NHTSA Complaint #10607362 — 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE

THE FIRST ISSUE AROSE AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING BACKED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. WHILE STILL IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE PRODUCED AN AUDIBLE AND VISUAL COLLISION ALERT WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE STOPPED SUDDENLY, PARTIALLY IN THE ROADWAY, SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND SHUT THE MOTOR OFF. IT WAS NECESSARY TO CYCLE THE VEHICLE THROUGH STOP-ACCESSORY-RUN AND BACK TO ACCESSORY BEFORE THE VEHICLE COULD BE PLACED IN PARK. ONCE IN PARK, THE INFORMATION CENTER (EVIC) READ "BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW". AFTER RETURNING TO THE STOP POSITION THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR (MIL) REMAINED ILLUMINATED. SCROLLING TO THE BATTERY STATUS ON THE EVIC SHOWED A READING OF 13.9V, WITHIN A NORMAL RANGE. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN DRIVE AND OPERATED PROPERLY, EXCEPT FOR THE MIL FOR 24-HOURS WITH MULTIPLE STARTS AND STOPS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, AGAIN AN AUDIBLE AND VISUAL ALARM SOUNDED AND THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY, WITH THE EVIC READING 4-WHEEL DRIVE UNAVAILABLE. IT THEN CHANGED TO ADAPTIVE CRUISE UNAVAILABLE, THEN FORWARD COLLISION WARNING UNAVAILABLE. AN INDICATOR LIGHT WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK STATED THAT SERVICE WAS REQUIRED. AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WAS CYCLED THROUGH THE STOP-ACCESSORY-RUN SEQUENCE WITHOUT THE BREAK DEPRESSED TO RE-SET THE ELECTRICAL SEQUENCING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND ONLY THE MIL REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN ABLE TO BE PUT IN GEAR AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. BOTH OCCURRENCES TOOK IN EXCESS OF ONE MINUTE TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO OPERATIONAL, AND HAD THEY HAPPENED IN AN ACTIVE TRAFFIC AREA, WOULD HAVE LEFT THE VEHICLE A SITTING DUCK FOR ONCOMING VEHICLES. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES. NO REPAIRS COMPLETED TO DATE; OWNER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE IS STILL ABLE TO BE DRIVEN, BUT TO KEEP THE PHONE NUMBER TO ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE HANDY. *TR