1993 Dodge Colt

THE FIRST 2 RECALLS WERE PERFORMED BY BLACKWELL DODGE. SINCE THIS TIME, MY SEATBELTS HAVE MALFUNCTIONED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND ARE NOW NON-WORKING. WITH REPEATED CALLS TO DODGE, NO HELP OR SOLUTION HAS BEEN OBTAINED. THE ONLY RESPONSE I HAVE RECEIVED THROUGH CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT DODGE IS THAT IS NOT THEIR FAULT AND THEY REPLACED THE PARTS REQUIRED OF THEM BY THE RECALL. THEY CLAIM THE PROBLEM IS WITH A "SENDER UNIT" AND/OR A "SENSOR PROBLEM" ON THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT SYSTEM. THEY WERE ALSO QUICK TO INFORM ME THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE PARTS. SEATBELTS ARE A MATTER OF HIGH PRIORITY. I FEEL DODGE HAS INSTALLED DEFECTIVE PARTS AND ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS, BUT REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY FEEL IT IS NOT THEIR "PROBLEM". IF THEIR PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE, THEN THEY SHOULD BE REPLACE WITH NEW WORKING PARTS AT THEIR EXPENSE. HOW CAN A CAR COMPANY NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NUMBER ONE SAFETY FEATURE AS REQUIRED BY LAW WHEN IT MALFUNCTIONS? I HOPE THIS MATTER WILL BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE DODGE IS NOT AND HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL IN THIS MATTER. I AND MY PASSENGERS ARE FACING UNDO RISK BY THE LACK OF WORKING RESTRAINTS. WE ARE LIMITED TO THE MANUAL LAPBELT. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATE AND REMEDIED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER -- EITHER BY REPAIRING THE SEATBELTS TO LIKE NEW WORKING CONDITION OR REPLACING THESE AUTOMATIC NIGHTMARES WITH MANUAL SEATBELTS. THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE FIRST ONE LAST YEAR. THANK YOU. *AK

MY COLT FIRST HAD TROUBLES WITH THE SEATBELT IN 1996. THA AUTOMATIC BELTS WOULD GET STUCK OR NOT MOVE EITHER FORWARD OR BACK. IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF BY THE DEALER AT NO CHARGE. WHEN I GOT THE RECALL IN JAN1998 IT AGAIN WENT IN AFTER JUST STARTING TROUBLE AGAIN. NOW IN 2000 THEDRIVER SIDE HAS DONE IT AGAIN. IT HAS BEEN FIXED AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME. *AK

THE DRIVER'SIDE SHOULDER BELT WAS REPLACED THROUGH RECALL IN 1997. IT HAD ORIGINALLY FAILED SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THAT. AT THAT TIME, I REQUESTED THE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT ALSO BE REPLACED, BUT DEALER INFORMED ME IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. SINCE THEN, THE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT HAD FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES, IN THAT IT FAILED TO RETRACT AS DESIGNED WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I COULD OFTEN MAKE IT DEPLOY BY OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOOR AND "TIMING" THE IGNITION JUST RIGHT--BUT THIS DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK. FINALLY, IT FAILED COMPLETELY; IT HAS NOT WORKED AT ALL FOR MOST OF 1999. THE DRIVER'S SIDE ALSO OCCASIONALLY SHOWS THIS SYMPTOM. BUT IT ALSO SOMETIMES RETRACTS WHILE I'M DRIVING, WHICH PUTS IT IN A PLACE WHERE IT RESTRICTS MY ABILITY TO STEER THE CAR. CALLS TO FUSZ HAVE ONLY GOT ME RUDE RESPONSES. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY PASSENGERS AND I ARE NOT PROTECTED. I WANT TO WEAR PROPER RESTRAINT--I DON'T NEED A LAW TO TELL ME SO--BUT I AM PREVENTED FROM IT THROUGH FAULTY MANUFACTURING AND/OR DESIGN. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. *AK