NHTSA Complaint #10143546 — 2000 JEEP LAREDO

WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS ARE ON AND I PRESS THE BRAKES, BOTH TAIL LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE TOP CENTER LIGHT IS THE ONLY LIGHT WORKING WHEN I AM BRAKING. WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT ON AND I PRESS THE BRAKES, TAIL/BRAKE LIGHTS WORK NORMALLY. ANOTHER DRIVER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PULL ALONG SIDE OF ME & LET ME KNOW THAT NONE OF MY LIGHTS IN THE BACK WERE WORKING WHEN I PUT ON MY BRAKES. THE NEXT MORNING I GOT ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A RECALL RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY 2005 , BUT IT IS A 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. IN MY SEARCH, I CAME ACROSS A WEBSITE THAT HAD APPX. 60 COMMENTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM FROM OTHER INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT OWNED THE SAME MAKE & MODEL VEHICLE & AFTER READING THROUGH MOST OF THOSE COMMENTS, I LEARNED THAT THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT BOTH OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES MUST BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE CIRCUITS WERE SHORTED (COST $500 INSTALLED). THE WEBSITE THAT REVEALED TO ME THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY PERSON HAVING THIS PROBLEM IS WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_33943.HTML I INCLUDED THIS WEBSITE SO THAT YOU CAN SEE JUST EXACTLY HOW MANY OF US ARE OUT HERE WITH THE SAME MAKE/MODEL VEHICLE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS & HAVE BEEN TOLD BY JEEP THAT THERE ARE NOT ANY RECALLS OR BULLETINS REGARDING A TAIL LIGHT PROBLEM. NOW THAT IT IS DARK WHEN I LEAVE THE OFFICE IN THE AFTERNOONS HEADED HOME, THIS HAS REALLY HAD ME AFRAID SOMEONE WAS GOING TO ACCIDENTALLY REAR-END ME ON THE INTERSTATE AND ALSO HOW I WOULD BE AT FAULT BECAUSE OF MY EQUIPMENT NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THIS, BUT I FELT THE SINCERE NEED TO REPORT IT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF FOLKS I ENCOUNTERED HAVING THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS WELL AS THE GREAT EXPENSE IT IS COSTING TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED. ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN OFFER WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN DOING THIS OR IF IT WAS THAT WAY WHEN I PURCHASED IT. *JB