1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee seat belt problems

SEAT BELTS

I WAS HAVING BRAKE TROUBLE WITH THE CHEROKEE AND FOR A MONTH I KNEW I HAD TO GET BRAKE PADS ON MY TRUCK 1996 GRAND CHEROKEE. ON AUGUST 21, 2003 I WAS IN CAR ACCIDENT WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND NOT BE ABLE TO GAIN IT BACK I WENT UP ON TWO AND CRASHED INTO A MEDIAN THE TRUCK OVER THREE TIMES AND I CAME OUT OF THE SEAT BELT AND LANDED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I DID HAVE ON MY SEAT BELT BUT CAME UP OUT OF IT. I THINK THE ROTORS MAY HAVE BEEN CORRDID AND HELPED WITH THE ACCIDENT MY SECOND CONCERN IS HOW I WAS ABLE TO COME OUT OF THE SEATBELT AND BECOME SEVERELY INJURED. I SHATTERED MY LEG AND HAD TO RELEARN TO WALK. I JUST WENT THROUGH MY SECOND SURGERY PERTAINING TO THIS ACCIDENT. WHAT STEPS DO I NEED TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE SEATBELT ISSUE AND THE FACT THAT IT DIDNT SECURE ME FROM THE ACCIDENT. MY HEAD STILL WENT INTO THE WINDSHILED AND I THINK SOMETHING HAPPENED WITH THE AIR BAGS AS WELL BECAUSE THEY WERE TORN BY THE TIME THE TRUCK STOPPED ROLLED AND MY HEAD ISTILL WENT INTO THE WINDOWSHIELD AND WAS CUT UP BAD.

NHTSA complaint #10075172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM THE REAR TRAVELING APPROX. 62-71 MPH ACCORDING TO POLICE CALCULATIONS. REAR END COLLISON RESULTED IN DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT/SEATBACK COLLAPSING TO THE REAR JUST AFTER IMPACT. IS THE SEAT SUPPOSE TO COLLAPSE FROM THIS TYPE OF REAR END COLLISON OR IS IT A DEFECT? SHOULD THE SEAT HAVE STAYED IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION? THE COLLAPSING OF THE SEAT MAY HAVE SAVED THE OCCUPANTS LIFE. DOES THE SAFETY BOARD TEST THESE TYPES OF REAR END ACCIDENTS AT THESE SPEEDS TO TEST THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEATS? MR

NHTSA complaint #767897 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING, TIRE BLEWOUT AND CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL, VEHICLE FLIPPED AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT, THE RIGHT REAR SEATBELT CAME LOOSE, THERE WERE THREE INJURIES,NO SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN, CLAIM 40-2530-292. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #6901122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHEN I TRIED TO AVOID ANOTHER CAR THAT SLID INTO MY LANE. THE BACK PART OF THE JEEP HIT A TELEPHONE POLE AND THEN I SLID IN THE ICE AND HIT A TREE HEAD ON. POLICE ESTIMATED THE SPEED I HIT AT WAS 30 MPH. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND MY SEAT BELT DIDN'T LOCK UP WHEN THE BRAKE WAS ON SO I HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND STEERING WHEEL.

NHTSA complaint #757116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND IN THE 1996 JEEP (A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT VEHICLE) ON A MULTIPLE LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY (POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH) AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT AN INTERSECTION FOR A RED LIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS THE FIRST NORTHBOUND CAR TO STOP AT THE INTERSECTION. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHILE STOPPED HERE. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, AN INATTENTIVE DRIVER IN A PICKUP TRUCK COLLIDED INTO THE LEFT-REAR PORTION OF MY VEHICLE AT A WITNESS-ESTIMATED SPEED OF ABOUT 30 MPH. FOLLOWING THE IMPACT, THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM DID NOT RESTRAIN MY UPPER BODY. AS A CONSEQUENCE, MY HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH SUFFICENT FORCE TO CAUSE MULTIPLE HEAD AND NECK TRAUMA INCLUDING CONTUSIONS, LACERATIONS, MUSCLE STRAIN, A FRACTURED NASAL BONE AND SEPTUM, A SEVERE HEADACHE, LINGERING PAIN, AND DELAYED VERTIGO. MY INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SEVERE HAD I BEEN WEARING MY EYEGLASSES OR SUNGLASSES. THE JEEP WAS PROPELLED THROUGH THE CONTROLLED INTERSECTION AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP IN THE SOUTHBOUND LEFT-HAND TURN LANE; IT DID NOT COLLIDE WITH ANY OTHER OBJECTS. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS TO DAIMLER-CHRYSLER OFFICIALS ABOUT THE "APPARENT" FAILURE OF THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM TO PREVENT MY INJURIES AND THEY LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION. THEIR FINDINGS WERE THAT "THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS NOT DESIGNED TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER IN A REAR END COLLISION". IF THIS IS THE CASE AND IF THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT MECHANISM IN THIS JEEP IS THE CURRENT AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY STANDARD IN THE U.S., THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND FEDERAL REGULATIONS REQUIRING VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TO: (1)DESIGN AN IMPROVED INDUSTRY-WIDE SHOULDER RESTAINT SYSTEM(S) TO BETTER PROTECT MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATORS AND PASSENGERS FROM SUSTAINING TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURIES IN REAR-END COLLISIONS; (2)INSTALL SUCH AN IMPROVED RESTRAINT SYSTEM IN ALL NEW AUTOS AND TRUCKS; AND (3)PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO INSTALL THESE IMPROVED RESTRAINTS IN VEHICLES MADE EARLIER.

NHTSA complaint #747521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WAN ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER I WAS REAR-ENDED BY A CHEVY BLAZER. I HAD MY SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS ON BUT THE TOP ROLLER ON THE SHOULDER HARNESS DID NOT GRAB. FOR THAT REASON MY HEAD HIT FIRST THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN THE WINDSHIELD, LEAVING ME WITH A FRACTURED NOSE AND CONTUSION ON MY FOREHEAD. I BELIEVE THE BLAZER MUST HAVE BEEN TRAVELING AROUND 45 MPH BECAUSE THAT IS THE SPEED LIMIT ON THAT ROAD AND HE DID NOT TRY AND STOP AT ALL (COMPLETE INATTENTION): THERE WERE NO SKID MARKS UNTIL AFTER WHERE HE HIT US. WE WERE SENT CLEAR THROUGHT THE INTERSECTION AND UP THE SIDEWALK. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CROSS TRAFFIC OR PEDESTRIANS.

NHTSA complaint #737331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

NOT DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG AND FAILURE OF SAFETY BELT TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER DURING AN ACCIDENT RESULTED IN A BROKEN STERNUM, CHEST, NECK AND LEG TRAUMA. NLM

NHTSA complaint #550183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.