Chrysler Repair: 2005 Pacifica Rear Center Shoulder Belt, highway traffic safety, traffic safety administration

Question
Kevin, the Center rear shoulder belt on my "new" pacifica was locked and could not release, not enough play, apparently.  I unbolted the belt from the floor to retract and release, and it worked.  I bolted the belt back down, and as soon as I folded the seat and put it back up, it locked again!  Even though I have only 23,000 miles on it, the warranty is expired, and I don't see where it's covered on my CUNA extended warranty.  Any suggestions?  Looks like a bear to take the seat back apart and replace the assembly, not to mention the cost.  Is this a common occurrence?  I am sort of disappointed that Chrysler doesn't warrant the safety stuff past 36,36,000.....

Answer
Hi Alan,
I wonder if the Federal goverment's safety regs might indeed extend beyond the 36/36,000 warranty because this is a life/safety item. Check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site (NHTSA.gov) for that possibility and for any recalls on that belt.
I don't have a Pacifica manual so can't offer you any help on doing the job if you have to fix it yourself.
Roland