NHTSA Complaint #10662111 — 2006 JEEP COMMANDER

IN MARCH OF 2012, I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 JEEP COMMANDER V8 ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY.AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, I HAD BEEN DECREASING SPEED, WHEN THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY SLAMMED ON HIS BRAKES. HOWEVER, WHEN I PRESSED DOWN HARD ON MY BRAKES, MY BRAKES/ANTI-LOCK BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED, CAUSING ME TO CRASH INTO THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE, MY CAR STALLED AND CONTINUED TO PROPEL FORWARD, CAUSING A LACK OF STEERING CAPABILITY, INEVITABLY CAUSING A CRASH, IN WHICH MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER THE POLICE ARRIVED, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AND BARELY MADE IT HOME, HAVING TO PUSH IT SEVERAL BLOCKS. MY SUV WENT INTO THE SHOP FOR ALMOST ONE MONTH. AFTER MY SUV WAS FIXED, INCLUDING EXTERIOR AND RADIATOR, THE SUV CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT WITHOUT CAUSE AND IT WAS NOW CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR MY VEHICLE TO BE CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS AS THE ISSUES APPEARED TO BE MINOR. I ENDURED MAJOR HARDSHIP AS A RESULT ON THIS ACCIDENT, INCLUDING LACK OF WORK AND OCCURRED AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME FOR ME TO BUY A NEW VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A HIGH INTEREST RATE AND SKYROCKETING INSURANCE, SINCE I WAS CONSIDERED AT FAULT, DESPITE LACK OF BEING CITED DUE TO VEHICLE ISSUES. AFTER 2 YRS, I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO REFINANCE MY CAR; HOWEVER, MY INSURANCE WILL REMAIN HIGH TIL FEB 2015 @$314 (35 MOS). I DID NOT REALIZE WHY THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING AND STALLING OCCURRED AS I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL UNTIL JULY 2014! IF RECALLS OCCURRED IN 07-09, WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT? THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED! WHEN I CALLED TO SPEAK TO CHRYSLER, THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE CAR WAS SCRAPPED. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE CAN BE COMPENSATED FOR ISSUES, BUT I AM DISREGARDED DESPITE THE ONGOING HARDSHIP CAUSED BY A DEFECT CAUSED BY CHRYSLER! IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP!? *JS