FRONT TO NOT RETRACT FULLY MOST TIMES. THIS CAUSES THE SEAT BELT TO GET CAUGHT BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE LATCH, THUS VISIBLY WEAKENING THE SEAT BELT. CONCERN IS THAT THIS WEAKENED SEAT BELT WILL NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING MY GORGEOUS BODY FROM FLYING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. *AK
FRONT SEAT BELTS COME UNLATCHED RANDOMLY. SEAT BELTS ARE FASTENED, THE AUDIBLE "CLICK" IS HEARD, THEN RANDOMLY, WILL COME UNLATCHED WITHOUT PROVOCATION OR WARNING. *JB
SEATBELT DOES NOT FULLY RETRACT, CAUSING THE SEATBELT TO GET CAUGHT IN DOOR.
TYPE 3 SEATBELTS INSTALLED AND THEY COME OPEN IF YOU LEAN ON THEM OR IF A OBJECT IN YOUR POCKET PRESSES ON THEM WHILE IN MOTION. DT
GEN 3 SEAT BELT RELEASED SEAT BELT WHEN I LEANED OVER AND HIT IT WITH MY ELBOW. THE CAR WAS PARKED AT THE TIME THAT IT HAPPENED.*AK
VEHICLE IS EQUIPED WITH THE GEN-3 SEATBELTS WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO COME UNLATCHED TO EASILY.*AK
VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN DIRECTLY INTO A SMALL CONCRETE POST. BUMBER WAS FORCED BACK CAUSING ENGINE AND FRAME DAMAGE. DRIVER HEAD STRUCK WINDSHIELD OF VEHICLE. DRIVER (COMPLAINANT) WAS OPERATING VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AND HAD NOT PLACED SEAT BELT ON AT TIME OF CRASH. FACE WENT INTO WINDSHIELD BREAKING WINDSHIELD AND COMPL. NOSE. IT WAS OPINION OF POLICE, DEALERSHIP PERSONNEL, AND OTHERS THAT THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED WITH SUCH A SEVERE FRONT END CRASH. DAIMLERCHRYSLER WAS WRITTEN TO AND A SUBJECT MET COMP AT DEALERSHIP AND TOOK COMPUTER READINGS OF VEHICLE. NO ANALYSIS WAS GIVEN TO COMPL EXCEPT FOR WRITTEN CORRESPONDANCE FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER (A.L. GILBERT -SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR) THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STRIKE THE APPROPRIATE "CRUSH" AND "CRUNCH" ZONES TO OPERATE AIRBAG. WE CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A FRONT END IMPACT INTO A POLE WITH 8000 DAMAGE AND THE DRIVERS FACE HITTING AND BREAKING THE WINDSHIELD IS NOT ENOUGH OF AN IMPACT TO CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. WE HAVE WRITTEN DAIMLERCHRYSLER TWICE ASKING FOR THE READINGS FROM THE COMPUTER AND NO ONE WILL RESPOND. WE ALSO STILL DO NOT KNOW IF THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY IF ANOTHER ACCIDENT OCCURS WITH THE FRONT END. WE WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED IN OTHER JEEP OWNERS WITH SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AS TO HOPE AND REMEDY A POSSIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING ON JEEP PRODUCTS. *AK
DRIVERS SEAT BELT COMES UNDONE AT ANY SPEED EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE IT - A FEW TIMES EACH TIME YOU DRIVE IT, REAR CENTER MOUNTED TAIL LIGHT DOES NOT WORK, TAILGATE HINGES ARE EXTRREMELY DIFFICULT TO SHUT CAUSING THE TAILGATE TO NOT BE CLOSED PROPERLY ALL THE TIME, FRONT TURN SIGNAL SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS WET OUT- DEALER NOTIFIED AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE SOCKET (NOT A STOCK ITEM), THE BULBS ARE FINE IN THE BRAKE LIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL. *AK
WHTILE DRIVING OVER AN OVERPASS A VEHICLE MADE A LEFT HAND TURN IN FRONT OF CONSUMER CAUSING A COLLISION, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SHOULDER STRAP DID NOT HOLD, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED. *SLC
THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN TAKEN OFF AND THEY GET CAUGHT IN THE DOOR, THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THEY WILL NOT HOLD IN AN ACCIDENT FAILED. NLM
SEAT BELTS ON BOTH SIDES FAIL TO RETRACT PROPERLY AND CONTINUALLY GET CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LOCK MECHANISM, THUS COMPROMISING THE SEAT BELT MATERIAL'S INTEGRITY.*AK
