1993 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Seat Beltsfrontretractor Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WOULD NOT PULL OUT. THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINTS WERE VERY LOOSE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO WEEKS LATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE MAY BE THE SWITCH THAT IS USED TO DETERMINE IF THE DOOR IS AJAR. HOWEVER, THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 148,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS FROZEN AND SEAT BELT CANNOT BE WORN. MADE REPEATED ATTEMPTS AT GETTING THE BELT TO LOOSEN UP AND ALL ATTEMPTS FAILED. DEALER TELLS ME THE REPAIR WILL COST $328 TO REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY. I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING THE VEHICLE ILLEGALLY AND I'M LAUGHABLY SURPRISED THAT THE NHTSA, GIVEN THAT THERE ARE 13 COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME COMPONENT ISSUE ALREADY FOR THIS MODEL YEAR ALONE, HAS NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL. ARE SEAT BELTS NO LONGER A SAFETY COMPONENT OR CONCERN FOR THE AGENCY THAT FIRST MANDATED THEIR USE? CHRYSLER WILL NOT COVER THIS REPAIR. *JB

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED LOCKING SEATBELT. ATTEMPTED TO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AT DEALER. TOLD NO PART AVAILABLE. TOLD JUNK YARD IS ONLY SOLUTION FOR A REPLACEMENT BELT AND RETRACTOR. VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD.*AK

PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT GETS STUCK, WORKS RARELY, DEALER TOLD CONSUMER TO LUBRICATE IT. THIS STARTED IN 1994 WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, NOT REPAIRED.*AK

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL JAM UP AND NOT ALLOW MOVEMENT. MANY TIMES IT TAKES 5 MIN TO FIGHT THE SEATBELT JUST TO GET IT TO PULL OUT SO THAT IT MAY BE PUT ON. ONCE I GET IT ON, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE AS MUCH AS TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW TO PAY TOLLS ECT. IT TIGHTENS UP AS I DRIVE AND THERE HAVE MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT OFF BECAUSE IT BECOMES TO TIGHT. THEN I EATHER HAVE TO FIGHT WHILE DRIVING OR PULL OVER AND FIGHT WITH IT TO GET IT BACK OUT SO THAT I MAY COMPLY WITH THE LAW. I NEED TO GET IT IN SOON FOR REPAIR. *AK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT STICKS IN THE RETRACTOR AND WILL NOT COME OUT. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES/HOURS OF TUGGING, IT MAY/MAY NOT FREE UP AND PULL OUT. EVEN THEN, IT GENERALLY DOES NOT MOVE FREELY IN AND OUT OF THE RETRACTOR. I PREVIOUSLY HAD TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT WHICH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, AT A COST OF ABOUT $200. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SAFETY RELATED, DODGE WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR. *AK

THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE IS STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR. ALSO, SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE STICKS WHEN PULLING OUT OF THE RETRACTOR. SOMETIMES SEAT BELT TIGHTENS AROUND THE DRIVER FOR NO REASON. PROBLEM WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

DRIVERS SIDE RESTRAINT WILL NOT PULL OUT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK DEALER STATED THAT THE ENTIRE SEATBELT WOULD NEED REPLACED AT CONSUMERS COST. *SLC

ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THE RETRACTOR NO LONGER WORKS. ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE THE RETRACTOR LOCKS UP, AND AT TIMES THE RETRACTOR DOESN'T WORK. *AK

THE SEAT BELT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE IS STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR, AND WILL NOT COME OUT AT ALL. THE SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

THE BELT RETRACTS AND WON'T A;LLOW DRIVER TO PULL IT OUT. EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE CAN PULL IT OUT, AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO BEING STUCK. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. *AK

SEAT BELT FAILED 3 TIMES IN TWO SMALL IMPACT CRASHES TO RELEASE, RESULTING IN SEVERE CHEST/NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES. DRIVER HAD TO BE MANUALLY REMOVED. *AK

OWNER STATES THAT HIS SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT AND THAT THIS OCCURS IN THE FRONT.OWNER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO NUMEROUS DEALERS AND THEY HAVE NOT CORRECTED PROBLEM. *AK

PASSENGER'S SIDE SECOND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIR SEAT BELT MOUNTED TO SIDE OF VAN FAILS TO RESTRAIN PASSENGER'S SHOULDER. *AK