NHTSA Complaint #10381286 — 2010 RAM 1500

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. CHRYSLER / DODGE HAS NOT FOLLOWED THIS FEDERAL REGULATION FOR THE UPPER TETHER ANCHORAGE ON IT?S 2010 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB 1500 TRUCK. THE CURRENT TETHER STRAP IN THE 2010 MODEL VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS A TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT. ALL CHILD SEATS WITH UPPER TETHER STRAPS HAVE A METAL HOOK FOR WHICH TO CLIP INTO A TETHER ANCHOR. THE METAL HOOK ON CHILD SEAT TETHERS BY DESIGN IS NOT MEANT TO BE CLIPPED ONTO A LOOP OF WEBBING ONLY. SOME TECHNICAL ADVISORS FROM CHRYSLER / DODGE HAVE INFORMED ME AND MY DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THAT THE CHILD SEAT TETHER HOOK IS TO BE CLIPPED ONTO THE UPPER TETHER LOOP OF WEBBING. HOWEVER, IF YOU UTILIZE THE 2010 MODEL UPPER TETHER LOOP AS CHILD SEAT TETHER ANCHOR THE WAY IN WHICH THIS ASSEMBLY IS MANUFACTURED WEAKENING OF THE WEBBING MATERIAL COULD OCCUR OVER TIME OR DURING AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE WEBBING MATERIAL WOULD BEGIN TO BE CUT BY THE SHARP EDGES OF THE BRACKET SLOT THROUGH WHICH THE WEBBING MATERIAL GOES THROUGH. *TR