NHTSA Complaint #10633574 — 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

VEHICLE BEGAN PRESENTING WITH GRINDING NOISE UPON START UP (SIMILAR NOISE TO TURNING THE KEY IN OLDER VEHICLE ONCE ENGINE WAS RUNNING). BROUGHT TO DEALER'S ATTENTION AT TIME OF SERVICE - DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE GRINDING NOISE. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, VEHICLE BEGAN TAKING MORE THAN 1 ATTEMPT TO TURN ENGINE OVER (SOMETIMES UP TO 4-5 ATTEMPTS), INCLUDING PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT OF STARTER MOTOR. IF MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, NOTICED RICH FUEL SMELL. MENTIONED TO DEALER AT TIME OF NEXT SCHEDULED SERVICE - DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE STARTING PROBLEMS OVER THE COURSE OF 2 DAYS IN THEIR CARE. DEALER SAID TO WAIT FOR MORE FREQUENT OCCURRENCES TO BEGIN THEN THEY WOULD CHECK AGAIN. STARTING ISSUES WERE INTERMITTENT AND CONTINUED TO OCCUR UNTIL LAST WEEK, WHERE AFTER "HARD START," VEHICLE ENGINE STALLED WHILE IN REVERSE PULLING OUT OF PARKING SPOT (<5 MPH); HOWEVER, POWER TO LIGHTS AND RADIO REMAINED ON; STEERING LOCKED UP, AND HAD TO PUSH VEHICLE TO SAFE SPOT. TOOK 2 STARTS TO GET ENGINE RUNNING AGAIN. NEXT DAY, AFTER 4 FAILED STARTING ATTEMPTS (5TH SUCCESSFUL), HAD BATTERY TESTED AND REPLACED DAY AFTER THINKING IT COULD BE PART OF PROBLEM (STARTER AND ALTERNATOR TESTED FINE). THE DAY AFTER BATTERY REPLACEMENT, VEHICLE PRODUCED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE ABNORMAL START, THEN ENGINE STALLED WHILE IN MOTION UNDER 5 MILES PER HOUR. BASED ON EVIDENCE AND PRIOR REPORTS, FAULTY TIPM IS SUSPECT. WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT BOTH STALLS OCCURRED UNDER 5 MPH; IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HOPING THE NHTSA WILL FORCE CHRYSLER'S HAND INTO OPENING FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN VEHICLES. *TR