NHTSA Complaint #10505280 — 1999 JEEP WRANGLER

EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE JEEP, IT HAS BEEN A RELIABLE VEHICLE. THE OTHER DAY, I WENT TO START IT AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. I TRIED REPLACING THE FUSE AND FOUND IT TO BE GOOD, RECEIVING POWER. I STARTED TO CHECK WEBSITES FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND FOUND A RECALL FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM I WAS HAVING. THIS RECALL DESCRIBED EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO MY JEEP. THE RECALL IS FOUND HERE RECALL 99V117000: INSTRUMENT PANEL GROUND SCREWS LOOSE THE LEFT SIDE AND RIGHT SIDE INSTRUMENT PANEL WIRING GROUND ATTACHMENT SCREWS COULD LOOSEN OVER TIME. IF THE LEFT SIDE SCREW LOOSENS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES MAY NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE HEADLAMPS ARE TURNED ON. IF THE RIGHT SIDE SCREW LOOSENS, THE DEFROSTER BLOWER MOTOR MAY NOT FUNCTION. WELL, I TOOK A COPY OF THE RECALL TO MY LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP, BLUEBONNET JEEP IN NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS. AS SOON AS I WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR, I STARTED TELLING THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE JEEP AND HOW SIMILAR IT WAS TO THE RECALL. I SHOWED THEM A COPY OF THE RECALL AND CONTINUED TELLING THEM HOW IT WAS BEHAVING. THE DEALER ASKED ME IF I PURCHASED THE JEEP FROM THEM AND I TOLD THEM NO. THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ME NOT BUYING THE JEEP FROM THEM, THEY WENT OUT AND COPIED THE VIN NUMBER DOWN. THE ATTENDANT STATED THEY COULD NOT HELP ME BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SHOWING UP AS BEING A RECALL ISSUE. I TOLD THEM IT WAS GIVING ME ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THIS RECALL AND THEY SAID THEY DID NOT CARE, IF THE NUMBER DOES NOT SHOW UP ON THEIR COMPUTER, THEY WILL NOT HELP. I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL RECALL EFFECTS MORE MODELS OF JEEP THAN ORIGINALLY STATED AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THIS TO BE INVESTIGATED. THANKS. *TR