NHTSA Complaint #10745200 — 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE

PURCHASED 2015 CHEROKEE IN JANUARY, 2015. FIRST RECALL IN FEB 2015. SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR TRANSMISSION AND RAPID RESPONSE TRANSMITTAL. SHIFTING PROBLEMS STARTED SHORTLY AFTER UPDATE. HESITATION FROM A STOP; DELAYED START AND THEN "TAKES OFF"; SURGING FORWARD WITHOUT FOOT ON GAS; SHIFTS UP WHEN COMING TO A STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKE; CLUNKING NOISE STARTED AT 7000 MILES. TOOK IT IN FOR RECALLS ON AIRBAG AND RADIO SECURITY AND TOLD DEALER ABOUT TRANSMISSION ISSUES. WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE JEEP FOR 2 HOURS. 7 HOURS LATER THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THEY DID SEVERAL SOFTWARE UPDATES (PTU, RDM, DTCM, PCM, BCM); WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP I ASKED FOR DETAILS ON EACH UPDATE. FRUSTRATED WHEN I WAS TOLD IT WOULD "TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE CAR TO LEARN MY DRIVING HABITS." I ASKED, "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I AM TEACHING MY KIDS HOW TO DRIVE (TWINS THAT WILL BE DRIVING IN A MONTH)?" THE SERVICE TECH TOLD ME THAT "THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE REALLY CONFUSED." I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY. TOLD HIM I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN OR HESITATE WITH A 5 SECOND OR LONGER DELAY. I ASKED HOW THAT COULD BE SAFE WHEN TEACHING KIDS HOW TO DRIVE. HE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER. JUST SAID, "I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN." I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT ABOUT 20 MILES SINCE THE UPDATES. NOW IT SHIFTS QUICKLY THROUGH THE FIRST 3 GEARS, STILL HESITATES, AND ROUGH SHIFTING. KEEPING DETAILED RECORDS NOW. I'VE HAD MY JEEP FOR 7 MONTHS (7000 MILES) WITH 3 ACTUAL RECALLS, AND 6 SOFTWARE UPDATES THAT WEREN'T RECALLS, JUST PERFORMED BASED ON MY COMPLAINTS. THE ISSUES WITH THIS TRANSMISSION ARE A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND NEVER KNOWING HOW THE JEEP WILL RESPOND...THIS ISN'T SAFE FOR AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER. HOW CAN ANYONE SAFELY PUT A NEW DRIVER INTO A CAR THAT HAS THESE TYPES OF ISSUES?