NHTSA Complaint #10374935 — 2006 JEEP WRANGLER

THE VEHICLE IS A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON W/~44,000 MILES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING A TRIP AND UPON RETURN A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL READ THE ERROR CODES = P0016 AND OTHERS. THE CODE P0016 INDICATED A CAM-CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WHICH IS PART OF THE CAMSHAFT SYNCHORNIZER (PART #53010624AC). INQUIRY INTO PURCHASING THIS PART, WE WERE TOLD THE PART IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND HAS BEEN FOR MORE THAN 9 MONTHS. FURTHER INQUIRY INTO NUMEROUS OTHER DEALERS AND PARTS COMPANY'S SUPPORT THE NATIONAL BACK ORDER PROBLEM. AND AFTER DEEPER RESEARCH ONLINE INTO THIS ISSUE INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING THREAD AT HTTP://WWW.JEEPFORUM.COM/FORUM/F9/CHRYSLER-PAYING-INSTALL-NEW-CAM-2005-2006-OWNERS-SHOULD-READ-963235/?REFERRERID=211189 IT SHOWS A MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM EXISTS THAN JUST A SENSOR CAUSING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THERE WAS A RECALL (EO5) FOR THE 2005 MODEL YEAR BUT YET THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS IN THE 2006 MODEL AS EVIDENCED BY THE THREAD (THERE ARE OTHER THREADS AND RESEARCH) AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL BACK ORDER FOR THE PARTS SUPPORTING THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THE TEETH ON THE ASSOCIATED GEARS FOR THE SYNCHRONIZER AND THE CAMSHAFT PARTS PREMATURELY WEAR OUT CAUSING PLAY BETWEEN THESE TWO GEARS THUS ACTIVATING THE SENSOR WHICH THEN CAUSES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO BE ILLUMINATED. THIS CEL ACTIVITY LIMITS THE MAXIMUM RPMS AT ~3,000 THUS CAUSING LIMITED DRIVABILITY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF WHEN EXCEEDING THIS RPM LIMIT DUE TO CHANGING GEARS TO EITHER ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE, THE VEHICLE SPUTTERS AND HESITATES SIGNIFICANTLY THUS REDUCING DRIVABILITY POTENTIALLY ENDANGERING THE OCCUPANTS DURING NORMAL CITY AND INTERSTATE DRIVING CONDITIONS. FURTHER USE OF THE VEHICLE CAUSES FURTHER FAILURE OF THESE GEARS RESULTING IN A SHUT DOWN OF THE VEHICLE AND COMPLETE INOPERABLE. WHEN THE GEARS STOP TURNING, THIS ACTION STOPS TURNING THE OIL PUMP RESULTING IN NO OIL FLOW. NO OIL FLOW COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE SHOULD THESE GEARS FAIL WHILE DRIVING ON OUR INTERSTATE SYSTEM. *TR