NHTSA Complaint #11477312 — 2012 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

There is a failure in the driver seat belt system resulting in the car not knowing if the driver is buckled. This affects the function of the airbag system in the vehicle. The sensor in the seat belt restraint buckle assembly (P/N 1GQ92DX9AC) that is responsible for reporting if the buckle is fastened has failed resulting in 2 error lights on the dashboard: seat belt and airbag. When evaluating the codes stored in the ECU, I found code B1B51, "Active 1st Row Driver Seat Belt Sensor Circuit High", was triggered. This is indicating a failure of the sensor or harness in the buckle assemble attached to the drivers seat. I am unable to source a replacement part 1GQ92DX9AC since they seem to be backordered everywhere. I've contacted several dealers and parts distributers. This means my vehicle is currently stuck in an unsafe condition. I'm unsure about the affect that this failure has on the airbag system but since the airbag error light is illuminated on the dashboard, I'm worried that the system is disabled since the vehicle doesn't know if the driver is buckled. I've researched this issue on various forums and this isn't an uncommon issue. There are many posts about people trying to diagnose and repair this. This same part number is shared between the WK2 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the corresponding Dodge Durango sharing the same model years. I have not brought the vehicle to a dealer to confirm my diagnosis. I'm a mechanical engineer and typically maintain and repair my own vehicles.