A seat belt buckle installed in DaimlerChrysler vehicles beginning with the 1993 model year is dangerously prone to unlatching during auto accidents. The buckle, known as the Generation 3 Gen3, may have been installed in as many as 16 million Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles.This Gen3 buckle, middle photo, is distinguished by a release button that juts higher above the button cover than other safety belts, such as its predecessor top photo. This design fails to meet a standard auto industry test for accidental release. A newer safety buckle, the Gen4 bottom photo meets the industry standard. More information about the Gen3 buckle and the ball test is contained in frequently asked questions.A Texas jury in June of 2000 found this buckle defective in its design and responsible for the death of a Corpus Christi man. A judge in Moran vs. DaimlerChrysler subsequently awarded Bart Morans wife and child $6.7 million. At least 17 deaths and 27 serious injuries have been linked to the Gen3 buckle. Each year 10,000 Americans die as the result of not buckling their seat belt. But how many of these may have buckled up, only to have had the seat belt fail them?

Website: http://www.unsafebelts.com/