NHTSA Complaint #10215456 — 2002 JEEP LAREDO

HELLO AND THANKS FOR LISTENING, I PURCHASED A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED WITH 47,000 MILES ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO AND AT AROUND 55,000 MILES THE PASSENGER HEAT AND DEFROST QUIT WORKING WHILE THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONTINUED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THAT WAS SO UNTIL I WENT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO FIND THAT THE PASSENGER "BLEND AIR DOOR" WAS SHOWING "TOO LARGE OF TRAVEL" BY THE DEALERSHIP COMPUTER. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THE DOOR THAT AIDS IN DIRECTING THE HEAT TO THE DESIGNATED VENTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS BROKEN. ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE WAS GIVEN TO BE $737 AND THAT WAS IF I SCHEDULED REPAIR WITHIN ONE MONTH. TWO WEEKS LATER THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEAT AND DEFROST QUIT WORKING ALONG WITH THE RECIRCULATION VENT THAT INHIBITS OUTSIDE AIR IN THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR AT PRESENT TIME DUE TO THE INABILITY TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS. AFTER TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM I FIND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM DUE TO POOR DESIGN IN THE GRAND CHEROKEE IN THE YEARS 1999-2004. IT IS ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING FAILURE OF THESE PARTS WAS SO COMMON THAT MANY MODELS WERE REPAIRED WITH THE SAME FACTORY PARTS AND FAILED AFTER BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIPS. THEN IN 2007 THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION ACKNOWLEDGED ONLY TO THE DEALERSHIPS THAT THESE PARTS WERE BEING REPLACED WITH NEWER DESIGNS DUE TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS WERE INSUFFICIENT FOR THIS TYPE VENTILATION SYSTEM. IN OTHER WORDS THE ENGINEERING OF THE SYSTEM WAS SURE TO BE A PROBLEM FOR OWNERS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND MAKE CHRYSLER/JEEP RECALL THESE SYSTEMS AND REPAIR WITH THE UPGRADED PARTS BEFORE SOMEONE KILLS INNOCENT PEOPLE DUE TO ACCIDENTS RELATED TO FOGGY WINDSHIELDS. SOME PEOPLE CANNOT JUST PARK THEIR CAR DUE TO THIS FACTORY DEFECT.....THANKS....GLENN *TR