NHTSA Complaint #10444709 — 2006 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

EXHAUST MANIFOLDS LEAK, POTENTIALLY INTRODUCING EXHAUST GASES, INCLUDING CARBON MONOXIDE, INTO THE PASSENGER AREA. I INITIALLY TOOK MY VEHICLE TO LITHIA DODGE IN SANTA FE, NM TO REPORT AN EXHAUST LEAK THAT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WAS TO BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY ONLY REPAIRED THE PASSENGER SIDE WITHOUT APPARENTLY PERFORMING A LEAK CHECK. THE FIX FOR THIS IS TO REPLACE THE OEM GASKET WITH ONE THAT INCORPORATES METAL TO APPARENTLY COMPENSATE FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE DISSIMILAR METALS OF THE HEAD/EXHAUST MANIFOLD. SINCE THERE IS A DEFECT, THE GASKETS LEAK, AND THE UNEVEN EXPANSION CAUSES THE BOLTS/STUDS TO BREAK, EXACERBATING THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE REPAIR THE SOUND SEEMED SIMILAR BUT I ASSUMED IT MUST BE INJECTOR OR VALVE/LIFTER NOISE. RECENTLY I HAD MY TRANSMISSION SERVICED BY A LOCAL SHOP AND THEY NOTED THAT I HAD AN EXHAUST LEAK. AGAIN I LISTENED AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM PASSENGER SIDE. THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE MECHANIC PERFORMED AN INSPECTION AND FOUND THE DRIVER'S SIDE TO BE LEAKING. AGAIN HE ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE THE OEM GASKET WITH THE UPGRADED GASKET, BUT IN THE PROCESS BROKE A STUD OFF IN THE HEAD AND WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR WITHOUT EXCESS EXPENSE, NOW NOT UNDER WARRANTY, OF COURSE. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE OTHER SIDE WAS LEAKING AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR IT, BUT THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT LEAKING. IT'S OBVIOUS THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS THERE IS A DEFECT, SINCE THEY ISSUED AN UPGRADED GASKET. THESE VEHICLES WITH THE 4.7L V8 SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE PROPER GASKET INSTALLED. I HAVE READ ON VARIOUS FORUMS ONLINE THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE 4.7L V8 IN CHRYSLER PRODUCTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT