1998 Jeep Wrangler: seat belt won't latch or retract

Filed Apr 7, 2014 · Seat belts · 200 miles · OR

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that the seat belt was secured and upon taking the seat belt off it did not retract at random. The front drivers seat shoulder belt turning loop became stuck between the door frame and the seat on multiple occasions making it difficult for the door to close properly. The contact had to manually retract the seat belt in order to close the drivers side door. The seat and metal framing was also worn. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the contact was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number:98v048000 (seat belts) due to the statute of the time frame for the recall repairs. There was also a leak behind the dashboard that had leaked into the floor mats on the front drivers side and front passengers side of the vehicle. The authorized dealer was not able to replicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 200.

Filed Sep 20, 2010 · Seat belts · 120,000 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that the driver side seat belt would not retract in colder weather. He would have to manually push the belt back into the retractor to get it to operate correctly. The dealer advised there were no related recalls and the vehicle repairs would be at the contact's expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000 and the current mileage was 150,000.

Filed Feb 24, 2004 · Seat belts · 75,000 miles · AZ

Passenger seat belt fails to retract, also gets caught in door jam.. Exhaust manifold cracked. Water leaks inside onto passenger floor board. Gauges fail/airbag light comes on. Catylist converter failed. Throtle postioning sensor failed. These incidents have appeared over the past 6-12 months.

Filed Mar 29, 2003 · Body, Electrical · AR

I have had numerous problems with my jeep wrangler 1998. This is a partial list I sent to chrysler: I bought my jeep with just 3600 miles on it from a dealer in 1999. From day one I started experiencing problems. Many of them I returned to the service department. Some they were able to fix, others, after many return trips, they were 'unable to duplicate the problem'. 1. Gauges would stop working while driving - I brought the vehicle in 5 times before they were able to duplicate and finally fix the problem. 2. This was also true of the blinkers that not always worked - or worked all at the same time. 3. My hazards still do not work every time. 4. The air conditioner goes out when driving,very uncomfortable when it is hot and raining. 5. The sound bar has never worked properly - first it would only come in some times - now never. 6. Headers are cracked - bad. They have been welded several times. When I went to have them welded it was found they were welded before my purchase - at 3600 mil! They are still cracked, welding does not hold. I can not get anyone to replace them because even exhaust specialists say it is too cumbersome. The dealer charges way more than I have considering the number of repairs and the price of gas - at 12 mpg. 7. Drivers seat belt locks tightly with any amount of pressure on the brakes - it has now gotten to the point it locks just while driving. 8. Windows - the zippers broke almost immediately - I paid alot to have these replaced. The back window now has a cut in it and is very difficult to see through. 9. The top has never quite fit right; it has always leaked and been extremely noisy - more so than anyone else's that I know. It has also come apart at the seams. The dealership has not been of any help. They wanted to charge outrageous amounts just for diagnostics, even when I had the best warranty. I've also had problems with the door molding coming out immediately, grinding in the steering wheel, grinding while trying to put it in reverse and more.

Filed Sep 9, 2002 · Steering · AR · crash · 1 injury

After applying brakes on rainslick road vehicle hydroplaned into the rearend of a pickup. I hit the steering wheel twice before the seatbelt 'caught'.... 2 broken teeth, brain trauma & concussion, mangled spine/surgery pending. First accident. No one will claim liability for the seatbelt not working and the airbag has been treated as a non-issue. My jeep has been 'repaired' sans seatbelt.... Daimler-chrysler investigation pending. All I asked, in the beginning, was for my seatbelt to be replaced... Not too much to ask.... Now I will fight as my quality of life has been compromised permanently and I should not have to argue over a defective seatbelt being replaced... At the very least! I am severely injured and quite frankly am angry, now, that I have to fight for what is 'right'. Please feel free to contact me at any time as my life is now homebased with the exception of numerous doctor visits.

Filed Nov 28, 2000 · Acceleration, Seat belts · OH

1. The transmission has started jumping in and out of 3rd gear in the 32 to 50 MPH range. Bubbles are present in the fluid indicating a seal is failing. Repair estimate at this time is over $1000. This failure in snowy driving conditions causes vehicle control problems.2. Passenger seat belt retracts intermittently. The passenger will lean forward and back may not notice the seatbelt has not retracted. This can certainly cause serious injury or death in the event of an accident. 3. Sudden acceleration at idle. Vehicle idle will jump from 1.5k to 3k without warning. Obviously a serious safety hazard. 4. Anti-sway bar link failure. This is perhaps the most insidious failure. The stabilizer bar link ball will corrode in the socket and cause it to separate. The rubber boot around it covers the failure. When an emergency turn is required, the jeep will sway violently. I talked to the chrysler parts attendant and he said he sells about 12 a week to those lucky enough to notice the failure. For those who do not notice this, it is a time bomb. The parts attendant told me I would be back soon to replace more. What he said is true.

Filed Jan 18, 2000 · Airbags, Body · TX

The vehicle has developed an odor associated with leaking anitfreeze. 3 different trips to make repairs, no action on first trip, second trip, dealer replaced thermostat housing, third trip, dealer replaced radiator. Vehicle still has odor at different times. Seat belts have been replaced 3 times on right hand side and once on left hand side due to belts getting pinched in hardtop doors and damaging belts. Belt on right hand has had failure of seat belt inertia lock during hard stop. Electrical system: airbag light illuminated at various times, and at the same time the speedometer and tachometer failed momentarily. Fix was to clean and grease connectors. System is starting to repeat same problem, and dealer cannot find a problem. Steering column lower bushing has developed noise, after rain or onset of cold weather. Dealer states fix is to lube bushing, but problem persists after 4 dealer visits. Rear axle seals on left hand and right hand were leaking, resulting in rear wheel lockup with moderate brake application on damp pavement or sandy road surfaces. Dealer replaced both seals, but nothing was said about possible brake lining contamination or cleaning. Vehicle has had repeated water leakage from around windshield on left and right hand sides, right hand hardtop door hinge attach bolts, thru seals on cowl and around doors. Dealer has replaced all seals, rtv'd gaps, and installed updated door seals, but vehicle still leaks. Also, carpets were water damaged in front passenger area due to water leakage from vehicle body and airconditioning system. Vehicle has been kept for up to two days on two different occasions for water leaks and multiple repair complaints.

Filed Apr 16, 1999 · Seat belts · CT

Seat belts hang in the way of the door when exiting the vehicle, causing them the be damaged by the door and latching mechanism. This weakens the seat belt and could cause seat belt failure, and subsequently unrestrained passagers in the event of a collision.

Filed Dec 31, 1998 · Lights, Seat belts · NJ

2/10/98 - 1046 miles: rear window leaked, and both brakelight housings leaked. The radio also stopped working. 7/30/98 8988 miles: the air bag light came on, and the speedometer, odometer, and tachometer stopped working. 12/30/98 15,000 miles - front drivers side seatbelt stopped retracting.