NHTSA Complaint #10468824 — 2011 DODGE CHALLENGER

ON JULY 12, 2012 WHILE DETAILING THE INSIDE OF MY CAR IN ORDER TO REACH SOME AREAS THAT I COULD NOT REACH THROUGH THE TRUNK I WAS PUSHED THE FRONT SEATS FORWARD SO THE REAR SEATS WOULD DROP DOWN BY DESIGN AND WAS IN AN ODD POSITION TO START WITH, AND HAD THE SEAT BELTS ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR PUSHED OUT OF THE WAY. WHILE WORKING ON THE DETAILING THEY SLIPPED AND MANAGED TO WRAP ME UP AROUND MY CHEST AND NECK (IT HAPPENED SO FAST I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY). AS I STRUGGLED TO FREE MYSELF THEY REFUSED TO RELAX AND CONTINUED TO TIGHTEN UP NO MATTER HOW MUCH (WHAT LITTLE SLACK I HAD TO GIVE) SO THAT I COULD PULL THEM BACK OUT. I REPORTED THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT TO THE SAME LEVEL WITH MY 2007 DODGE RAM FRONT BELTS, AND DODGE DID NOT TAKE ACTION. IN ORDER TO FREE MYSELF I HAD TO USE A POCKET KNIFE THAT I HAD IN MY POCKET THAT AFTER SOME SLIGHT RELAXING I WAS ABLE TO REACH TO CUT THE BELTS AND FREE MYSELF. CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THIS, AND DENIED MY WARRANTY BECAUSE I CUT THE SEAT BELTS TO FREE MYSELF. I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THIS LOGIC AS IT WAS MY ONLY CHOICE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS NOTHING NEW TO DODGE AND HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON NUMEROUS CHRYSLER PRODUCT RELATED FORUMS ON THE INTERNET, ALL OF WHICH WHEN THEY WERE CONTACTED THEY REFUSED TO ACT ON THE MATTERS. A SEAT BELT SHOULD ONLY LOCKUP WHEN A HARD FORWARD MOTION STOP IS MADE, NOT IN A STATIONARY SETTING AS IT DID IN MY CHALLENGER TRAPPING ME. *TR