NHTSA Complaint #10667266 — 2006 JEEP COMMANDER

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A SLIPPERY ROAD DURING A SNOWFALL, MY WIFE OBSERVED ALL OF THE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIGHT UP SIMULTANEOUSLY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND CONSEQUENTLY A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ON THE SLIPPERY ROADWAY. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE SLID INTO A HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE MARKER ALONG THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LICENSE PLATE HOLDER AND BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE. OUR CONCERN IS THAT THIS INCIDENT IS APPARENTLY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF A CURRENT RECALL (14V-438) ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER ON 9/3/14. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT PROVIDED A REMEDY FOR THIS DEFECT, CITING THE UNAVAILABILITY OF REPAIR PARTS, AND AS OF THIS MORNING THE MANUFACTURER HAS NO IDEA AS TO WHEN THESE REPAIR PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. IN THE MEANTIME, THE PHENOMENON OF THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS SUDDENLY AND SPONTANEOUSLY ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING CONTINUES TO RECUR RATHER FREQUENTLY, AND WE ARE AFRAID THAT A RECURRENCE OF THE ENGINE SHUTOFF AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST WILL ALSO RECUR, PERHAPS AT A TIME AND LOCATION WHERE A MUCH MORE SERIOUS CRASH WILL RESULT. *TR