NHTSA Complaint #11281745 — 2019 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

THE THIRD ROW BENCH SEEMS EASILY CAPABLE OF POPPING OFF ITS ATTACHMENT TO THE FLOOR WITH A BIT OF PRESSURE. WHEN WE INSTALLED OUR BABY CAR SEAT IN THE THIRD ROW FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE LOCKED IT IN PLACE WITH THE SEAT BELT AND THEN TIGHTENED THE SEAT INTO PLACE BY USING THE ELECTRIC RECLINE TO SQUEEZE SOME EXTRA ROOM AND MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO GIVE. AT SOME POINT WE TIGHTENED THE RECLINE TOO MUCH AND THE BASE OF THE WHOLE THIRD ROW POPPED OFF OF THE FLOOR. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE ONCE WE STARTED OVER AND RESET THE SEAT IN PLACE. I ALSO DISCONNECTED THE POWER RECLINE BUTTON IN THAT ROW SO THAT OUR SON WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RE-CREATE THAT ISSUE. HOWEVER, A FEW WEEKS AGO MY WIFE WAS PUTTING SOME LARGE ITEMS IN THE CAR AND SHE WAS TRYING TO PUT DOWN THE THIRD ROW PASSENGER SEAT USING THE RECLINE BUTTONS IN THE TRUNK. SHE ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE RECLINE BUTTON FOR THE HALF OF THE ROW THE BABY CAR SEAT IS IN INSTEAD OF THE SIDE OF THE ROW WITH AN EMPTY SEAT. AGAIN, THE WHOLE THIRD ROW POPPED APART FROM THE FLOOR AT ITS BASE. TO FIX IT I UNINSTALLED THE CAR SEAT AND THEN REINSTALLED THE THIRD ROW BENCH AND THEN THE CAR SEAT AGAIN. THIS SECOND INCIDENT GOT ME WONDERING HOW MUCH PRESSURE IT TAKES FOR THE THIRD ROW TO DETACH FROM THE FLOOR? I'M CONCERNED THAT IN AN ACCIDENT THE WHOLE BACK OF THE CAR WOULD BECOME VERY DANGEROUS AND SEAT BELTS AND CAR SEATS WOULD DO LITTLE TO PROTECT ANYONE FROM A FLOATING BENCH. BY PUTTING THE CAR SEAT IN PLACE AND TIGHTENING THE RECLINE WE MUST BE PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE FLOOR ATTACHMENTS AND ANY ADDED PRESSURE POTENTIALLY PULLS IT RIGHT OFF. THAT SEEMS LIKE A HUGE DESIGN FLAW. IN THE MANUAL ALL IT SAYS IS: IN A COLLISION, YOU OR OTHERS IN YOUR VEHICLE COULD BE INJURED IF SEATS ARE NOT PROPERLY LATCHED TO THEIR FLOOR ATTACHMENTS. ALWAYS BE SURE THE SEATS ARE FULLY LATCHED.*DT *JB *DT*JB*DT*JB