NHTSA Complaint #10553505 — 2006 JEEP COMMANDER

IN MAY, 2013 I RECEIVED RECALL, N23. SOON AFTER I HAD THE RECALL APPLIED. ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO USE THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE FEATURE IT FAILED. I WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO DISCONNECTED THE TRANSFER CASE, CHECKED THE CONNECTIONS AND VOLTAGES AND FOUND THEM OK. THEY RECONNECTED THE TRANSFER CASE AND REPORTED IT OPERATIONAL. A FEW WEEKS LATER, WHILE TRAVELING, I RECEIVED ANOTHER WARNING THAT THE TRANSFER CASE FAILED. I WENT TO A LOCAL JEEP DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS NEEDING AN ACTUATOR. WHEN I RETURNED HOME I WENT TO THE DEALER THAT APPLIED THE ORIGINAL RECALL WHICH WAS A SOFTWARE UPDATE. AFTER THEY CLEARED THE ERROR CODES THEY SAID THEY FOUND A BROKEN CONNECTOR ON THE ACTUATOR. I ASSUME ALL THE MANUAL HANDLING OF THE ACTUATOR PROBABLY CAUSED THE CONNECTOR TO BRAKE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ACTUATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED BUT WAS ON BACKORDER. I HAVE PAPERWORK THAT INDICATES THAT THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM FOUND WAS A CRACKED CIRCUIT BOARD IN THE ACTUATOR. HOW CAN A SOFTWARE UPDATE FIX A CRACKED CIRCUIT BOARD? COULD THAT BE WHY THERE ARE NO NEW ACTUATORS AVAILABLE? WERE THEY PULLED OFF THE MARKET? THERE ARE MANY JEEP OWNERS THAT I AM IN CONTACT WITH THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS I AM AND ARE BEING TOLD THE SAME THING BY CHRYSLER THAT I AM: THAT THE RECALL DID NOT CAUSE THE DAMAGE TO THE ACTUATOR. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF CHRYSLER AND THE OWNERS NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM. *TR