NHTSA Complaint #10380356 — 2010 RAM 1500

CHILD SEAT TETHER STRAP ANCHOR RINGS INSTALLED ON 2010 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB. THE OWNER'S MANUAL CLEARLY STATES IN THE CHILD RESTRAINT INSTALLATION SEQUENCE ON PAGE 75 PARAGRAPH 3 "PASS EACH TETHER STRAP HOOK UNDER THE HEAD RESTRAINT AND THROUGH THE LOOP OF WEBBING BEHIND THE CHILD SEAT" PARAGRAPH 4 STATES "ROUTE EACH TETHER STRAP TO THE ANCHOR BEHIND THE CENTER SEAT, AND ATTACH TO THE HOOK(S) TO THE METAL RING" ON PAGE 76 AS PICTURED ITEM 1 THE INNER ANCHOR STRAP RING(S) CLEARLY SHOWS THE REQUIRED ANCHOR RING FOR THE ATTACHMENT OF THE CHILD SEAT TETHER HOOK. THE REQUIRED 3 TETHER LOOP STRAPS ARE INSTALLED AS REQUIRED BUT DO NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED METAL ANCHOR RINGS ON EITHER STRAP IN ORDER TO ATTACH THE CHILD CAR SEAT TETHER HOOK. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR ANYONE WISHING TO PROPERLY INSTALL A CHILD CAR/BOOSTER SEAT WHICH HAS A TETHER STRAP FOR USE. THERE IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2004 AND 2010 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB CHILD RESTRAINT UPPER TETHER STRAPS. THE 2004 MODEL YEAR DOES HAVE THE INNER ANCHOR STRAP RING(S) INSTALLED FOR ATTACHING THE CHILD SEAT TETHER STRAP HOOK. THE PART NUMBER FOR THE 2004 UPPER TETHER STRAP IS 55350981-AB. THE 2010 MODEL UPPER TETHER STRAP IS 52029441-AA. IF YOU PUT THESE TWO PARTS SIDE BY SIDE THE MOUNTING OF THE BRACKETS APPEAR TO BE THE SAME AS FAR AS MOUNTING IS CONCERNED IN THE VEHICLE. THE BRACKET FOR THE 2004 MODEL APPEARS TO BE SHORTER IN LENGTH THAN THE 2010 MODEL BUT THE OVERALL LENGTH OF THE PARTS ARE ABOUT THE SAME. THE WEBBING MATERIAL ON THE 2010 MODEL IS MADE OF A HEAVIER QUALITY (COARSE THREAD) WEBBING MATERIAL AND THE 2004 MODEL HAS A WEBBING MATERIAL (FINE THREAD) SIMILAR TO STANDARD SEAT BELT MATERIAL. COMPLAINT BEYOND 2000 CHARACTERS. 02/09/11