Seat belt year model differences

Hi everyone. I've got a seatbelt question. Recently, the driver's side, front female end on my 95 xj broke, and I swapped it for the passenger side, which is a temp fix until I can find a new one. I called the dealer, and they asked me if it was made before 2/21/95 or before. Turns out that if it was made after that date, then the seat belt end is 56 dollars. If it was made before, which mine was, then it's a whopping 120 bucks! Anyone know what the difference is, and could I just use a seat belt end out of any cherokee made before whenever the new body style cutoff was? Thanks for any info anyone has.

-Rhett H.

Pre 95 the seatbelts were AMC era type, similar if not the same to GM. 95 on they were corporate Chysler style, they look more substantial but looks can be deceiving because there was a problem with those fancy new seatbelts.

http://www.unsafebelts.com/

Let me say buy the replacement no matter what it costs. I went through a headache to get the buckle for my 88 XJ driver's seat.

It almost sounds like chrysler may of "improved" the seat belt and are selling you the entire seat belt assy - belt, reel, & buckle. See if you can find a part number on your defective buckle and do a search on one of those internet parts sites.

If the passenger buckle is working why not ask what the replacement passenger buckle costs see if it about the same price. The driver's can cost more because of the warning light/buzzer circuit switch built into the assy.

I had a 86 mustang and I had the buckle also fail at the same time as my 88 XJ - the same bendix buckle - and Ford sold the entire assy with an improved buckle. Since it did not color match and the reel did not fit well I went to a U pick it lot and found a color matched buckle that work. I put another 3,000 on the car then sold it after 13 years of ownership.

What ever you figure out fix it. I am glad i spend the money to get the new buckle in 98, i had a 19 year old hit me a year ago in the driver's side and turn the whole XJ 90 degrees. The seat belt kept me in place as I went on that "ride".

There have been a few changes, but I think the 95 matches back to about 89 or so. I had the same part go on my 95 and put one on from an 89. The 87 was different from the 89, and when I had a problem with the retractor on that, I believe I found that they changed in 88, both with a different retractor and a different buckle. I'd just go to a junkyard and get a good one, though. It looked to me as if the ones on the 95 were just poorly put together, and didn't align properly. I think they got a bad batch. I've never had problems with the replacement.