NHTSA Complaint #10650372 — 2008 JEEP WRANGLER

UPON TURNING ON MY JEEP THE AIRBAG LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT AFTER THE START-UP LIGHT CHECK. WHEN RESTARTING THE VEHICLE IT WENT OUT. WHILE DRIVING IT CAME BACK ON AND CHIMED, IT HAS CONTINUED TO COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE PARKED. THE ESP ALSO BEGAN INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH STRAIGHT HIGHWAY. THIS INTERMITTENT ISSUE HAS PERSISTED FOR OVER A YEAR. IN DOING RESEARCH BOTH ISSUES CAN POTENTIALLY BE RELATED BACK TO THE AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING. A RECALL EXISTS FOR RHD JEEP WRANGLERS OF MY SAME YEAR THAT USE THE SAME PART. WHEN CONTACTING A JEEP DEALER ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO RESOLVE IT UNLESS I PAID FOR ALL PARTS AND LABOR. IN CHECKING ONLINE FORUMS THIS IS APPARENTLY NOT AS RARE AS THE INITIAL RECALL STATES. THERE ARE EVEN ONLINE TUTORIALS ON HOW TO CHANGE IT YOURSELF SINCE THE MANUFACTURER DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THIS AS A PROBLEM ON LHD JEEPS. (HTTP://WWW.JK-FORUM.COM/FORUMS/JK-WRITE-UPS-39/CLOCKSPRING-REPLACEMENT-273201/) WHILE THIS HASN'T CAUSED A SAFETY PROBLEM YET, MY CONCERN IS IF I AM INVOLVED IN A COLLISION THAT I WILL NOT HAVE THE PROTECTION I AM SUPPOSED TO FROM A FAULTY MANUFACTURER PART. *TR