NHTSA Complaint #748375 — 1997 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER

TWO MONTHS AGO, I CONTACTED CHYRSLER ABOUT THE MIDDLE BENCH SEAT BELT, PASSENGER SIDE, COMING UNLATCHED. THEY INFORMED ME TO GO A DEALERSHIP, OF THEIR CHOICE, AND HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, WHICH I DID. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF WAITING, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL SEAT BELTS MET SAFETY COMPLIANCE. THREE AND A HALF WEEKS AGO, I HAD TO COME TO A SUDDEN STOP FROM 55MPH (SOMEONE TURNED OUT IN FRONT OF ME) AND MY 3 1/2 YEAR OLD SON CAME FLYING OUT OF HIS HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEAT BECAUSE THE SEATBELT CAME UNLATCHED. I HAVE SINCE, TRIED TO LATCH THE SEAT BELT AND IT WILL NOT STAY LATCHED. I TOOK MY VAN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY, 7/12/01, AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS IN DEED NOT LATCHING AND WOULD ORDER A NEW PART TO REPLACE IT. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WOULD NOT ONLY HAVE TO PAY FOR INSTALLATION OF THE NEW PART, BUT ALSO PAY FOR THE PART AS WELL. I WAS ALSO GIVEN THE "RUN AROUND" FROM CHRYSLER HEADQUARTERS CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATING THAT THE DEFECT WARRANTY WAS ONLY FOR 36000 MILES OR THREE YEARS. I FEEL AS THOUGH IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE COVERED AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE IS STILL RUNNING BECASUE IT IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO WEAR A SEAT BELT. NOT TO MENTION, I COULD HAVE LOST MY CHILD IF I HAD HIT THAT CAR OR HAD BEEN HIT BY SOMEONE ELSE, WHEN I WAS TOLD JUST TWO MONTHS PRIOR THAT ALL SEAT BELTS WERE IN SAFETY COMPLIANCE.*AK