NHTSA Complaint #10274648 — 2008 JEEP COMMANDER 4X4

I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 JEEP COMMANDER (W/APPROXI. 50 MI) FROM SANSONE'S ROUTE 1 AUTO MALL ON 6/11/09. WITHIN 48 HRS OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE (AT 150 MI) THE SHIFT GEAR AND TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED. ON 6/13/09 I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO JERSEY CITY, NJ. AFTER REACHING MY DESTINATION, I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO UNLOAD. WHEN I FINISHED, I COULD NOT SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK WITHOUT ENGAGING THE SHIFT LOCK MANUAL OVERRIDE (AS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL). DURING THIS TIME THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON AND THE ELECTRONIC VEHICLE INFO CENTER DISPLAYED 'SERVICE PARK ASSIST SYSTEM'. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO ALERT THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND I WAS ASKED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE SERVICED. ON THE WAY TO AVENEL FROM JERSEY CITY, THE VEHICLE DROVE WITHOUT ISSUE FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES. HOWEVER, AFTER PROCEEDING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK AND WITH THE PEDAL PRESSED TO THE FLOOR, IT WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE TO 30 MPH. I DROVE AT THIS SPEED ON ROUTE 1 FROM JERSEY CITY TO NEWARK AIRPORT WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY OPENED UP AND THE VEHICLE SHOT OFF AT A HIGH SPEED. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH FROM NEWARK AIRPORT TO THE SANSONE DEALERSHIP IN AVENEL. DURING THE ENTIRE TRIP THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT SANSONE'S SERVICE CENTER AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE ISSUE WAS A FAULTY 'PRNDL' WIRE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS ORDERED AND INSTALLED AND ON 6/16/09 I WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRE WAS REPLACED RESOLVING BOTH ISSUES'THE LOCKED SHIFT GEAR AND INABILITY TO ACCELERATE. I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE TUESDAY NIGHT. FOUR DAYS LATER I HAD THE SAME EXACT ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. MY FATHER HAS OWNED JEEP PRODUCTS FOR OVER 15 YRS AND HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED PERFORMANCE ISSUES OF THIS MAGNITUDE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE AND BEYOND REPAIR. *TR