NHTSA Complaint #10660388 — 2011 JEEP PATRIOT

A YEAR AGO, I BROUGHT MY 2011 JEEP PATRIOT TO A CAR WASH. THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED, HOWEVER WHILE GOING THROUGH THE CAR WASH, WATER STARTED POURING THROUGH THE SUNROOF AND THE LIGHT FIXTURES, INSTANTLY CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND DAMAGING THE ROOF LINER AND THE CAR STEREO. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND CALLED ME TO EXPLAIN THAT "THE CAR HAD DRIED OUT SO YOU CAN COME PICK IT UP." I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS HESITANT TO PICK THE CAR UP BECAUSE THERE WOULD SURELY BE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED I PICKED UP MY CAR THE STEREO AND LIGHTS STILL DID NOT WORK. FRUSTRATED, I CALLED THE JEEP CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE. THE REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT JEEPS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN INTO CAR WASHES. I ASKED HER HOW JEEP CAN MANUFACTURE OFF-ROAD VEHICLES THAT CANNOT BE WASHED. SHE REPLIED THAT I COULD GET A BUCKET AND HAND WASH MY VEHICLE.I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO AN OUT-OF-STATE DEALERSHIP .THEY HAD IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND CALLED TO TELL ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND I COULD PICK IT UP. ONCE AGAIN, I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AND THE LIGHTS AND STEREO STILL DID NOT WORK. OUT OF FRUSTRATION, I GAVE UP ON THE ISSUE FOR AWHILE UNTIL I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND WATER STARTED POURING THROUGH THE SUNROOF AND FIXTURES ONCE AGAIN- DISTRACTING MY DRIVING BECAUSE WATER IS POURING EVERYWHERE. I PROMPTLY BROUGHT MY VEHICLE BACK IN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THEY FOUND A PIECE OF PAINTER'S TAPE IN THE SUNROOF FROM SOME RECENT PAINTING TO MY CAR I HAD DONE. I APPROACHED THE PAINT SHOP WITH NO REPLY. TODAY, THE CAR STARTED LEAKING THROUGH THE SUNROOF AND FIXTURES CAUSING WATER TO STREAM DOWN THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD, LIMITING MY VISION WHILE DRIVING. MY CAR IS STILL NOT FIXED BECAUSE JEEP IS UNWILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR