NHTSA Complaint #10477642 — 2010 JEEP COMPASS

VERY HOT DAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. DRIVING NORTH OF I-15 FREEWAY. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I OWNED THE CAR (ORIGINAL OWNER) I PLACED THE A/C BLOWER CONTROL SWITH IN POSITION 4 (MAX POSITION). AFTER A FEW SECONDS SMOKE BEGAN TO BILLOW OUT OF THE OPENING OF THE BLOWER CONTROL KNOB. ONCE NOTICED, IT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE TO THE POINT THAT I HAD TO TURN OFF THE A/C AND NAVIGATE FOUR FULL SPEED LANES OF TRAFFIC TO PULL OVER IN CASE OF FIRE SPREAD. ONCE SAFELY ON SHOULDER, TURNED CAR OFF, EVACUATED CAR AND WAITED UNTIL SMOKE CLEARED. ONCE CLEAR, RESTARTED CAR AND AFTER MINUTES OF NO ISSUES WITH A/C OFF, PROCEEDED HOME. ONCE HOME DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON INTERNET TO FIND OUT THAT MANY CHRYSLER / JEEP OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT MANY HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I PULLED MY CAR INTO THE STREET AND STARTED THE CAR AND TESTED THE BLOWER SWITCH BASED ON WHAT I HAD READ THE NIGHT BEFORE. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THE SWITCH WORKED IN ALL POSITIONS EXCEPT POSITION 4 WHICH NOW HAD APPARENTLY BURNED OUT - WITHOUT EVER CAUSING THE FUSE TO BLOW. MY DASHBOARD SMOKED, CAUSING A SERIOUS AND IMMEDIATE HIGH SPEED DRIVING HAZARD, COUPLED WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE FIRE, AND THE FUSE HAD NEVER BLOWN. AS OF THIS WRITING, THE SWITCH HAS STILL NOT BEEN REPLACED, SINCE AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS TO HAVE JEEP LOOK AT THE PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGING ME FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS, THEY REFUSED. I AM HESITANT TO HAVE THE PANEL/SWITCH FIXED UNTIL I HAVE SOME ASSURANCE THAT THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, SINCE IT IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF FAILURE OCCUR WITHOUT THE KEY SAFETY COMPONENT (FUSE) NOT WORKING PROPERLY. PLEASE CONSIDER A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION BEFORE THERE IS LOSS OF LIFE/PROPERTY DUE TO A FLAWED CIRCUIT DESIGN.