NHTSA Complaint #10547131 — 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

TIPM- I WENT TO START MY JEEP THIS MORNING THAT FELT LIKE A WEAK START UP, IT THEN HICCUPED AND DIED. THINKING IT MAYBE JUST A ONE TIME INCIDENT, TRIED AGAIN, WITH THE RESULT OF THE STARTER JUST CRANKING FOR ABOUT 5-6 SECONDS. THIS REPEATED MULTIPLE MORE TIMES BEFORE I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BAD FUEL PUMPS, AND THE COST TO REPLACE WAS $1600. THIS PROMPTED ME TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND ASK IF THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE. AFTER EXPLAINING THE ISSUE AT HAND, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THE ISSUE TO BE CAUSED BY FAULTY PUMPS, BUT FROM THE TIPM. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE FIRST TIME HE HAS HEARD OF THIS ISSUE. I THEN DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND FOUND THIS TO BE A PRETTY PREVALENT ISSUE AMONGST OWNERS OF THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. WHEN I CALLED HIM BACK TO SEE IF THE BACKORDER ISSUES WERE TRUE, HE TOLD ME IT WOULD TAKE AROUND THREE WEEKS TO GET THE PART. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR THE JEEP CORPORATE NUMBER, CALLED THEM, AND BEGAN TO SPEAK TO A GUY ABOUT IT THERE. HE TOLD ME THAT THE PRODUCTION RATE WAS ONE PER 7 DAYS... AND THAT COUPLED WITH THERE ARE TONS OF THESE CASES OUT THERE IS WHY IT WAS GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO GET THE PART. HE WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT ITS JUST HOW FAST, (OR SLOW) THEY ARE PRODUCING THEM. I ASKED IF THE NEW PRODUCT WAS A REPLICA OF THE ORIGINAL AND HE SAID THIS IS A SOLUTION FOR THE PREVIOUS ONE AND WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM, NOT JUST A BANDAID. HE ADVISED ME TO HAVE IT FIXED AND HOPE THE RECALL COMES AND I WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REIMBURSEMENT. WITH THE PRICE OF THIS FIX BEING SO HIGH AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AFFECTED, THIS HAS TO BE RECALLED. PLEASE HAVE ANYONE HAVING THIS ISSUE FILE A COMPLAINT HERE. THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TOLD ME THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH FORMAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT TO VALIDATE A RECALL.... *TR