NHTSA Complaint #10504285 — 2010 JEEP WRANGLER

WHEN PERFORMING A LEFT HAND TURN WHILE ACCELERATING AWAY FROM A STOP MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND ASSOCIATED CHIME CAME ON. WHILE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE WITH THE WHEEL CENTERED THE LIGHT STAYED LOCKED IN, DURING A SWEEPING RIGHT HAND TURN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. THIS PATTERN CONTINUED UNTIL I RETURNED HOME AND CHECKED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION WAS IN FACT THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND ASSOCIATED CHIME. ANY STEERING WHEEL POSITION LEFT OF CENTER WOULD IMMEDIATELY CAUSE THE LIGHT AND CHIME AND ANY POSITION RIGHT OF CENTER OF WOULD EXTINGUISH THE LIGHT WITHIN 10 SECONDS. I KNEW AT THIS POINT THAT THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING WIRING ASSEMBLY WAS FAULTY AND SCHEDULED A DEALERSHIP APPOINTMENT FOR VERIFICATION AND REPAIR. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A TROUBLECODE CHECK AND RECEIVED DTC: B1B02-DRIVER AIRBAG SQUIB 1 CIRCUIT OPEN. DEALERSHIP FURTHER CONFIRMED BY CYCLING THE STEERING WHEEL AND CODE WENT FROM ACTIVE TO STORED. THE CLOCK SPRING WAS REPLACED AND RETESTED SIMILARLY TO MY ABOVE STEERING WHEEL POSITION CHECK AND NO MORE LIGHTS, CHIMES, OR TROUBLE CODES WERE EXPRESSED. FAULTY CLOCKSPRING RIBBON WIRE ASSEMBLIES ARE A RECURRING QUALITY AND SAFETY ISSUE WITH CHRYSLER VEHICLES AND JEEP WRANGLER JK'S SPECIFICALLY. PER THIS WEBSITE, ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO RECALL 2008-2012 RHD JK'S AND A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WARRANTY EXTENSION HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR 2007 LHD JK'S OF 10 YEARS, 150000 MILES. THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY A SAFETY ISSUE AS A FAULTY CLOCK SPRING CAN RESULT IN THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT IF THE PROPER CONDITIONS ARE MET, AND DEPENDING UPON THE NATURE OF THE FAULT IN THE CLOCKSPRING THE ESC SYSTEM CAN ALSO MALFUNCTION DUE TO THE LACK OF STEERING INPUT SIGNAL TO THE SYSTEM. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOR ALL AFFECTED MAKES, MODELS, AND MODEL YEARS, MUST BE COMPLETED IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY. *TR