NHTSA Complaint #10475291 — 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

WHILE DRIVING, I STEPPED ON MY BRAKE, I HEARD A LOUD "BANG" AND FOUND MYSELF FIRST JAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL/DASH AREA, AND THEN, ONCE MY VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, I WAS IN THE REAR SEAT AREA. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE REAR SEAT BRACKETS ON MY FRONT (DRIVERS) SEAT WERE BROKEN THROUGH; THE METAL THAT THE SEAT BRACKET IS MADE OF WAS BROKEN AT BOTH REAR CORNERS, AND THE FRONT BOLTS WERE PULLED-THROUGH. THE THIN METAL THE BRACKET IS MADE OF HAD A COUPLE OF CRACKS, AND OVERALL, THE SEAT IS ALMOST USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVING THE CAR IN A SAFE MANNER. FORTUNATELY, WHEN MY SEAT BROKE I WAS NOT GOING SO FAST AS TO NOT BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT! IF I HAD BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, I BELIEVE I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY WRITING THIS COMPLAINT. THERE ARE NO REASONABLE LOCAL SOURCES TO REPLACE THE BRACKET;(THE JEEP DEALERS WANT TO SELL A NEW SEAT FOR APPROX. 700.00, UNLESS YOU WANT TO PAY $300.00+ FOR ANOTHER SEAT FROM A WRECKING YARD, WHICH WILL ALSO HAVE THE SAME THIN METAL BRACKET). I AM ATTEMPTING TO GET IT WELDED, BUT I HAVE ALREADY BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS WILL BE A TEMPORARY REPAIR AT BEST; THE METAL THE BRACKET IS MADE OF IS FAR TOO THIN TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT OF A PERSON USING THE SEAT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, AND WILL BREAK AGAIN). HELP! *TR