NHTSA Complaint #10259113 — 2000 JEEP LAREDO

I HAVE OWNED MY 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO FOR ALMOST 9 NINE YEARS. ALMOST A YEAR AGO, THE DRIVERS-SIDE SEAT BEGAN TO WOBBLE. AT FIRST, IT WAS MORE OF AN INCONVENIENCE. HOWEVER, SOON IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE SEAT WAS REALLY COMING OFF OF THE BASE. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I TOOK IT TO SOUTHPOINT CHRYSLER JEEP IN AUSTIN, TEXAS IN ORDER FOR THE SEAT TO BE FIXED. BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, I REMOVED THE SEAT FROM THE BASE AND NOTICED THAT WHERE THE SEAT WAS AFFIXED TO THE BASE, THE METAL HAD SHEARED OFF, RENDERING THE BOLTS USELESS. I LOOKED UP THIS UP ON WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG, AND NOTICED THAT MANY OTHERS HAD THIS ISSUE AS WELL. I BELIEVE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT JEEP CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE COMPENSATED ME FOR THIS DEFECT. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $ 1,000 (ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS) TO REPLACE THE SEAT BASE AND THE BASE THAT AFFIXES TO THE FLOOR. I BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD AT LEAST PAY FOR THE COST OF PARTS, SINCE THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN AN ACCIDENT. I DID NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE OF THE SEAT UNTIL I REMOVED IT. BY THE TIME I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, THERE WAS ONE BOLT THAT WAS PROPERLY HOLDING IT IN PLACE, BUT THE OTHERS WERE FAIRLY USELESS. I ALSO TOOK PICTURES OF THE SEAT BASE AND FLOOR BASE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR