NHTSA Complaint #10535715 — 2011 JEEP WRANGLER

FOR SOME TIME THE VEHICLE HAS HAD AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL STARTING PROBLEM, WHICH RESULTS IN A PERSONAL SAFETY ISSUE. MOST TIMES THE VEHICLE STARTS PROPERLY. AT TIMES, HOWEVER, WHEN THE KEY IS INSERTED AND TURNED, NOTHING HAPPENS. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE CAN THEN BE STARTED USING THE REMOTE START AND THEN OPERATED BY QUICKLY INSERTING THE KEY AND TURNING IT. AT TIMES NEITHER THE KEY NOR THE REMOTE START WILL WORK. TYPICALLY, BY ALTERNATING BETWEEN ATTEMPTS TO USE THE KEY AND REMOTE START, THE VEHICLE CAN BE STARTED WITHIN 15 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED DUE TO THIS ISSUE AND WAS RECENTLY TAKEN TO KOONS TYSONS CHRYSLER IN VIRGINIA FOR SERVICE. HOWEVER, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED WITH A 'SOFTWARE UPGRADE' TO CORRECT THE ISSUE, THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. IT WAS AGAIN TAKEN THIS WEEK TO KOONS TYSONS CHRYSLER TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THE SERVICE CENTER SAYS IT CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON ITS LOT AND THEREFORE WON'T DO ANYTHING MORE. IT SAYS IT COMPLETELY BELIEVES THERE IS AN ISSUE, BUT WANTS TO RETURN THE VEHICLE, WAIT UNTIL THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN, AND THEN HAVE IT TOWED TO ITS SERVICE CENTER FOR APPRAISAL. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS NOT A PRACTICAL SOLUTION. IT COULD PRESENT A DANGEROUS SITUATION OF HAVING MY WIFE STUCK WHO KNOWS WHERE (A DARK PARKING LOT, RAILROAD CROSSING, ETC.) WITH A VEHICLE THAT WON'T START. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR A VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY AND CHRYSLER NEEDS TO STEP TO THE PLATE, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, AND FIX THE PROBLEM. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M DRIVING A RENTAL CAR AT MY EXPENSE AS CHRYSLER WILL NEITHER PAY THE RENTAL BILL NOR FIX ITS VEHICLE. *TR