NHTSA Complaint #10460932 — 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY ON THE MORNING OF TUESDAY, JUNE 5 AND HEARD A LOUD CLICKING SOUND COUPLED WITH A STICKING IN MY STEERING WHEEL AS I TURNED IT TO THE RIGHT. AS I CONTINUED TO MY DRIVE, I NOTICED THE CLICKING AND STICKING ALMOST EVERY TIME I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT (EVEN ON SLIGHT MOTIONS LIKE WHEN PARALLEL PARKING). I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC FOR FEAR THE STEERING WOULD STICK AND I WOULD RAM INTO SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. HE TOLD ME EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE ON THE OUTSIDE (NO SIGNS OF THE TYPICAL WEAR AND TEAR OR ANY OF THE COMMON LEAKAGE PROBLEMS). HOWEVER, HE SAID THIS WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. AFTER CAREFUL INSPECTION HE FOUND THE INTERIOR OF THE GEARBOX CRACKED. WHEN HE LOOKED UP THE PARTS HE SAW THAT THE 2000 AND 2001 STEERING GEAR HAD BEEN RECALLED AND INSTRUCTED ME TO TALK TO MY LOCAL JEEP DEALER (MY LOCAL DEALER IS THE FIGUEROA LOCATION IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES). WHEN I SPOKE WITH THEM, THEY INFORMED ME MY CAR WAS NOT UNDER THE RECALL PARAMETERS AS IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN DECEMBER 1999. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMS FAR MORE REACHING THAN THE SMALL PARAMETERS OF THE DATES OF THE RECALLS. THE SAME PART (#52088272AD) HAS CAUSED THE SAME HAZARDOUS AND COSTLY PROBLEM (STICKING/BINDING/SEIZING) OVER A SPAN OF TWO YEARS OF JEEPS, 2000 AND 2001. THIS SAME PART WAS USED IN JEEPS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS AS WELL. *JS