NHTSA Complaint #10470491 — 2007 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

ENGINE STALLING DURING DECELERATION DUE TO OEM SPARK PLUGS THUS NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES WHEN IT IS NEEDED THE MOST. CHAMPION SPARK PLUGS HAS 2 DIFFERENT SPARK PLUGS WITH SAME PART NUMBER RE14MCC4. THIS IS THE CHRYSLER OEM SUPPLIER ANS PART NUMBER FOR HEMI ENGINE SPARK PLUGS THROUGH 2007. ONE OF THE TWO SPARK PLUGS IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE HEMI ENGINE AND LEADS TO STALLING WHILE DECELERATING. THE CONSUMER HAS NO INFORMATION ON WHICH ONE TO USE. NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS DISTRIBUTORS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCE. CHRYSLER HAS AN INTERNAL MEMO ("STAR CASE") THAT DOCUMENTS THE ISSUE BUT HAS NOT RELEASED IT TO THE PUBLIC. I WAS SHOWN THE MEMO BUT WAS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A COPY. NO TSBS EXISTS. NO RECALL EITHER. NHTSA TOLD ME THEY DO NOT HANDLE THIS. THEY ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THE FTC. THE FTC TOOK MY COMPLAINT BUT REFERRED ME TO THE DOT AS THEY WERE CONCERNED FOR CONSUMER SAFETY. I HAVE SIDE BY SIDE PICTURES OF THE 2 SPARK PLUGS WITH THE SAME PART NUMBER AND WOULD BE WILLING TO SUPPLY THEM. I ALSO HAVE ONE OF EACH PLUG IN MY POSSESSION. THERE IS VISUAL DIFFERENCES. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED IN A 2007 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WITH THE HEMI ENGINE. IT STARTED TO STALL WHILE DECELERATING AFTER THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE INTERVAL. DID CHAMPION CHANGE MANUFACTURING PROCESS? DID CHRYSLER REQUEST A CHANGE DUE TO A DISCOVERED ISSUE AFTER PRODUCTION? IF IT WAS CHAMPIONS FAULT ONE WOULD THINK THAT CHRYSLER WOULD ISSUE A TSB AS THEY WOULD HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ISSUE. SINCE THEY ARE NOT RELEASING THE INFO ARE THEY THE ONES THAT REQUESTED THE CHANGE? THE CORRECT SPARK PLUGS WERE CHANGES AND THE ISSUE HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE. *TR