NHTSA Complaint #10616470 — 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

WE PURCHASED A SECOND HAND JEEP 2005 GRAND CHEROKEE LAST MAY 2013. IT WAS A ONE OWNER ONE DRIVER VEHICLE. BY THE LOOKS OF THE INTERIOR THERE WERE NO OTHER PASSENGERS EVER IN THE CAR. VERY CLEAN AND UNUSED. BY DECEMBER 2013 WE NOTICED CRACKING AND BREAKING AROUND THE PASSENGER AND REAR DOOR HANDLES. WE UTILIZE THE REAR DOORS FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN. BY FEBRUARY 2014 THE REAR DOOR BEHIND THE DRIVER HAD BROKEN AND HAS APPARENTLY UNATTACHED THE MECHANISM THAT OPENS THE DOOR, WHICH NOW IS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGH THAT DOOR. WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED I WENT ONLINE AND SAW THAT IT WAS A COMMON DEFECT WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I CONTACTED JEEP AND JEEP DEALER. NO ONE RESPONDED BACK FROM COMPLAINT FROM JEEP. THE DEALER TOLD US IT WOULD COST $550 PER DOOR TO REPAIR. WHEN I CONTACTED JEEP I ASKED HOW MANY CASUALTIES DOES IT TAKE FOR A RECALL. MY GRANDDAUGHTERS SIT BACK THERE AND COULD NEVER EXIT THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. THE HANDLES ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AS IS THE PIECE IT IS CONNECTED TOO. THEY ACTUALLY SELL REPLACEMENT REPAIR KITS FOR THIS ON LINE AND DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED SAID IT WOULD REPLACE THEM FOR A LARGE FEE IF I PURCHASED THE REPAIR KIT. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND SAFETY ISSUE I DON'T FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MANUFACTURING RECALL. IF THE VEHICLE WOULD CATCH ON FIRE THERE WOULD BE FATALITIES.. THE STRONGEST HANDLE IS THE DRIVERS DOOR?? WHICH MEANS IT WOULD TAKE A LOT LONGER FOR THIS ONE TO BREAK, DO YOU THINK THEY KNEW THIS WHEN MANUFACTURING?? *TR