NHTSA Complaint #10188079 — 2006 JEEP COMMANDER

WE PURCHASED A 2006 JEEP COMMANDER IN JULY OF 2006. SINCE WE HAVE OWNED IT, WE HAVE HAD 2 ROCK CHIPS, THAT WE HAVE HAD PATCHED. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE 4 DIFFERENT CRACKS THAT HAVE ALL STARTED BELOW THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND ALL 4 CRACKS STARTED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF EACH OTHER. FIRST, IT SEEMS THAT JEEP COMMANDERS ARE MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ROCK CHIPS THAN ANY OTHER CAR THAT WE HAVE EVER OWNED. SECOND, THE LATEST 4 CRACKS DO NOT SEEM TO EVEN HAVE STARTED FROM ROCK CHIPS, BUT SINCE THEY HAVE ALL STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD, BELOW THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS (WHEN THE WIPERS WERE NOT BEING USED AT ALL), THIS SEEMS TO US TO BE SOME KIND OF DESIGN FLAW WITH THE COMMANDER'S WINDSHIELD. PERHAPS THE WINDSHIELDS ARE JUST TOO BIG, TOO STRAIGHT, WITH LITTLE TO NO SLOPE AT ALL, OR JUST NOT MADE STURDY ENOUGH. IT JUST SEEMS THAT THERE IS A DESIGN OR QUALITY PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD, AND WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP THAT WE WENT TO NOT BEING WILLING TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. WE DON'T DRIVE OUR CARS ON GRAVEL ROADS AT ALL, WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THEM THROUGH ANY CONSTRUCTION ZONE AREAS. WE DRIVE THEM ON NORMAL, GENERALLY GOOD CONDITION ROADS, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM REASONABLE THAT IN 9 MONTHS TIME, WE HAVE HAD 2 ROCK CHIPS, AND NOW 4 DIFFERENT CRACKS. WE DON'T FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY $500 TO HAVE A WINDSHIELD REPAIRED, THAT WE ARE CONCERNED WITH ONCE IT IS REPAIRED THAT THE SAME PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, AGAIN AND AGAIN. WE HAVE TALKED TO A FEW OTHER COMMANDER OWNERS, AND THEY HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WE ARE HAVING. ONE COUPLE THAT WE KNOW THAT OWNS A COMMANDER IS ON THEIR 3RD WINDSHIELD. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH NOT JUST US, BUT OTHER COMMANDER OWNERS ALSO. WE ARE WONDERING WHAT JEEP PLANS TO DO TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM? IS A RECALL BEING CONSIDERED? IS A BETTER, STRONGER, WINDSHIELD EVEN A POSSIBILITY, OR IS THE WINDSHIELD IS JUST TOO LARGE, AND TOO STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN TO NOT CONSTANTLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *JB