NHTSA Complaint #10295175 — 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

I AM PAYING FOR A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE THAT I PURCHASED USED IN 12-06. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE HEATER 6 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED IT USED, WHICH THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND NO ONE RETURNED MY CALL UNTIL THIS MONTH. I RECEIVED A RECALL ABOUT THE FAN BLADES AND TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP. PRIOR TO THE SHOP APPOINTMENT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH TO CHECK WHY THE HEATER WAS NOT WORKING AND WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. HE CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT THE RECALL PART WAS ON BACK ORDER AND THAT THE BLEND MOTOR AND DOORS ON THE HEATER WERE BROKEN AND THAT THE LEAK DETECTION PUMP HAD GONE OUT, WHICH WOULD PREVENT ME FROM GETTING IT INSPECTED. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE HEATER PLUGS WERE MELTED AND IT NEEDED A WIRING HARNESS REPLACEMENT. THE DASH GETS VERY HOT WHICH HAS MELTED THE PLUGS BUT NO HEAT IS BLOWING INTO THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ALSO THE LEAK DETECTION PUMP IS AN EMISSIONS PROBLEM AND PER FEDERALLAW HAS TO BE OPERATING IN ORDER TO PASS INSPECTION. I SPOKE WITH CHRYSLER AND ASKED THEM TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND THEY LAUGHED AT ME, TELLING ME THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN OUT OF WARRANTY FOR 4.5 YEARS. (IT WAS OUT WHEN I PURCHASED IT.)AND IF IT WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY THEN THEY WOULD FIX IT. I ALSO ASKED WHY IF THE RECALL HAD BEEN OUT SINCE 2006 THEN WHY WAS I JUST NOW GETTING IT, AND THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER WHICH TELLS ME THAT I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE.HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE HEATER BEING BROKEN WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, IT IS DUE TO NOT HAVING HEAT TO DEFROST WINDOWS AND PLUGS MELTING COULD CAUSE A FIRE. I HAVE CHECKED THE WEB AND THERE ARE SO MANY WEB SITES THAT TALK ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE JEEPS THAT GO BACK TO 1998- 2005. PLEASE HELP ME I AM OUT OF WORK DUE THE MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND I HAVE A VERY TIGHT BUDGET. I HAVE CONTACTED THE N.C. ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE, CONSUMER AFFAIRS, CHRYSLER, NAT. ASSOC. CONSUMER AFFAIRS. AT THIS POINT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.-SHARON *TR