— A Jeep Wrangler right-hand-drive investigation has been closed by the government after complaints the driver's side seat belt buckles separated from the seat frames.
The 2015-2016 Jeep Wrangler right-hand-drive SUVs are typically used by mail carriers and can sometimes suffer a lot of abuse in rural areas.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened the investigation in August 2019 by requesting information from Fiat Chrysler (FCA US). NHTSA asked for complaints, warranty data and design information concerning seat belt bracket failures for Wranglers.
About 1.7 million Jeep Wranglers were manufactured from 2007 to 2018 and about 16,000 of those were right-hand-drive SUVs. Out of those, about 4,900 model year 2015-2016 Jeep Wranglers were included in the investigation.
Chrysler found a higher rate of complaints and warranty claims for seat belt bracket failures for the right-hand vehicles, with 24 bracket failures for 2011-2018 Wranglers.
None of the incidents caused injuries or fatalities, but in October 2019 FCA recalled 2011-2018 Jeep Wranglers because the driver-side seat belt buckle mounting straps could break and separate from the seat frames. Chrysler dealers replaced the seat belt brackets, which convinced NHTSA to close the investigation.
Safety regulators will continue to monitor Jeep Wranglers for evidence of seat belt bracket failures and may take further actions based on the evidence.
Read what drivers tell CarComplaints.com about Jeep Wranglers - 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018