NHTSA Complaint #10650192 — 2006 JEEP COMMANDER

WHILE TRAVELING ON AN EXPRESSWAY IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN, I WAS USING THE CRUISE CONTROL TO MAINTAIN A SPEED OF 75 MPH. WITH NO WARNING AT ALL, THE MECHANICAL COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, LEAVING MY JEEP "DEAD IN THE HIGHWAY". I WAS ABLE TO STEER AND BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION BY PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. I PULLED OFF TO THE SHOULDER, LUCKILY WITHOUT INCIDENT. TURNED THE KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND WAITED ABOUT 10 SECONDS. I TURNED THE KEY TO THE "ON" POSITION AND IT STARTED BACK UP. I CAUTIOUSLY DROVE AT A CONSIDERABLY SLOWER SPEED UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A REST STOP. WHEN I GOT TO MY DESTINATION I FOUND A LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE AND HAD THEM DO A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. IT SHOWED A MAF SENSOR GONE BAD. MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED. HOPING THAT WAS THE ISSUE, AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, MY FAMILY AND I HEADED BACK HOME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE. WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL, THERE WERE NO ISSUES. I FIGURED THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS WRONG. AS I REACHED THE HIGHWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 70 MPH, I ACCELERATED TO 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. AS SOON AS I BROKE THE 70 MPH POINT, THE CAR MECHANICALLY STALLED AGAIN AS I WAS TRYING TO MERGE ONTO THE BUSY HIGHWAY. AGAIN, LUCKILY, I MADE IT SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER AND RESTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO EXCEED 70 MPH ON THE WAY HOME WITHOUT USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. CONCERNED FOR MY PREGNANT WIFE, TODDLER SON, AND MY OWN SAFETY, AS THIS HAPPENED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED; WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS OR SOUNDS. *TR