FaultScore

1996 Jeep Cherokee seat belt problems

14 of the 584 complaints about the 1996 Jeep Cherokee are about the seat belts — 2% of everything reported for this model year.

F

14

Complaints

3

Crashes

0

Fires

3

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Seat Belts 6 42.9%
Anchorage 3 21.4%
Retractor 3 21.4%
Buckle Assembly 1 7.1%
Buckle Assembly 1 7.1%

Seat Belts across every Jeep Cherokee year

1986 11 6.5%
1988 20 11.8%
1991 16 9.5%
1993 19 11.2%
1994 36 21.3%
1995 19 11.2%
1996 14 8.3%
1998 17 10.1%
1999 17 10.1%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Hazard, KY Crash 1 injured

SEAT BELTS

FRONT END COLLISION WITH BRIDGE. PASSENGER SHOULDER HARNESS DID NOT CATCH TO RESTRAIN PASSENGER. PASSENGER SUFFERED SEVERE FACIAL AND CLOSED HEAD INJURY.

NHTSA complaint #10357196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Woodburn, OR

SEAT BELTS

I HAVE THREE RHD JEEP CHEROKEES AND THEY ARE FOR US POSTAL DELIVERY. 1994, 1995-, AND 996. I HAVE CALLED JEEP & CHRYSLER CORPORATION ASKING THEM IF MY VEHICLES ARE FMVSS CERTIFIED ,AND THEY REFUSED TO ANSWER ME. THEY SAID I NEED TO BE A SENATOR OR A CONGRESSMAN TO ASK THAT QUESTION?? I ASKED FOR RIGHT HAND DRIVE CRASH TEST INFORMATION, AND THEY HUNG UP THE PHONE. I E-MAILED THEM, AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS A CORPORATE ISSUE AND RHD JEEPS FOR DIDN'T NEED TO MEET SAFETY REGULATIONS?. I TALKED TO THE DOT, AND THEY STATED THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY RHD VEHICLES BUILT AND SOLD IN THE USA. WAS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE? THE DOT DIDN'TT KNOW? ONE WOMAN AT DOT ASKED ME WHAT SIDE OF THE ROAD DO WE DRIVE ON IN USA? THE EPA KNEW ABOUT THEM, BUT FOR SAFETY INFORMATION I WAS TOLD TO GO BACK TO DOT. CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON.

NHTSA complaint #10190105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richmond, VA

SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

MY 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE HAS THE GEN3 SEAT BELTS. WHILE THEY HAVE NOT YET FAILED, I WANT JEEP/DODGE TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE GEN4 BELTS. I HAVE THREE CHILD RESTRAINTS IN THE BACK SEAT AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE BELTS RELEASING IN A CRASH IS UNFORTUNATELY VERY HIGH. AS A SAFE KIDS CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN, AND A PARENT, THIS CONCERNS ME GREATLY AND I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE GEN3 BELTS. CURRENTLY OWNERS MUST PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THESE UNSAFE BELTS REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #10172686 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richmond, VA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

MY 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE HAS THE GEN3 SEAT BELTS. WHILE THEY HAVE NOT YET FAILED, I WANT JEEP/DODGE TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE GEN4 BELTS. I HAVE THREE CHILD RESTRAINTS IN THE BACK SEAT AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE BELTS RELEASING IN A CRASH IS UNFORTUNATELY VERY HIGH. AS A SAFE KIDS CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN, AND A PARENT, THIS CONCERNS ME GREATLY AND I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE GEN3 BELTS. CURRENTLY OWNERS MUST PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THESE UNSAFE BELTS REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #10172686 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Colorado Springs, CO

SEAT BELTS

MY SEAT BELT IS KNOWN TO CAUSE FAILURE. I HAVE A GEN 3 SEAT BELT IN MY 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE VEHICLE AND CHRYSLER WOULD NOT REPLACE THEM WITH THE GEN 4 MODEL AT THEIR EXPENSE. MY SEAT BELT OFTEN COMES UNDONE WHEN I AM DRIVING AND I HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED IT.

NHTSA complaint #10052678 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Maplewood, MN

SEAT BELTS

THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT TO DO A RECALL ON THE SEAT BELTS. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE WERE OTHER CONSUMER GROUPS/MAGAZINES THAT LIST COMPLAINTS ON THE SEAT BELTS. THE RELEASE BUTTON PROTRUDES AND WILL UNLATCH AT THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT. *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10017767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Worth, TX

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RETRACT. YH

NHTSA complaint #551813 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Worth, TX

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SEATBELTS ON THE FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE AND ALSO NOTICE ONE IN THE BACK SEAT AS WELL. THE SEATBELTS BEGAN RETRACTING SLUGGISHLY. IT IS NOW TO THE POINT WHERE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT RETRACT AT ALL. I TOOK THE JEEP INTO TROY AIKMAN AUTO MALL IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS ON MARCH 16, 2000 TO HAVE ALL THE SEATBELTS LOOKED AT. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR SEATBELTS WERE GOING OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-992-1997 AND REPORTED WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE DEFECTIVE SEATBELTS. CHRYSLER HAD A REP IN MY AREA LOOK AT MY FILE AND REPORTED BACK TO CHRYSLER THAT THEY WOULD PAY ONE-HALF OF THE COSTS INVOLVED. THEY WERE DOING THIS AS A "GOOD-WILL GESTURE" BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE PURCHASED 2 OTHER JEEPS, THE LAST ONE PURCHASED IN 1988 AND SOLD IN 1996 WHEN I PURCHASED MY CURRENT ONE. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANY OF THE OTHER SEATBELTS AND THE MILEAGE ON MY 1988 WAS APPROX. 150,000 MILES. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR REVIEW OF THIS MATTER AND ADVSING ME OF SAME. THANK YOU.

NHTSA complaint #720419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richardson, TX Crash 1 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

JEEP WAS STRUCK ON PASSENGERS SIDE, JEEP STRUCK ANOTHER TRUCK HEAD-ON, HITTING MORE OF THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE, CAUSING HOOD DAMAGE/BROKEN WINDSHIELD, AND DRIVERS GEARS TO COME OUT. DRIVER BROKE STERNUM IN TWO PLACES DUE TO SAFETY BELT NOT WORKING AND AIRBAGS NOT COMING OUT. JEEP WAS TOTALLED OUT. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/70R16 )

NHTSA complaint #715813 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cottonwood, CA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELT RETRACTORS FAIL TO OPERATE PROPERLY.

NHTSA complaint #543175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pace, FL

SEAT BELTS

THE FRONT RESTRAINT SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY AROUND THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT.

NHTSA complaint #814066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pasadena, CA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SEAT BELT REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #603159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mclean, VA

SEAT BELTS

WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT WILL RETRACT AS IF A CRASH WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. THE SHOULDER BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE WITHOUT A REMEDY. DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED SEAT BELT EXTENDERS IN SPITE OF WARNING, ADVISING OWNERS NOT TO.

NHTSA complaint #808444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Plano, TX Crash 1 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN APPLY THE BRAKE IT PULLS TO THE RIGHT CAUSING ACCIDENT THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AND SEAT BELT DIDN'T RESTRAIN HEAD HIT WINDSHIELD .

NHTSA complaint #977906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1996 Jeep Cherokee problems

← Full 1996 Jeep Cherokee report