NHTSA Complaint #10173136 — 2000 JEEP WRANGLER

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AT LOCAL SHOPPING CENTER THE STEERING WHEEL FELT AS IF IT BOUND UP AND AN SPRING SOUND OCCURRED AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. AS IT WAS TO LATE TO CONTACT THE DEALER I CALLED THEM ON MONDAY MORNING AND THEY ARRANGED FOR ME TO HAVE IT CHECKED ON TUESDAY. ON INVESTIGATION THEY FOUND THE AIRBAG CLOCK SPRING TO BE BROKEN AND ORDERED THE PART, WHICH I PAID FOR. ON THURSDAY I DROVE MY JEEP BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE SPRING REPLACED AND ALTHOUGH THE SPRING WAS BROKEN IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME IT WAS A CHAFFED WIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THAT THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED BUT IT DID NOT! SHE THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD COST ME TO $500 TO $1600 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I ASSUMED THIS WAS A SAFETY RELATED ITEM AND AS SUCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED . SHE CHECKED WITH THE DISTRICT REP FOR CHRYSLER LATER IN THE DAY AND THEY CLAIM NOTHING COULD BE DONE FOR ME ALTHOUGH THE JEEP ONLY HAS 40578 MILES ON IT AND I COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE STEERING COLUMN TO CHAFE THE WIRE. AS OF NOW I HAVE A LOANER VEHICLE WHILE THEY CHECK INTO HOW TO PROCEED. *NM