2021 Jeep Gladiator: seat belt won't latch or retract

Filed Mar 11, 2026 · Seat belts · VA

Description of the Safety Issue I am submitting this complaint to report a serious seat belt safety incident involving entrapment and inability to self‑release, which required emergency intervention. While parked, my daughter as a passenger in my Jeep Gladiator, became tangled in the seat belt in such a way that she was physically unable to release herself or exit the vehicle. Despite multiple attempts, the seat belt could not be disengaged, and the situation escalated to the point where I had to cut the seat belt to free her. This was not caused by a crash, sudden stop, or misuse. The seat belt’s configuration, retraction behavior, or release mechanism appeared to contribute to the entrapment and prevented normal occupant egress. Why This Is a Safety Concern Seat belts are intended to protect occupants and allow safe release when needed. In this incident, the seat belt instead: -Entrapped a child occupant -Prevented self‑release -Created a situation where cutting the belt was the only way to avoid further harm Had this occurred during an emergency (fire, water submersion, post‑collision scenario), the inability to quickly exit the vehicle could have resulted in serious injury or worse. Outcome of the Incident -No collision occurred. -No vehicle warning lights or alerts were present. -The seat belt was rendered unusable only because it had to be cut as an emergency safety measure. -The incident caused significant distress and created an immediate safety hazard. Request for Review I am requesting that the federal safety agency: -Review this incident as a potential seat belt design or functional defect -Consider whether similar incidents may be occurring but underreported -Evaluate whether this issue warrants further investigation, service bulletin, or recall activity Seat belts should never place occupants—especially children—into situations where escape is difficult or impossible.

Filed Sep 1, 2022 · Seat belts · 17,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that the rear middle seat belt failed to retract or operate as needed. The contact stated that the seat belt had to be manually tightened to function as needed. The contact initially took the vehicle to the dealer where a diagnostic test found no defect with the seat belt. As the failure persisted, the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer where the failure was confirmed and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

Filed Jan 14, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · TX

The vehicle auto stops when putting on the driver’s seat belt, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifies that if the “Driver’s seat belt is not buckled” it will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of the act of buckling the seat belt initiating the auto stop. Furthermore, the instrument cluster does not present a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents factually incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops creating driver confusion and distraction. Additionally, this creates a serious safety hazard as the issue inhibits the driver from attempting to flee an emergency situation, wherein the driver hops into an idling vehicle, plugs in their seat belt, and the vehicle turns itself off. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 different dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

Filed Jan 14, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · TX

The vehicle auto stops when the hood is closed and the driver remains in the seat with the seat belt buckled. The owner’s manual specifies that an open hood will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of closing the hood initiating the event. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops which confuses and distracts the driver. Additionally, after jump starting another vehicle, the vehicle’s battery may be sufficiently depleted. Upon closing the hood, the vehicle could auto stop, and with the numerous other malfunctions impacting the auto stop system the vehicle may not be able to restart possibly leaving the driver stranded. The unexpected / wanted auto stop could cause a rear-end collision of the stranded vehicle leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

Filed Jan 14, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · TX

The vehicle auto stops when the driver’s seat is not occupied, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifically states that if the “Driver’s seat is not occupied” that the “engine will not stop.” Note that this system safety check is separate and distinct from the “Driver’s seat belt is not buckled” check. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. The vehicle fails to properly check for the empty driver’s seat safety condition before auto stop. This auto stop violates Jeep’s published safety check condition and poses a serious safety hazard. This issue poses additionally serious safety hazards as the vehicle will shut off with the driver outside the vehicle, leaving the driver with an incorrect understanding that the vehicle is properly locked out from an auto start condition. Therefore, if the driver is operating on or under the vehicle with it auto stopped, the passenger can unintendedly auto start the vehicle resulting in a serious injury or the loss of a finger. Additionally, in thinking that the vehicle is off the driver may leave the vehicle unattended in their garage and after 5 minutes the vehicle will auto start filling the garage / house with toxic fumes and presenting a serious life-threatening fire hazard. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

Filed Jan 14, 2022 · Airbags, Electrical · TX

The failure of the vehicle’s safety condition check for an empty driver’s seat for an auto stop indicates that the “Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)” and/or the “Advanced Front Air Bag system” are not receiving proper information. This creates a serious safety hazard as the front air bags may not deploy or may not “adjust the inflation rate of the Advanced Front Air Bags” as specified in the owner’s manual. For driver safety, these systems and their associated sensors should be fully examined and tested. The vehicle auto stops when the driver’s seat is not occupied, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifically states that if the “Driver’s seat is not occupied” that the “engine will not stop.” Note that this system safety check is separate and distinct from the “Driver’s seat belt is not buckled” check. The vehicle fails to properly check for the empty driver’s seat safety condition before initiating an auto stop. The associated auto stop malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 Jeep dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“, despite the vehicle operating in violation of the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.