NHTSA Complaint #10016196 — 1995 DODGE CARAVAN

SEAT BELTS COME UNBUCKLED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE BECOME LOCKED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON WAS PRESSED. AT LEAST ONE OF THE SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED WHILE THE VAN WAS UNDER WARRANTY FOR THESE PROBLEMS. IT HAS REQUIRED SEVERAL PUSHES OF THE BUTTON AND PUSHING AND PULLING ON THE LAP/SHOULDER BELT BEFORE THE BELT RELEASES FROM THE PART OF THE BELT WITH THE BUTTON. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN OUR 1995 DODGE CARAVAN WHICH WE BOUGHT NEW. WE ALSO BOUGHT A NEW 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WHICH HAS THE SAME GENERATION 3 SEAT BELTS IN THE BACK SEATS AND THEY ALSO HAVE COME UNBUCKLED WITHOUT NOTICE. MY NEIGHBOR HAS A 1996 DODGE DAKOTA WHICH HE BOUGHT NEW AND ARGUED WITH THE DEALER UNTIL THEY REPLACED ALL THE SEAT BELTS BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN KEPT COMING UNBUCKLED AND JEFF (THE TRUCK OWNER) BECAME TRAPPED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND HAD TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT CUT TO FREE HIM. THE INCIDENT DATES HAVE NOT BEEN RECORDED BUT THE MOST RECENT TIME WITH THE 1995 CARAVAN WAS THIS MONTH APRIL 2003. ALSO THE SEATS ARE UNSAFE THROUGHOUT THE 1995 CARAVAN. ON 2/6/98 MY WIFE AND I WERE REAR ENDED IN THE 1995 CARAVAN BY A 1990 MERCURY SABLE. WE WERE NEARLY STOPPED WHILE WAITING FOR THE VAN IN FRONT OF US TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE PERSON BEHIND US WAS NOT WATCHING AND SHE REAR ENDED US AT APPROXIMATELY. 40-45 MPH. THIS ACCIDENT WAS WITNESSED BY THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL MAN. THE PERSON BEHIND US WAS WATCHING INSTEAD OF WATCHING WHERE SHE WAS GOING. I WAS NEARLY PARALYZED BECAUSE THE BUILT IN HEAD REST IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH. I AM 6'1" AND MY WIFE IS 5'2". MY WIFE WAS NOT BADLY INJURED. AS FOR MYSELF, THE DISC AT C5-6 WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN APART AND COMPRESSED MY SPINAL CORD IN HALF. I NOW HAVE A BONE GRAFT AND A STEEL PLATE FUSING MY NECK. THE REAR SEATS ARE COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE! *JB