The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Sept. 16 opened a preliminary investigation into the safety of seat belts in 281,000 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokees.
The watchdog said its Office of Defects Investigation received 18 complaints that the model's front seat belts failed to retract due to cracking of the plastic guide.
As a result, the seat belts remained slack and did not fit the driver and passenger properly, increasing the risk of injury.
"Complainants report that complete replacement of the seat belt assembly is necessary to repair the condition," the NHTSA report said.
The agency noted it would study the scope, frequency and safety-related consequence of the alleged defect.