THE PROBLEM IS WITH BOTH DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT BELTS. THEY DO NOT RETRACT PROPERLY AND THEREFORE BECOME CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LATCH. THIS HAS CAUSED MULTIPLE NICKS AND ABRASIONS IN THE BELT. I HAD SPOKEN TO THE DEALER ABOUT THIS AND THEY REPLACED ONE OF THE BELTS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTEE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE BELT WILL FAIL IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE NOT FOLLOWED UP WITH THE MANUFACTURER OR DEALER SINCE. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INVESTIGATE AND, IF THIS IS A REAL DANGER, ENCOURAGE THE MANUFACTURER TO CORRECT. THANK YOU.*AK
3 OF 4 SEATBELTS COMPLETLEY TORN THROUGH. DEALERSHIP BLAMES ON DOG OR DESTRUCTIVE CHILDREN -- UNFOUNDED, DEALERSHIP AND CHRYSLER REFUSE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR -- MANY CONSUMERS WILL NOT SPEND THE MONEY TO REPAIR. BELTS ARE IN MY POSSESSION.*AK
I HAVE ONLY INCLUDED THE ONE DATE I CAN REMEMBER THAT JEEP WAS IN THE REPAIR SHOP. BUT, TO THIS DATE, AFTER JEEP WARMS UP AND THEN IS SHUT OFF FOR APPROX 20 MINUTES, IT HESITATES ON ACCELERATION. DEALER SAID COULDNT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. OIL GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO, THEN ENGINE KNOCKED & I SHUT OFF. DEALER SAID OIL PRESSURE OK, COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROB. IT STILL DROPS BELOW 20 SOMETIMES, BUT NOT ZERO AGAIN. I HAVE HAD MANIFOLD BOLTS REPLACED TWICE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED ONCE. WATER LEAKS ON PASSENGER SIDE & DRIVERS SEAT BELT GETS CAUGHT IN DOOR LATCH.
SEAT BELT CATCHES ON DRIVER'S DOOR LATCH 9 OUT 0F 10 TIMES. SEAT BELT IS GETTING A HOLE IN IT. LEAK HAS BEEN FIXED 15 TIMES AND IT STILL LEAKS ON PASSENGER'S FEET. DAMAGE IS OCCURRING TO INTERIOR OF JEEP AND ANYTHING LEFT ON THE FLOOR GETS WET. I WAS TOLD( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: 22SS/75R15 )
THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS CRACKED, AS WAS THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. ALSO THE CRANK SENSOR HARNESS AND THE TPS WERE MELTED AGAINST THE MANIFOLD. THE DASH LEAKED WATER AND THE BRAKE SHOES/LINING AND RACK AND PINION SET NEEDED REPLACING. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT WOULD NEVER RETRACT AND THE DASH LEAD WATER EXTENSIVELY CAUSING THE RESSTR-BLOWER TO GO OUT. THE RADIO WAS ALSO BROKEN FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS
DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT CONNECTOR IS BROKEN. *YC
THE SEAT BELT WON'T RETRACT THEREFORE THE BELT GETS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LATCH. THE BELT BECOMES FRAYED AS A RESULT OF THE DAMAGE. THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE. AFTER 4 VISITS TO THE DEALER, THE PART WAS REPLACED ON 9/9/1998 AT 46,889 MI.
WHILE LEAVING WORK STILL IN PARKING LOTAND DRIVING TOWARDS AN EXIT, ANOTHE RVEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT AND CONSUMER REARENDED THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S CHEST HIT STEERING WHEEL, BUT SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN ACCIDENT. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT, AND WHEN EXITING VEHICLE THE EXCESS IS EITHER IN THE DOOR OR NEAR THE LATCH. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THE DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINTS DO NOT RETRACT, CAUSING THE METAL TO TEAR A HOLE IN THE SEAT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RESTRAINTS. THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT WILL NOT RETRACT. ALSO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE RESTRAINTS. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTATED. *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
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