NHTSA Complaint #10605530 — 1999 JEEP LAREDO

WE BOUGHT A USED 1999 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO LAST YEAR FOR OUR SON TO DRIVE, THINKING IT WOULD BE A SAFE VEHICLE FOR HIM IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS. WE DID NOT EXPECT TO HAVE PROBLEMS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON DRY ROADS IN PERFECT WEATHER. THE VEHICLE HAS STARTED TO STALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, AND MOST LIKELY AIR BAGS AS WELL. WE ARE LUCKY HE IS A SAFE DRIVER, AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. OUR TRUSTED MECHANIC, WHO IS A JEEP OWNER, CHANGED THE CRANKCASE POSITION SENSOR, THIS DID NOT HELP. HE ADVISED US TO BRING IT TO THE LOCAL JEEP DEALER, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE BETTER ABLE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM, READING THE CODES, AS OPPOSED TO THROWING PARTS AT IT. THE DEALER CLEANED SOME GROUND WIRES, GAVE IT BACK TO US, AND IT STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY GOING HOME, AND WOULDN'T RESTART. WE HAD TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK IN A HAZARDOUS LOCATION IN A RAINSTORM. WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY KEEP IT FOR A WEEK. PUT 50 MILES ON IT TEST DRIVING, AND COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY DIDN'T CHARGE US FOR THIS, THEY SEEM LIKE THEY ARE TRYING TO HELP, BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM COULD BE CAUSED BY ANY NUMBER OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, FROM THE COMPUTER, TO THE WIRING, TO SENSORS, MODULES, EVEN THE IGNITION SWITCH. NO CODES ARE DISPLAYED. IN LOOKING ON THIS WEBSITE, I FOUND 5 COMPLAINTS FROM JUST 1999 AND 2000, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE WOMAN IS TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT WITH HER THREE KIDS IN THE CAR. THIS IS NOT CONFINED TO JUST THESE MODEL YEARS. THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, SOME CERTAINLY HAVE NOT BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO PINPOINT. HOW CHRYSLER HAS BEEN ABLE TO DUCK RESPONSIBILITY ON THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR SO LONG IS BEYOND ME. *TR