NHTSA Complaint #10356630 — 2006 JEEP COMMANDER

1. NORMAL USE OF THE VEHICLE. 2. THE INNER DOOR HANDLES BREAK AND YOU CANT EXIT THE VEHICLE. 3. THE ONLY CURRENT SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE OEM DOOR PANEL FOR EVERY DOOR. THE DOOR HANDLE IS PLASTIC AND IS MOLDED INTO THE DOOR PANEL SO THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO REPAIR IT WITHOUT REPLACING THE WHOLE PANEL AT A VERY LARGE EXPENSE. UNFORTUNATELY THE REPLACEMENT DOOR PANELS ARE THE SAME DESIGN SO IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY FAIL ALSO. MY FEAR IS THAT IN A TIME OF CRISIS ONE OR ALL OF THE DOORS COULD FAIL TO OPEN. BELOW WAS SENT TO CHRYSLER.COM THERE IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW WITH THE INNER DOOR HANDLES ON THE JEEP COMMANDER. THE HOUSING IS ENTIRELY MADE OF PLASTIC AND IS VERY BRITTLE. AFTER A FEW YEARS OF USE THE PLASTIC STARTS TO CRACK THEN BREAK AWAY AND THE INNER HANDLE WILL NOT FUNCTION. IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE HANDLE YOU ARE FORCED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE INNER DOOR PANEL. PART 5JS891D1AG FOR THE DRIVERS DOOR. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE PURCHASING THE ENTIRE OEM PANEL FOR EACH DOOR IS UNGODLY EXPENSIVE BUT NECESSARY IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ACTUALLY WANT TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO "DUKES OF HAZARD" AND CLIMB OUT. THE REPLACEMENT PANELS ARE IN NO WAY IMPROVED FROM THE ORIGINAL DESIGN SO IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THAT THEY WILL BREAK AS WELL IN THE SAME MANNER. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY THAT THEY WILL NOT OPEN THE DOOR IN A TIME OF NEED. I AM A MEMBER OF SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS AND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH SEVERAL COMMANDER OWNERS. FROM WHAT I HAVE FOUND THE JEEP LIBERTY HAS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE....POOR DESIGN. *TR