NHTSA Complaint #10236602 — 1993 JEEP CHEROKEE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. THE VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH A KEYBOARD FOR A KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM. THE CONTACT ENTERED THE VEHICLE WITH HIS WIFE AND, AS SOON AS THE DOORS CLOSED, THEY LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY. HE AND HIS WIFE ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS, BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING WIRES, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE THE SMELL ORIGINATED. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF ATTEMPTING TO UNLOCK THE TWO FRONT DOORS, THEY WERE ABLE TO UNLOCK; HOWEVER, THE TWO REAR DOORS STILL CANNOT BE OPENED OR UNLOCKED. AFTER THE TWO FRONT DOORS BECAME UNLOCKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT NONE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES WERE WORKING. THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, AMP GAUGE, AND FUEL GAUGE WERE ALL MALFUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE KEYBOARD FOR THE KEYLESS ENTRY HAD SHORTED OUT AND BURNED ALL THE WIRING IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 131,000. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF UPDATED 09/15/08. *JB