NHTSA Complaint #10343382 — 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS OUT BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN. BRAKE LIGHTS STOP WORKING WHEN HEADLIGHTS TURNED ON. BRAKE LIGHTS WORK FINE WHEN HEADLIGHTS OFF. PROBLEM DESIGN IS IN THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. WHEN YOU REMOVE THE LIGHT SOCKET FOR THE TAIL/BRAKE LIGHT IN THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY, YOU WILL SEE 3 SILVER CONTACT POINTS INSIDE THE BLACK PLASTIC RING. TWO ARE GROUPED TOGETHER AND THERE IS ONE THAT IS OPPOSITE OF THE TWO. THE ONE BY ITSELF IS THE GROUND; THE OTHER TWO ARE THE CONTACTS FOR THE TAIL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT. THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE GROUND CONNECTOR. YOU SHOULD NOTICE THAT THE GROUND CONTACT IS DEPRESSED INTO THE PLASTIC AND THE PLASTIC ITSELF IS SLIGHTLY WARPED DOWN. MOST CARS HAVE LIGHT SOCKETS WITH THEIR WIRING ATTACHED. THE SOCKET TWISTS INTO THE LAMP ASSEMBLY. ON THE GRAND CHEROKEE, THE SOCKET DOES NOT HAVE THE WIRING ATTACHED. INSTEAD, THE WIRING GOES INTO THE LAMP ASSEMBLY AND THE SOCKET HAS THREE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS THAT, WHEN TWISTED INTO THE ASSEMBLY, WILL MAKE THE CONTACT. WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST FREQUENT MALFUNCTION IS THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS (WHICH MAKE CONTACT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE ELECTRICAL PATHS WHEN THEY ARE INSERTED INTO THE ASSEMBLY) ARE PRESSED TIGHT TO ENSURE GOOD CONTACT WITH THE ASSEMBLY...AND ON MANY TAILLIGHTS, THE PLASTIC RING CONTAINING THE RESPECTIVE PATHS OFTEN BEGINS TO SEPARATE FROM THE FATIGUE OF THE CONTACTS PRESSING SO HARD. OF THE THREE CONTACTS (REAR TAIL LIGHT, REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND GROUND), THE GROUND IS WHAT MOST COMMONLY LOSES ITS CONTACT DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OFTEN DRIVERS ARE UNAWARE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE HEADLAMPS ARE ON, SO IF CHECKED IN DAYLIGHT, THE PROBLEM OFTEN GOES UNDETECTED. ONLY WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER OR THE POLICE POINT IT OUT DOES IT LOOKED AT. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT OCCURS FOR NEARLY EVERY 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. IT IS NOT AN ISSUE OF WILL IT HAPPEN, RATHER WHEN IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN! *TR