NHTSA Complaint #10515995 — 2009 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4

THE FACTORY RADIO IN MY DAUGHTER'S JEEP PATRIOT KEPT BLOWING ITS SUPPLY FUSE. WE REPLACED THE RADIO FIGURING THAT WAS THE ISSUE BUT THE FUSE WOULD STILL BLOW. IN TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROBLEM I DISCOVERED THAT THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS WAS NOT PROPERLY SUPPORTED AS ITS ROUTED THROUGH THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IT ENTERS NEAR THE FLOOR IN THE WALL NEXT TO THE DRIVERS LEFT FOOT AND THEN TURNS HORIZONTAL UNDER THE DASH JUST ABOVE THE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR THE CLUTCH/BRAKE PEDALS. THE HARNESS WAS LYING ON TOP OF THE SHARP METAL EDGE ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET AND WORE THROUGH THE INSULATION ALLOWING THE 12V FEED FOR THE ROAD TO SHORT TO GROUND BLOWING THE FUSE. AT LEAST ONE OTHER WIRE HAD ITS INSULATION BURNED IN THE PROCESS. NOT ENOUGH TO DEEM IT "A FIRE" BUT DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. I CONSIDER OURSELVES VERY FORTUNATE - ONLY THE RADIO WAS AFFECTED. IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN ONE OF THE SAFETY SYSTEMS - BRAKES, AIR BAGS, ETC. THAT ALSO GO THROUGH THAT HARNESS AND IF MULTIPLE WIRES WERE INVOLVED THE FUSES COULD HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENT TO PREVENT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE WITHIN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I OWN 2 JEEP PATROITS - A 2009 AND A 2010. I CHECKED MY 2010 AND THE HARNESS ON THAT PATRIOT APPEARS TO BE SUSPENDED UP AGAINST THE DASH FRAME SO IT'S OFF THE BRACKETS FOR THE BRAKE/CLUTCH. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE HARNESS IN OUR 2009 WAS JUST MISS-INSTALLED OR A DESIGN FAULT WAS CORRECTED IN 2010. I DO HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE TO THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH I CAN FORWARD IF THIS ISSUE IS DEEMED SERIOUS ENOUGH FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *TR