Gen3 seat belts...tell me more please

[becca011906]

Ok i read on another thread about the gen3 with a link to all the cars with them that they are more likley to fail??? What year did dodge/chrystler stop makeing/using them??? I hadn't hear of them till now, we have dodge intrepid that is on the list i've found but mine is a 2004 so it's ok right??? I have my uptown and radian in there w/ latch for now but my ds uses the SB w/ his booster and i use it, ya know... Is there some links with more info ???

Thanks!

[AdventureMom]

We have Gen 3 belts in our Jeep Wrangler. You can tell by looking at it b/c the orange part sticks out of the mechanism by about 1/2". In the Gen 4 belts, the orange part is flush with the top so that it can't be hit accidentally. Does that help?

[becca011906]

yep thanks, they must have changed to Gen4 in 2004... b/c that's how ours are... makes me feel a little better i guess, i found a link with videos with the 'ball test' and i guess 4 is that much better! :) Thanks!

[wondering1]

All the known models are listed here: http://www.unsafebelts.com/known.cfm

I'm working with Chrysler to see what we can accomplish. I'm trying to spread the word because I was unaware of this problem until recently.

I did the ball test on my cars and the Camry was fine. The other car failed miserably and shockingly!

My local Kids Safe person had not heard of the Gen3 belt problem. BTW, it doesn't matter how far the orange part is sticking up, it is more the fact that the buckle is VERY wide and allows access!

[becca011906]

well i looked at my seat belts in the back the other day when taking out the parkway... and it does stick up more then i though... i will look for some marbles to see what i come up with... they seem to release easily when i push not to far down but i think they are narrow enought that it wouldn't matter... hummm
my car isn't on the list but the '03 and older is, mine is only and '04.... how well is that list kept up???

[tchrgrrl]

I was going to ask this same question after seeing that list recently. We have a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee that is on the list. That was our primary car for my kids first 3 years. Glad we never had an issue!

[wondering1]

The later cars all have the Gen4 belts. Don't use a marble, that isn't big enough. Use a bouncy ball or similar. It still isn't standard, but a 40mm 32mm and 30mm ball will all fail the test.

My Camry has the orange part sticking up and is perfectly fine (I tested). They make it look like the sticking out part is the prime issue, but it really is a combination of how shallow you have to press into the buckle to release and how wide the buckle is which allows access by things like an elbow or debris.

tchrgrrl, I'm so glad your kids are in the Odyssey now!

[tchrgrrl]

tchrgrrl, I'm so glad your kids are in the Odyssey now!
Actually the Odyssey is gone now - it had $18k in damage after a side impact collision in Novemeber and last week we got it back from the body shop, sold it and bought a new Kia Sedona - but, my kids are safe! :)

[MagnificentMama]

All the known models are listed here: http://www.unsafebelts.com/known.cfm


I did the ball test on my cars and the Camry was fine. The other car failed miserably and shockingly!


What's the ball test? My moms car has Gen 3 seatbelts. :(

[Dawn]

http://www.unsafebelts.com/faq.shtml

Ball test is further down the page.

[wondering1]

I looked at the whole website: http://www.unsafebelts.com/

Lots of great information including the code that is being violated by these belts.

Click on the picture of the Gen3 belt to get to the ball test videos.

Sorry I didn't see your message sooner!

[griffinmom]

This website is not a nice, neutral third party interested in informing people about Gen3 seat belts. It is the website of a personal injury law firm. Of course, they are interested in how seat belts fail; that's how they make money!!! I love the part where they say "Tell us your story." Um, folks, they are looking for clients! This website is advertising!!!

I certainly am not against PI lawyers making a living because people have been injured by these seatbelts. I am not against people suing for damages when they are injured.

I am against this site coming off as a "source" of neutral information. It is not. They are looking for clients.

[wondering1]

I would love to have a source of neutral information. Have you found one? I talked to the law firm and they were very professional and answered my questions.

I never heard about Gen3 seatbelts before. I am happy that my child has never been secured with Gen3 seatbelts.

I am working on sourcing my own information so that perhaps I can host "neutral" information, as neutral as an angry person can anyway.

The videos and demonstrations on their website are very clear and very professional.

If enough complaints go to the NHTSA for cars that are less than 10 years old, then perhaps we will have a solution.

Right now there is NO SOLUTION AT ALL for people with Gen3 seatbelts.

I searched Consumer Reports for information on these seatbelts and FOUND NOTHING.

I am dismayed at the lack of options for this clearly dangerous problem. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to you? When I hopped into the car and did the ball test, it was SHOCKING.

[griffinmom]

No, I haven't found a neutral source of information yet. Do I think there should be one? Absolutely. Do I think NHTSA should be more involved? Probably, if only to reassure people. Do I think Consumer Reports knows anything about this issue? No.

I'm not exactly sure where you think got the idea I think this is not a big deal. You have no idea whether I think this is a big deal.

I'm saying know your sources. The people at the law firm may be professional, but it doesn't mean this is an unbiased source. Do you have any idea of what a personal injury lawyer does? How he/she gets clients?

BTW, my DH is an attorney, so I am not lawyer bashing. On the other hand, I'd never mistake my DH's firm's zealous representation of a client as absolute fact unless I knew far more than what their position on an issue was.

[wondering1]

I knew my source before I posted. I even PM'd an ADMIN here telling them that it is a law firm backing the site and that I had talked to them on the phone.

So far, I've never found a better source. If you can provide the information without a reference to that source, I'll happily edit/remove my post.

[mommy2zander+baby]

So I had read there was a chance you could have your gen3 seatbelts replaced with gen4, but when I called the dealship here in town, the guys I talked to truely (as far as I could tell) had never heard a word about this... acted like I had read "some mumbo-jumbo online" & was losing my mind... Anyone know if you can truely have them replaced?

[wondering1]

Chrysler would have to safety test all vehicles for use with the replacement belts before that could be approved. There is no solution to this problem at this time. You could potentially put aftermarket seatbelts in your car, but these would be entirely untested in your particular vehicle, as well.

What year car do you have? Ours is over 10 years old so the NTHSA will not even investigate any report I make. If yours is under 10 years old, please call the NTHSA and make a formal report. The more reports they take/investigate, the more strength we will have to get a solution.

[mommy2zander+baby]

We have a 2002 Dodge Caravan... what is the phone number or address & what exactly do I say? Thanks! :D

[rlsadc]

i will file a complaint to, if you tell me how. i have a 2000 dodge caravan with gen3 buckles (which i am quite unhappy about)

[_Jessica_]

i will file a complaint to, if you tell me how. i have a 2000 dodge caravan with gen3 buckles (which i am quite unhappy about)

Ditto

[wondering1]

First, I recommend you simply test your Gen3 belts with a ball. Then test the same ball on a different vehicle to see the difference in how it responds to the force.

To file a complaint with the NHTSA online or over the phone: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

To contact the manufacturer: http://www-5.chrysler.com/webselfservice/chrysler/index.jsp?screenName=customer&country=us&emailUrl=goToEmailForm%28%27R%27%29

And you can contact your local dealer.

To proceed to a higher level, you may want to take your vehicle to the dealer and let them "test" the seatbelts. Then report the findings back to the manufacturer.

Thank you, everyone for speaking out!