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”

“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”

“WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT DRIVER'S SEAT VIBRATED FROM UNDER THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SEAT BROKE OFF THE ASSEMBLY. *AK THE ANCHOR PULLED LOOSE. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB”

“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”

“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”

“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”