NHTSA Complaint #10743593 — 2008 JEEP WRANGLER

RECENTLY THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN MY JK JEEP WRANGLER (2008) BEGAN ILLUMINATING. I DID SOME INVESTIGATION PRIOR TO SERVICING IT AT THE DEALER AND DETERMINED IT WAS LIKELY THE CLOCKWORK SPRING SINCE THERE WERE SOME MANY REPORTS OF FAILURE. IN ADDITION, MY ELECTRONIC SWAY BAR DISCONNECT SYSTEM WOULD NOT RE-ENGAGE AFTER A CAMPING TRIP. I DROVE DOWN A MOUNTAIN PASS AND ON A STRETCH OF 75 MPH INTERSTATE WITHOUT A SWAY AND AN AIR BAG WHICH WAS DANGEROUS. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET BOTH ISSUES LOOKED AT. JEEP CONFIRMED IT WAS THE CLOCKWORK SPRING CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT ($48.00 DIAGNOSIS) AND THAT THE SWAY BAR DISCONNECT MOTOR ($96.00 DIAGNOSIS) HAD FAILED. THEY QUOTED ME FOR $410 TO GET THE CLOCKWORK SPRING FIXED & $1410 TO REPLACE THE SWAY BAR. NO PROMISE WAS MADE TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR COST SHOULD THE ISSUES BECOME RECALLS SINCE THEY ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION. I TOOK INITIATIVE TO SELF DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SWAY BAR NOT RECONNECTING SINCE I SUSPECTED THAT THE ELECTRONIC MOTOR WAS STILL FUNCTIONING (I COULD HEAR AND FEEL TO MOTOR OPERATING BEFORE & AFTER I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE). AFTER DISASSEMBLING (NEVER BEEN TAMPERED WITH PRIOR), I FOUND WATER AND RUSTY PARTS INSIDE AND COULD SEE THAT THE UNIT AS POORLY DESIGNED JUDGING FROM THE ONE SMALL SPRING THAT IS SUPPOSE TO WORK TO RE-ENGAGE THE SWAY BAR BY PUSHING THE INTERNAL GEARS (NOW RUSTY) BACK TOGETHER. I SIMPLY APPLIED SOME GREASE TO THE PARTS AND REINSTALLED THE UNIT. TO MY DELIGHT THIS ALLOWED THE MOTOR TO RECONNECT THE SWAY BAR. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO PUT MOTORIST IN HARMS WAY WITHOUT A FUNCTIONING AIR BAG SYSTEM AND / OR SWAY BAR DUE TO POORLY VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION AND THEN CHARGE FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR COSTS. PLEASE ISSUE RECALLS FOR THE CLOCKWORK SPRING AND THE LACK OF WATER PROTECTION FOR THE ELECTRONIC SWAY BAR DISCONNECT SYSTEM BEFORE FATALITIES OCCUR.