NHTSA Complaint #10644471 — 2014 JEEP PATRIOT

I WAS DRIVING MY JEEP ON THE THRUWAY AND IT SEEMED TO SOUND REALLY LOUD, LIKE A MOTORCYCLE, THE JEEP WAS NOT RUNNING RIGHT, COULD NOT ACCELERATE NORMALLY, AND I COULD SMELL A FUNNY SMELL. AFTER A WHILE THE NOISE STARTED TO DROP, BUT IT WAS STILL NOTICEABLY LOUDER THAN BEFORE. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I TOLD MY DAD ABOUT IT AFTER I GOT HOME. HE WENT OUTSIDE TO CHECK IT OUT AND NOTICED THE EXHAUST SYSTEM HAD FLIPPED AND THE TAIL PIPE WAS LODGED UP IN THE BUMPER, THE PLASTIC WAS MELTED, A HOLE WAS BURNT IN THE BUMBER, AND PART OF THE FRAME WAS MELTED TOO. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT FIXED SINCE THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY (BEFORE THE FIRST OIL CHANGE) BUT THEY REFUSED CLAIMING THAT THE CAR WAS HIT, ALTHOUGH NO SIGN OF IMPACT CAN BE FOUND. WE CALLED CHRYSLER AND AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF GOING BACK TO THE DEALERS TO HAVE PICTURES TAKEN AND DISCUSSIONS THEY REFUSED TO FIX THE JEEP TOO. I KNOW, THIS IS AN ISSUE ON THE PATRIOT ESPECIALLY SINCE I FOUND A FEW IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS (SOMETHING ABOUT TOLERANCE STACK UP RESULTING IN A SHORTED EXHAUST SYSTEM), AND SINCE IT IS SO CLOSE TO THE GAS TANK, I AM VERY LUCKY THE VEHICLE DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE BEFORE RESETTING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM INTO POSITION. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT! I AM 100% SURE I SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR