NHTSA Complaint #10680079 — 1999 JEEP CHEROKEE

NO CRASH, NO ACCIDENT THIS IS A COMPLAINT ON SAFETY AND LACK OF AVAILABILITY TO A "DO IT YOURSELF" (DIY) CERTIFIED MECHANIC ON BRAKE BLEEDING. I AM A CERTIFIED AVIATION MECHANIC AND WELL VERSED ON BLEEDING BRAKES. ON THE JEEP LISTED THERE IS A REQUIREMENT TO USE A SCANNER (THE CHRYSLER DRB III SCAN TOOL) WHICH PLUGS INTO THE OBD-2 SYSTEM TO RUN THE PUMP IN THE ABS SYSTEM. THIS RUNNING OF THE ABS PUMP SHOULD MOVE ANY AIR WITHIN, INTO THE LINES SO THAT SUBSEQUENT BLEEDING OF THE WHEEL LINES WILL REMOVE THE AIR. THE SCANNER COST IS PROHIBITIVE FOR THE DIY MECHANIC AND THE OWNER IS FORCED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR PROPER BLEEDING OF THE BRAKES. EVEN A USED SCANNER IS VALUED AT $3977 ON EBAY THIS DATE. THERE ARE VARIOUS "TRICKS" TO GET THE ABS PUMP TO RUN, SUCH AS A PANIC STOP ON A SLICK GRASSY SURFACE AND THAT WILL GET THE PUMP TO RUN, BUT THE BRAKES MUST BE BLED IMMEDIATELY TO GET THE DESIRED RESULTS, ON THE SLICK, GRASSY SURFACE. THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE DISSERVICE TO THE MECHANIC IN THE FIELD AND THE GREAT SAFETY ISSUES THAT COULD ARISE WITH IMPROPERLY BLED BRAKES. WITHOUT THE ABS BLED PROPERLY, THE BRAKES ARE MUSHY AND EVEN AFTER PUMPING, ARE NOT THE BRAKES THEY SHOULD BE FOR THE SAFETY OF NEARLY A TWO TON VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE AN AFFORDABLE SCAN TOOL THAT WILL DO THE JOB FOR THE BASIC MECHANIC WHO WANTS TO DO THEIR VEHICLE HIM/HER SELF AND THOSE SAME FOLKS SHOULDN'T BE FORCED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER JUST TO ACHIEVE THE PROPER SAFETY STANDARDS. *TR