DaimlerChrysler's Gen-3 Seat Belt Claimed to be Defective
The design of an estimated 16 million seat belts has recently been brought into question. Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization, has gathered reports attributing 14 deaths and 19 serious injuries to the unlatching of GM’s Gen-3 seat belts. The design of the seat belts features a slightly protruding release button, which is more likely to be inadvertently opened by passengers flailing during a rollover than belts with a flush button. The Gen-3 seat belt was replaced with a Gen-4 on the Dodge Durango and Dodge Dakota, but remains standard on many other models.
