Investigations
INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BELT LOCKUP
NHTSA SQ SQ96016 - closed, opened 1996-09-18.
NHTSA investigation SQ96016 is a SQ opened on 1996-09-18 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1997-02-04 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ODI CONTINUES TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING LATCHING/RETRACTOR MECHANISM PROBLEMS. CHRYSLER'S ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBLEM INDICATES THAT OWNERS OF THE VEHICLES ARE NOT ADHERING TO THE CLEANING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SEAT. T..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
ODI CONTINUES TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING LATCHING/RETRACTOR MECHANISM PROBLEMS. CHRYSLER'S ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBLEM INDICATES THAT OWNERS OF THE VEHICLES ARE NOT ADHERING TO THE CLEANING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SEAT. THE SEAT APPEARS TO MALFUNCTION IF CRUMBS OF FOOD OR BEVERAGE RESIDUE ACCUMULATES ON THE LATCHING TONGUE IN THE"WELL" LOCATED BETWEEN THE CHILD'S LEGS. ODI HAS 19 COMPLAINTS OF RETRACT LOCKUP. SEVEN OF THESE COMPLAINTS REPORT CUTTING THE STRAPS TO REMOVE THE CHILD. TWO OF THE SEVEN CONSUMERS ALLEGE THE CHILD WAS CHOKING. CHRYSLER REPORTS 60 OWNER/FIELD REPORTS WHICH INDICATED 19 HARNESSES WERE CUT TO REMOVE THE CHILDREN. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO FULLY ASSESS THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCE OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AND TO EVALUATE THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION'S RATIONAL FOR NOT CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN.
About This Investigation Type
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.