NHTSA Complaint #10703245 — 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE

WHILE DECELERATING IN DRIVE WITH THE FOOT OFF THE GAS, OR UNDER LIGHT GRADUAL BRAKING, WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS AS THE CAR SLOWS BETWEEN 25 AND 20 MPH, ENGINE SPEED INCREASES IN THE LOWER GEAR AND THE CAR ACCELERATES SLIGHTLY.THIS ACCELERATION, WITH THE FOOT OFF THE GAS AND WHEN ONE EXPECTS THE CAR TO BE SLOWING DOWN, THOUGH RELATIVELY MILD, IS NONETHELESS DISCONCERTING AND PERHAPS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE WITH THE DEALER FOR MARCH 30 2015. COINCIDENTALLY, BETWEEN THE TIME THE APPOINTMENT WAS MADE AND BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT, THE CUSTOMER RECEIVED A MAILED RECALL NOTICE FROM JEEP REGARDING AN UPGRADE TO SOFTWARE FOR THE NINE-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. ON MARCH 30 THE DEALER ATTEMPTED THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE AND REPORTED THAT WHEN THEY TEST DROVE IT, THE TRANSMISSION THEN WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, AND THE CAR WOULD ONLY OPERATE IN "LIMP" MODE. THE CUSTOMER WAS GIVEN A RENTAL CAR. THE NEXT DAY, ON MARCH 31, 2015 THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE CUSTOMER THAT CONSULTATION WITH JEEP AND FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED TWO LOCKING RINGS HAD BROKEN OR MALFUNCTIONED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION, AND THEY WERE INSTALLING A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CUSTOMER ALSO RECEIVED A RECORDED MESSAGE TELEPHONE CALL FROM JEEP ON MARCH 31, ASKING THE CUSTOMER TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR A TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE UPGRADE. THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS BEING INSTALLED. *TR