NHTSA Complaint #10045265 — 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

MY 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE HAS A COUPLE POWER OUTLETS; THEY LOOK ALMOST LIKE CIGARETTE LIGHTER RECEPTACLES. THE OUTLETS ARE MARKED "20A" INDICATING A 20 AMP CURRENT CAPABILITY. THE JEEP BOOK ALSO INDICATES THESE POWER OUTLETS ARE ABLE TO CARRY 20 AMPS, AND THE JEEP SHOP MANUAL CALLS THESE 20 AMP CIRCUITS. WHEN I DISASSEMBLED SOME TRIM TO INSTALL A 2-METER HAM RADIO, I SAW 2 VERY SMALL WIRES CONNECTED TO THE REAR POWER OUTLET. THE JEEP SHOP MANUAL SAYS THESE ARE 16 GAUGE WIRES. HERE IS THE PROBLEM: 16 GAUGE WIRES WILL NOT COME NEAR THE ABILITY TO HANDLE 20 AMPS OF CURRENT. IN FACT, 16 GAUGE WIRE CURRENT CAPACITY IN A CABLE BUNDLE IS AROUND THE 5 OR 6 AMP AREA. MY HAM RADIO DRAWS 8 AMPS WHEN TRANSMITTING, AND WHEN PLUGGED IN THE JEEP POWER OUTLET, THE VOLTAGE DROP WAS THREE VOLTS. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT THE WIRES CAN SEVERELY OVERHEAT AND BECOME A FIRE HAZARD IF THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE ADVERTISED 20 AMP CAPABILITY. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW CHRYSLER/JEEP GETS AWAY WITH THIS. THERE IS A 20 AMP FUSE IN THIS CIRCUIT, SO ANYONE USING AN INVERTER OR OTHER ACCESSORY THAT ACTUALLY DRAWS 20 AMPS IS GOING TO SERIOUSLY OVERHEAT OR MELT THE WIRING BEFORE THE FUSE BLOWS. *LA