NHTSA Complaint #10438747 — 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 11/23/2011. THE CAR HAD 308 MILES ON ODOMETER. ON 11/25/2011 AS WE WERE GOING OUT OF TOWN THE VEHICLE'S DIAGNOSTIC (OBD II) SYSTEM WARNING APPEARED, WITH A SYMBOL "MIL" INDICATING A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT. I CHECKED THE FUEL TANK CAP AND IT WAS TIGHT, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST CHRYSLER/JEEP DEALERSHIP IN HAMPTONROADS, VA. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED OUT THE PROBLEM AND DETERMINED IT TO BE A # 6 CYLINDER, MISFIRE-COIL FAILURE. NONE WERE AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERSON STATED THAT IT WAS OK TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE LOCALLY BUT SUGGESTED IT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD IDEA TO DRIVE IT OUT OF TOWN, AS IT WOULD NOT GET VERY GOOD GAS MILEAGE! WE STARTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME, HOWEVER; APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES AFTER WE DEPARTED THE JEEP DEALERSHIP THE VEHICLE CAUGHT A FIRE AND BURNED THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT/FRONT OF VEHICLE. WE, MY WIFE AND I ESCAPED WITHOUT PHYSICAL HARM, BUT HAD TO STAND BY AND WATCH IT BURN UNTIL THE FIREDEPARTMENT ARRIVED. *TR