NHTSA Complaint #10198391 — 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

SINCE 4/24/07, MY 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO START. THIS TYPICALLY HAS HAPPENED AFTER DRIVING IT THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. (ONLY ONCE DID IT HAPPEN EARLY IN THE MORNING AFTER SITTING ALL NIGHT.) FOR THE FIRST TWO FAILURES, JUMPING THE BATTERY WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE THIRD INCIDENT, WHERE THE JUMP DIDN'T WORK, LED TO THE BATTERY BEING REPLACED, ALTHOUGH THE OLD BATTERY WAS NEVER DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY. WHEN THE CAR FAILED TO START WITH THE NEW BATTERY,THE KEYS WERE RE-CODED BY A JEEP DEALER. IT THEN FAILED TO START WITH THE NEWLY CODED KEYS. THE IGNITION WAS ELIMINATED AS A PROBLEM, AND THE STARTER WAS REPLACED (WITH AN AFTER-MARKET PRODUCT). WHEN THE CAR FAILED TO START AGAIN, THE STARTER WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME (WITH A CHRYSLER PART) AND THE IGNITION ONCE AGAIN WAS DIAGNOSED AS WORKING. AFTER THE NEXT FAILURE TO START, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. WHEN THE CAR AGAIN FAILED TO START, I WAS TOLD THE NEWLY REPLACED TEMPERATURE SENSOR WAS FAULTY, IT WAS BEING REPLACED, AND THE CAR WOULD BE READY THE NEXT DAY. NOW, THREE DAYS AFTER BEING TOLD THE CAR WOULD BE READY,I'M TOLD THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, ALTHOUGH THE DIAGNOSTICS NOW INDICATE THERE IS A PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY THE CURRENT JEEP DEALER SERVICING IT THAT NO ONE COULD BE CONSULTED AT CHRYSLER UNTIL THE PROBLEM COULD BE REPLICATED. (ALTHOUGH IT IS A TIMELY PROCESS, THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPLICATED WHILE IN REPAIR.) IT IS NOW AUGUST 3, 2007, AND FOR THE LAST 102 DAYS MY GRAND CHEROKEE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF REPAIR FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. WHEN I HAVE HAD ACCESS TO IT, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT WITH ANY CONFIDENCE. THE DEALER (NOT A JEEP DEALER) WHERE I PURCHASED THIS CAR HAS BEEN LOANING ME VEHICLES AND THEY HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL IN THEIR CONCERN, DESPITE ANYONE'S ABILITY TO RESOLVE THIS. THEIR DAILY ATTENTION MY FAULTY VEHICLE IS THE ONLY REASON, AS A FIRST-TIME JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OWNER, THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STAY ON THE ROAD TODAY. *TR