Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 | 1% | 28,000 miles |
| 2019 | 7 | 0% | 60,000 miles |
| 2018 | 3 | 0% | 39,000 miles |
| 2017 | 6 | 0% | 42,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 0% | 44,000 miles |
| 2015 | 4 | 0% | 37,000 miles |
| 2014 | 6 | 0% | 15,000 miles |
| 2001 | 8 | 3% | 24,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 1% | 87,000 miles |
| 1999 | 17 | 5% | 41,000 miles |
| 1998 | 17 | 4% | 66,000 miles |
| 1997 | 6 | 2% | — |
| 1996 | 13 | 3% | — |
| 1995 | 19 | 3% | 162,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact's grandson owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the passenger's side front seat belt failed to lock as designed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. The VIN was not available.
For the passed few months (beginning Sept 2022), my cars temperature gauge inside shows that its running hot even when there is coolant present. When checking the coolant prior to taking off the cap, the conatiner looks empty. However, when i take off the cap there is a gurgling noise and the container refills on its own. Unfortunately. I've had to add coolant to my car every 5-10 days to make sure it stays full because it constantly says it's hot, all the way to the H. Since then there have been a list of other issues: 1. heat has randomly stopped working and the check engine light has come on. 2. Error message saying automatic stop/start is unavailable and service stop/start 3. Lots of jerking when pressing the gas petal to accelerate and you can hear the gears trying to move, but it gets stuck at 1 number and then a hard jerk 4. Ticking/knocking sound when driving (started 1/1/23) 5. …
I fastened seatbelt. It retracted, but heard a rolling noise, which sounded like a can or bottle rolling in the floor behind me. Paid no attention to it and forgot about it. Next time I drove the Jeep, it happened again, so I got home and checked. There was nothing there to make that noise. Another short drive and I realized the seat belt wouldn't tighten, even though I attempted to tighten it some. Reading online, I found a suggestion to pull it out, release it slowly and listen for the racheting sound. It does not make the sound so I checked passenger side to see if it was different. Passenger side does rachet as the belt is slowly released. I've been wearing my seatbelt religeously since 1964, when one saved my life. I panic without it!
Starting at 25K miles, the vehicle started to burn through oil even before the next oil change. The manual states to go off the oil system light, dealers say different. Oil had 14% left, but the car kept shutting off while driving on the highway. Went to dealer, car burned through all the oil. They refused to check for engine damage and force me to pay for a full oil change. Stated by the dealer, its a known issue with Jeep and there is no fix for it. Now at 33K, check engine light came on, cylinder 4 misfire. Coil pack needs replaced. This is a TSB that was posted at dealers but not given to consumers. Also airbag connection under driver seat comes loose and causes warning lights to service airbag. 10K miles. Dealer said to plug back in and just keep dealing with it.
Indicator lights are shown on dash include gas cap, seat belt and engine. All gear lights display red when driving and states to service shifter. Dash displays service engine soon. Service air bag system. Seat belt will constantly ding even though it is buckled and will not stop dinging. Replaced gas cap, but indicator light continues to display on dash. Strongly believe there are electrical issues causing theses defects. Took to local dealership and they performed an update, but the indicator lights started to display again the following day, along with the constant dinging from the vehicle not being able to sensor the seat belt being buckled. This has been happening for over a year now and no one seems to be acknowledging there is an extreme safety concern with this vehicle. …
Initially started with parking brake coming on and it took 15 mins of pushing and pulling the button/switch and turning car on and off. Then service air bags light came on. Next was saying passenger and driver seat belts not buckled even tho both were buckled. Then abs light came on. Mechanic determined it was OCR sensor located under center console. Apparently can only get part from jeep and its $400. Ordered and the Jeep wont recognize it so replacement had to be ordered. Now tire pressure light is on as well. Says front driver and rear passenger are low even tho all tires are at 34psi. The seat belt dinging is constant even tho belts are buckled. I have no cruise control. Over past 2 weeks have had the parking brake issue twice. The rest of issues are constant. So now driving around waiting on part with constant worry my parking brake will engage. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. While stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle rolled forward and struck another vehicle. The seat belt failed to lock up as designed. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they would not research the failure. The failure mileage was 25,083.
I was in a car wreck on nov 21st and hit my front end at 65 MPH. My seat belt did not tighten and my airbags did not deploy. The car I hit however had their front airbag deploy and I hit their rear end. VIN number [redacted] 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 U.S.c. 552(b)(6).'
Related recalls (2)
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle. The front seat belt shoulder turning loop anchors were not properly heat treated and are not properly hardened.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front seat shoulder belt turning loop on these vehicles.
Seat belts › Rear/other
The web mounted rear seat belt inboard anchor positions May not achieve the required load of FMVSS no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."
Remedy: Dealers will add a washer to each rear inboard seat belt anchor attachment.
Frequently asked questions
Which Jeep Cherokee years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (19), 1998 (17), 1999 (17), 1996 (13) and 2001 (8) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Jeep Cherokee seat belt problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 98V-048 (anchorage, Mar 12, 1998); 97V-040 (rear/other, Mar 17, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Jeep Cherokee seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles; 61% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › buckle assembly (21 mentions), followed by the front › anchorage (18).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.