2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

SEAT BELT INDICATOR LIGHT AND TONE WILL NOT STOP EVEN WITH SEAT BELT SECURELY ATTACHED. THIS CAUSES A MAJOR DISTRACTION WHEN DRIVING AND ALSO LEADS TO UNCERTAINLY AS TO THE AIR BAG INTERCONNECT SYSTEM. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED ON 05/15/09 AND DIAGNOSED IT AS A SEAT BELT BUCKLE/PRETENSIONER FAILURE AND THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND WANTED TO CHARGE $500.00 TO FIX IT. THIS IS A STANDARD SAFETY INTERCONNECT SYSTEM AND SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO WARRANTY ISSUES AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED. IF THIS IS HAPPENING WITH THIS AUTOMOBILE, WHICH IS A VERY COMMON MODEL, THEN IT SURELY IS HAPPENING TO OTHERS AND MAY HAVE ALREADY CAUSED OR IS GOING TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE FAILURE OF AIR BAG, SAFETY BELT SYSTEMS AS THEY ARE INTERCONNECTED. THIS IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM AND THE DRIVER HAS TRIED VARIOUS METHODS OF INTERFERING WITH THE WARNING SYSTEM SUCH AS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE SAFETY BELT, JIGGLING THE SAFETY BELT, HOLDING THE SAFETY BELT AWAY FROM THE BODY WHILE DRIVING ETC. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR DRIVERS TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS IT IS DISTRACTING AND COULD ALSO RESULT IN IMPROPER RESTRAINT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. CHRYSLER SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT QUESTION AND SHOULD INVESTIGATE TO SEE IF A RECALL IS WARRANTED. THIS BEGAN JUST OVER 30,000 MILES AND THE OWNER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT 10,000 MILES LATER WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS GOING TO PERSIST AND THERE WAS NOTHING THE OWNER COULD DO TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE THE WARRANTY ON THIS ITEM EXPIRED AT 30,000. THIS VEHICLE HAS A 7 YEAR, 70,000 MILE DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE, A 2005 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE, WAS PURCHASED IN 2006 FROM WILLITS MOTORS IN SUSANVILLE, CALIFORNIA. WILLITS WAS PURCHASED BY SUSANVILLE AUTO CENTER, 530-257-5092 AND THAT DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN THE ONE THE OWNER HAS BEEN DEALING WITH AND WHO HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM UNLESS PAID THE OUTRAGEOUS SUM OF $500.00. *TR