NHTSA Complaint #10086085 — 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE

I OWN A 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. I NOTICED RECENTLY A WIRING PROBLEM TO BOTH THE FRONT DOOR SPEAKERS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS COMMON FOR THERE TO BE SHORTS IN THE WIRES THAT GO FROM THE BODY INTO THE DOOR. THEY SAID THEY USUALLY SEE THE FAILURES IN THE DOOR LOCK WIRING OR THE POWER WINDOW WIRING. THE SPEAKER WIRING TRAVELS THE SAME ROUTE INTO THE DOOR. I REALIZE THAT THE POWER IN A SPEAKER WIRE WONT PROBABLY CAUSE A FIRE, BUT THE POWER WINDOW MOTOR IS 25 AMPS AND IT COULD CAUSE A MAJOR FIRE IN THE WIRING IF SHORTED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE COST TO REPLACE JUST THE SPEAKER WIRING WOULD BE $140 PER DOOR IN LABOR ALONE. IF THERE WERE EVER SOMETHING THAT RECALLS WERE MEANT FOR, THIS IS IT. I AM HAVING THE SPEAKER WIRING REPLACED AT AN AUDIO STORE, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE POWER WINDOWS OR DOOR LOCKS AT THIS POINT. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH A RECALL. I JUST CANT AFFORD TO DO IT ON MY DIME. *AK