NHTSA Complaint #10604660 — 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN SIX MONTHS THAT I HAVE HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH MY KEY FOB AFFECTING MY ENGINE. I AM AFRAID THIS MAY BE AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM BUT THE DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME IT'S THE KEY FOB BATTERY. THE FIRST TIME MY CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE ENGINE WAS DEAD. THEY REPLACED BOTH KEY FOBS 6 MONTHS AGO AND TOLD ME THEY WERE DEFECTIVE. THIS TIME WHEN I PUSHED THE BUTTON THE ENGINE MADE A SCREECHING RATTLING SOUND, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OFF. EVENTUALLY IT DID AND I TRIED IT AGAIN AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS TOWED 30 MILES TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE KEY FOB BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN IF THEIR COMPUTER SHOWED THAT MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND HE AGREED BUT TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, OTHER THAN THE KEY FOB BATTERY. I TOLD THEM BOTH KEY FOBS WERE NEW. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 3 YEARS AND IT ONLY HAS 11,605 MILES ON IT. HOW ON EARTH CAN A KEY FOB CAUSE ENGINE PROBLEMS? I MAY NOT BE AN EXPERT ON CARS BUT I'M NOT STUPID. I BELIEVE IT MAY BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE IGNITION. I HOPE JEEP FIXES THIS BEFORE THERE ARE ANY ACCIDENTS OR DEATHS. I NOW FEEL I AM FORCED TO PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR OVER $2,100.00 BECAUSE I'M AFRAID OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WHEN MY FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRES NEXT MONTH. I DON'T THINK I WOULD EVER BUY A NEW CAR AGAIN. THE OLD ONES SEEM MORE RELIABLE. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR NOW, KNOWING IT HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT THE DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIND THE REASONS WHY. KEY FOB BATTERY? I FIND THIS VERY HARD TO ACCEPT. I WOULD LIKE THE OLD KEY IGNITION - I DON'T TRUST THESE PUSH BUTTON IGNITIONS. MY 2011 JEEP IS STILL AT THE DEALER BUT THEY HAVE TOLD ME IT'S READY FOR PICK UP. *TR