NHTSA Complaint #10399542 — 2001 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

HAD CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 70 MPH IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON THE INTERSTATE (70 MPH SPEED LIMIT). PUT FOOT ON ACCELERATOR TO SPEED UP IN ORDER TO CHANGE TO LEFT LANE AND BETTER CLEAR THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. INITIAL ACCELERATOR PUSH YIELDED NO RESPONSE, SO I PUSHED FURTHER DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN THE PEDAL REACHED THE FLOOR, ACCELERATION SHOT UP AND I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. CRUISE CONTROL WAS STILL ENGAGED AND I EXPECTED MY SPEED TO GO BACK TO THE SET CRUISE SPEED OF 70 MPH. I NOTICED THEN THAT THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED TO INCREASE AND I TRIED TO BREAK ONCE ON THE BREAK PEDAL. I GOT NO RESPONSE. I PUSHED HARDER ON THE BREAK AND FELT THE ACCELERATION CONTINUE TO INCREASE AND THEN SMELLED BRAKE HEAT. I PUSHED ON THE CRUISE BUTTON TO TRY TO TURN CRUISE OFF. NO RESPONSE. I FELT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHICH WAS FLAT TO THE FLOOR AND TRIED TAPPING IT TO GET IT TO SPRING BACK UP. NO RESPONSE. THEN I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND SAW THE ENGINE REV TO THE REDLINE ON THE RPM GAUGE. I TOOK IT BACK INTO DRIVE AND STILL THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED AS I HELD THE BRAKE HARDER AND HARDER. KNOWING I WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM I CALLED 911 THAT I WAS ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL AND I NEEDED THEIR GUIDANCE. THE 911 DISPATCHER TOLD ME TO: (1) PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND KEEP IT THERE, (2) START PULLING OVER AS THE CAR SLOWED, (3) ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, (4) PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, (5) TURN THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND BRAKE TO A STOP. I ASKED THE 911 DISPATCHER TO SEND POLICE WHO CAME AND WAITED WITH ME FOR A TOW TRUCK. *TR