NHTSA Complaint #747298 — 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE

THE DRIVER'S SEAT CUSHION FRAME BROKE AT THE WELDS. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT MOUNT OF THE CUSHION FRAME TO FRACTURE. THERE WAS NO WAY OF KNOWING THE WELDS HAD FRACTURED UNTIL THE LOWER MOUNT FINNALLY GAVE OUT. I WAS LUCKY THAT THIS HAPPENED WHEN I JUST GOT INTO THE JEEP. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, AND THE SEAT BROKE, I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. I WENT THE MY LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP, SHOWED THEM THE BROKEN SEAT. THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD, BUT WERE WILLING TO ORDER THE PART. OF WHICH THERE WERE ONLY THREE AVAILABLE IN THE NATION. I TRIED TO LOCATE THE PART USED ON THE NATIONAL WEB OF SALVAGE YARDS. ON EVERY JEEP OF THIS YEAR AT THE SALVAGE YARD, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT WAS ALREADY MISSING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. I STILL HAVE THE BROKEN SEAT CUSHION FRAME FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. I JUST WONDER HOW MANY ACCIDENTS THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED, AND WERE BLAMED ONTO SOMETHING OR SOMEONE ELSE? THANK YOU FOR READING AND CONSIDERING THIS NOTE.