NHTSA Complaint #10563673 — 2003 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE THE DRIVER SEAT DESIGN/MANUFACTURE IS DEFECTIVE. I FIRST NOTICED A CLICKING NOISE WHEN IN THE CAR. I BECAME ACCUSTOMED TO THE NOISE AND BASICALLY OVERLOOKED IT FOR MONTHS. ONE DAY WHEN GETTING INTO THE CAR IN A PARKING LOT I LANDED IN THE BACK SEAT. AS I WAS GETTING INTO THE CAR THE DRIVER SEAT TILTED BACKWARDS LIKE A ROCKING CHAIR AND I WAS HALFWAY DUMPED HEAD FIRST (UPSIDE DOWN) INTO THE REAR OF THE CAR. I WAS NOT INJURED. I LOOKED UNDER THE SEAT AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THAT THE SEAT FRAME IS BOLTED TO THE CAR AND THAT THE FRONT OF THE SEAT IS ATTACHED TO THE SEAT FRAME BY TWO VERY THIN "CAST IRON" BRACKETS. THE TWO BRACKETS (LEFT AND RIGHT) HAD BOTH SIMPLY SHEARED OFF AND THERE IS NOTHING HOLDING THE FRONT OF THE SEAT TO THE SEAT FRAME (THE REAR OF THE SEAT IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FRAME). I SPECULATE THAT THE BRACKETS JUST GAVE OUT OVERTIME FROM THE SIMPLE ACTIVITY OF GETTING INTO AND OUT OF THE CAR. I WAS LUCKY THE CAR WAS PARKED AND I WAS SIMPLY GETTING INTO THE CAR WHEN THE BRACKETS GAVE OUT. IF IN FACT I HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED I EXPECT I WOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT OF THE SEAT (SEAT BELTS OR NOT) AND SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I REPORTED THIS ON THE JEEP FACEBOOK PAGE SO OTHER FOLKS COULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER. JEEP RESPONDED TO ME ON FACEBOOK, EMAIL AND TELEPHONE BUT BASICALLY SAID IT WAS A 10 YEAR OLD CAR AND THE DEFECT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM - SORRY! WHEN LOOKING ONLINE TO FIND OUT HOW TO REPAIR THE SEAT I DISCOVERED WHAT APPEARS TO BE THOUSANDS OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME EXACT DEFECT. IN FACT COMPANIES HAVE BEEN STARTED TO MAKE FRAMES AND BRACKETS JUST TO FIX THIS DEFECT AND I AM FEARFUL THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN ACCIDENT (OR KILLED) BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT. IN MY OPINION NO ONE SHOULD BE DRIVING AROUND IN A 2003 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE UNLESS THE DEFECT IS REPAIRED. *TR