NHTSA Complaint #10479246 — 2011 JEEP WRANGLER

DEAR[XXX] A VERY HIGH PROFILE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE AREA ON APRIL 30, 2011. ON THAT DATE A [XXX] DROVE OFF A CLIFF ON SIGNAL MOUNTAIN AND WENT MISSING FOR 7 MONTHS... T-3.4 SECS, THE YAW RATE SENSOR SHOWED A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE YAW RATE FROM -23 DEGREES/SECOND TO 0 DEGREES/SECOND IN 0.2 SECS. T-2.9 SECS, THE VEHICLE DETECTS THE SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE YAW RATE AND CAUSES THE ESP TRACTION LAMP TO START FLASHING. THE LAMP REMAINS FLASHING UP UNTIL THE IMPACT WITH A 300# BOULDER AT WHICH TIME THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED RECORDING THESE DATA. T-2.5 SECS, THE DRIVER NOTICES THE FLASHING ESP TRACTION LAMP IN 0.4 SECS LIFTING HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR BRIEFLY FOR 0.3 SECONDS. THE ACCELERATOR POSITION IS INDICATED BY THE BLUE LINE. SHE THEN REAPPLIED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE SAME LOCATION BY T-2.2 SECS INDICATING THAT SHE REALIZED SHE WAS NOT SLIDING DESPITE THE ESP TRACTION INDICATOR. SHE HAD HER VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AT THIS TIME. T-1.8 SECS, THE ESP MODULE APPARENTLY TOLD THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PUMP TO LOCK BOTH FRONT WHEELS WHILE ALLOWING BOTH BACK WHEELS TO KEEP DRIVING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. THIS SUGGESTS THAT IN ADDITION TO HER YAW SENSOR FAILURE THERE WAS ALSO A SOFTWARE ERROR THAT TOOK PLACE. (I KNOW OF NO CIRCUMSTANCE WHEN ONE WOULD WANT BOTH FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK IN ORDER TO STABILIZE A VEHICLE IN MOTION). THE LOCKING OF BOTH FRONT WHEELS THEN CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL ULTIMATELY PLUNGING HER OFF THE 300 FOOT CLIFF. T-0.5 SECS, ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER IS STILL 0.5 SEC FROM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT THE YAW RATE SENSOR LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT RECORDER CONFIRMING THAT HER YAW RATE SENSOR HAD FAILED, I.E. THESE READINGS ARE DENOTED AS SNA. [XXX] CC: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR