NHTSA Complaint #10607916 — 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE

SUBJECT: 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE LIMITED, V-6 ENGINE/9 SPEED TRANSMISSION, PURCHASED 2/25/14. CURRENT MILEAGE: 3940 MILES. THIS SUBJECT AUTOMOBILE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS THAT APPEAR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THROTTLE CONTROL. THE PROBLEMS ARE DESCRIBED AS: 1.A SUBTLE CHATTER IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELERATING SIMILAR TO CLUTCH CHATTER. THIS OCCURS IN LOWER GEARS. THIS BEHAVIOR IS WORSE WHEN TURNING HARD LEFT/RIGHT WHEN TRANSMISSION IS UNDER AN ACCELERATION LOAD. 2.THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING (UP AND DOWN SHIFT) CAN BE DELAYED AND VERY ABRUPT. IN GOING UP A HILL, THE THROTTLE RESPONSE IS DELAYED WITH A FOLLOWING ABRUPT, HEAD JERKING DOWNSHIFT. SIMILAR ABRUPT SHIFTS WHEN UPSHIFTING 3.THROTTLE RESPONSE CAN BE ABRUPT (SURGES FORWARD) AT LIGHT THROTTLE APPLICATION. THIS IN ITSELF IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN BEHIND A CAR AT A STOP. AS THE CARS IN FRONT MOVE FORWARD, A SLIGHT THROTTLE RESPONSE CAUSES THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD AND ACCELERATE FASTER THAN THE CAR IN FRONT. THIS HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES. FORTUNATELY, I WAS FAR ENOUGH BEHIND TO NOT HIT THE CAR IN FRONT. THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER 6/26/14. DEALER STATED "COULD NOT DUPLICATE CONCERN." THIS COMPLAINT IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THIS ISSUE AND AUTOMOBILE. JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT NHTSA LOOK INTO THIS MATTER BEFORE THERE ARE ACCIDENTS AND/OR INJURIES. *TR