NHTSA Complaint #10277904 — 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE

HOOD LATCHES, ALL THREE OF THEM, FAILED AND HOOD FLEW UP WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH. NO CRASH BUT ONE INJURY AND OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE REAR VIEW MIRROR CAME OFF AND LANDED IN THE BACK SEAT. THE HOOD WAS DESTROYED AS WERE THE THREE PANELS WHERE THE WIPERS ARE LOCATED AND THE SUPPORT BRACKET BELOW THEM. THE HINGES WERE HYPEREXTENDED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION I FOUND SEVERAL REPORTS OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND OTHERS WHERE THE SAME LATCH ASSEMBLY WAS USED. FIVE PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND I AM OUTRAGED THAT I WAS NEVER WARNED ABOUT THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE LATCH SYSTEM. *TR