NHTSA Complaint #10164893 — 2002 JEEP LIBERTY

MY CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE DOOR LOCKS WHERE OPENING AND CLOSING, SO IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THE BATTERY WAS DEAD SO THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE IT AND THEN THEY WOULD RUN A TEST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS MY OVER HEAD LIGHTS WOULD COME ON EVERY SO OFTEN AND I WOULD HAVE TO GIGGLE THE TURN SIGNAL TO MAKE THEM GO OFF (SOMETIMES USING THE TURN SIGNAL TRIGGERS THE LIGHT TO COME ON). I ASKED IF IT COULD BE A SHORT IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THEY SAID NO IT WAS JUST A DEAD BATTERY. A FEW DAYS LATER I NOTICED THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS ON IN MY CAR AFTER IT GOT DARK OUTSIDE AND THEY WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF EVERY FEW MINUTES. AFTER DISCUSSING THE RECENT RECALL ON THE FRONT BALL BEARINGS WITH A CO-WORKER I FOUND OUT THAT SHE TOO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE INTERIOR LIGHTS (2002 MODEL), I THEN ASKED ANOTHER CO-WORKER WHO OWNS A 2004 MODEL AND HE TOO HAD THIS PROBLEM. APPARENTLY THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN THIS HAPPENS ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT BECAUSE IT DISTRACTS THE DRIVER. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT NOW MY LIGHT IS OUT ON THE SHIFT PANEL. I THINK THIS COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT IT LEADING INTO OTHER SHORTS IN THE CAR. I FEEL THAT BECAUSE I NO LONGER HAVE A WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE THAT THE DEALER IS TRYING TO MAKE MONEY ON ME AND THIS OBVIOUSLY A MALFUNCTION IN THIS MODEL. *JB