2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Seat Belts Problems

THIS REPORT IS BEING SUBMITTED BY A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ON BEHALF OF A PATIENT FAMILY. A 10 YEAR OLD PATIENT WAS RIDING IN THE BACK SEAT OF A 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE WHEN FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. PATIENT AND FAMILY REPORT THAT THE SEAT BELT IN HER SEATING POSITION 'POPPED' OPEN AT THE BUCKLE AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. ACCORDING TO PATIENT AND FAMILY THE SEAT BELT WAS PROPERLY BUCKLED PRIOR TO THE CRASH. PATIENT SUSTAINED INJURIES REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION THAT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO RESULT IN LONG TERM DISABILITY. PATIENT'S 4 YEAR OLD SIBLING WAS ALSO BUCKLED IN A BOOSTER SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT; THIS SEATBELT REMAINED BUCKLED AND THE SIBLING WAS UNINJURED. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH OF THE REAR SEATBELTS FRAYED AWAY TWICE. DURING THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE MECHANIC ACCUSED THE CONTACT OF CUTTING THE SEAT BELTS. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE DEALER MANAGER WHO IS ALSO A FIREMAN CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTACT COULD NOT CUT THE SEAT BELT. FIREMEN HAVE TO USE SPECIAL SCISSORS TO CUT SEAT BELTS IN THEIR JOB FUNCTION. THE ORIGINAL SEATBELTS WERE REPLACED BY THE SERVICE DEALER AT NO COST AFTER CONTINUAL DEBATE. THE REAR SEATBELTS HAVE FRAYED AWAY AGAIN. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALERTED THE CONTACT THAT THE REPAIRS COULD ONLY BE PERFORMED IF APPROVAL WAS GAINED FROM CHRYSLER BUT CHRYSLER DECLINED. BOTH DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT WITHOUT COST. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE SEATBELTS.

DT: CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. ALSO, WHEN PUSHING THE BUTTON TO UNLATCH SEAT BELT THE BUTTON WAS HARD TO PUSH. THIS OCCURRED WITH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS SEAT BELTS. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THEY OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY. *AK

MY 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE [XXX] PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT IS HARD TO BUCKLE UP DUE TO SOME MECHANICAL INTERFERENCE INSIDE THE BUCKLE ITSELF. BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT LATCHES ARE DIFFICULT TO RELEASE BECAUSE THE RELEASE BUTTON DOES NOT ALLOW THE STRAP BUCKLE TO COME OUT WITHOUT A LOT OF MANIPULATION CAUSING THIS TO BE A SAFETY PROBLEM. *JB UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE DRIVING SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. CONSUMER WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BEING LOCKED IN THE SEAT BELT. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. *AK

I AM A CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECH. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL A PEG PEREGO INFANT SEAT AND BASE IN A 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE I FOUND THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE VERY PRONE TO RELEASE WHEN THE EDGE OF THE INFANT SEAT BASE BUMPED INTO THE RAISED RED RELEASE BUTTON ON THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE. VEHICLE VIN [XXX]. *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DRIVERS SEAT, TOP LEFT RESTRAINING BOLT TRACK RIPPED OPEN TO CAUSE SEAT AND CAR UNDRIVEABLE.

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS ARE HARD TO LATCH AND UNLATCH. CONSUMER HAS TO PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON HARD TO UNLATCH.*AK

CONSUMER STATES PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT UNLATCHED AND RELEASED CHILD SEAT WHILE TRAVELING . *AK

THE SEAT BELT ON MY 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE HAS COME UNINTENTIONALLY UNLATCHED 2 TIMES WITHIN THE 2 MONTHS I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. ONCE AS I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 25 MPH I WAS FORCED TO SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING A CHILD WHO RAN INTO THE STREET. THE SECOND TIME OCCURRED AS I WAS TRAVELING OVER A ROAD UNDER REPAIR. I HIT A LARGE POTHOLE, BOUNCED AND AS I CAME BACK DOWN, THE SEAT BELT UNBUCKLED. *NLM

THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT UNLATCH. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM

VEHICLE HIT A CONCRETE BASE TO A LIGHTNING STANDARD IN A PARKING LOT ON THE FRONT FENDER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 1-2 MPH. THE FORCE PUSHED THE PASSENGER FORWARD WHO WAS RESTRAINED IN A SEAT BELT BUT HER STRENUM WAS FRACTURED. NO INJURY TO THE DRIVER.

WHEN THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTED BACK INTO POSITION, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CONSUMER TO ENTER THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS EXIT. TS *TT *JB

CONSUMER HIT EMBANKMENT HARD ENOUGH THAT VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP, ALLOWING CONSUMER TO GET INJURED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK *YD

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND DRIVER'S SEATBELT DID NOT RESTRAIN CONSUMER. SHE HIT FACE ON STEERING WHEEL, AND SUSTAINED BREAKS IN STERNUM. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS $ 1000.00. *AK

REAR SEAT BELT LATCH PLATE FAILS TO CINCH OR TIGHTEN BELT TO BE USED WITH A CHILD SEAT. CAN PULL ON STRAP & BELTS WOULD LOOSEN UP. CANNOT INSTALL CHILD SEATS DUE TO CINCH LATCH PLATE KEEP COMING LOOSE. *AK