NHTSA Complaint #10654227 — 2007 JEEP LIBERTY

JEEP HAS BEEN EXCEEDINGLY SLOW TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE MANDATED RECALL OF MY VEHICLE--I WAITED WELL OVER A YEAR FOR THE FIRST NOTICE, ANOTHER 6 MONTHS FOR THE NOTICE TO CONTACT MY LOCAL JEEP DEALER TO HAVE A HITCH INSTALLED TO PREVENT EXPLOSION DURING REAR-END COLLISION,OR HAVE MY AFTER-MARKET HITCH INSPECTED FOR MEETING THIS REQUIREMENT.I TRIED FOR 2 MONTHS TO GET AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE RECALL BUT WAS DELAYED REPEATEDLY.I ONLY GOT THE RECALL INSPECTION PERFORMED DURING THE COURSE OF HAVING OTHER PAID REPAIR WORK DONE.MY AFTER MARKET HITCH PASSED INSPECTION,SO NO OEM HITCH WAS INSTALLED. I MAILED IN THE ORIGINAL RECEIPT FOR THE AFTER-MARKET HITCH TO JEEP AS INSTRUCTED ON THE RECALL POSTCARD FOR REIMBURSEMENT BUT RECEIVED A PHONE CALL TODAY STATING THAT JEEP WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE AFTERMARKET HITCH BECAUSE IT IS NOT AN OEM PART. I THEN REQUESTED TO HAVE AN OEM HITCH PUT ON IN PLACE OF THE ONE I PREVIOUSLY HAD INSTALLED BUT THEY REFUSE. THIS RECALL PROCESS HAS BEEN MISHANDLED BY JEEP ALL AROUND, START TO FINISH, AND NEEDS TO BE BETTER MONITORED BY NTSB OR OTHER APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPELLING AUTOMAKERS' COMPLIANCE WITH RECALLS. IF I HAD KNOWN JEEP WOULD APPROVE MY AFTER MARKET HITCH FOR RECALL PURPOSES BUT NOT REIMBURSE ME, I WOULD HAVE REMOVED MY AFTERMARKET HITCH TO SELL AND REQUIRED JEEP TO INSTALL AN OEM HITCH AT THEIR EXPENSE. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO SAY THAT JEEP'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RECALL IS MET BY THE HITCH I PAID TO INSTALL, BUT THEN REFUSE TO REIMBURSE ME, WHEN I COULD HAVE REQUIRED THEM TO INSTALL AN OEM HITCH AT THEIR EXPENSE HAD I REMOVED MY HITCH PRIOR TO INSPECTION. JEEP/CHRYSLER IS GETTING AWAY WITH SOMETHING THEY SHOULD NOT. IF A HITCH SATISFIES RECALL REQUIREMENTS AND WAS PAID FOR BY THE CAR OWNER, THEN IT SHOULD QUALIFY FOR REIMBURSEMENT. DEEPLY WRONG FOR CONSUMERS. *TR