NHTSA Complaint #10747334 — 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

ON JANUARY 18TH 2014 I WAS PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ROADS WERE SOMEWHAT ICY AND MY JEEP WAS REAR ENDED BY A 2005 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO THE JEEP INCLUDED A BENT BUMPER AND BENT FRAME, RESULTING IN THE FRAME BEING PUSHED UP AGAINST THE FUEL TANK, CAUSING THE FUEL PUMP TO BECOME FAULTY AND A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF FUEL TO LEAK OUT FROM THE TOP. THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL ON THIS MODEL YEAR GRAND CHEROKEE DUE TO A POTENTIAL FIRE BEING CAUSED FROM REAR-END COLLISIONS FROM THE GAS TANK; HOWEVER I DID NOT BECOME AWARE OF THE RECALL UNTIL AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. CHRYSLER'S POOR HANDLING OF THE RECALL AND THEIR POOR NOTIFICATION SYSTEM MADE IT SO THAT THE JEEP WAS NOT ABLE TO BE PROPERLY REPAIRED. NOW, BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE, THE RECALL FIX WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THE REAR BUMPER AND FRAME RECEIVED DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE, AS OF NOW, HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER WITH THIS ISSUE AND THEY INDICATED TO ME THAT THERE IS NO PROOF THE DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, IF THE RECALL FIX HAD HAPPENED. I WOULD LIKE TO GET THE VEHICLE FIXED, HOWEVER FINANCES PREVENT IT FROM DOING SO. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE RECALL FIX WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HAPPEN. I FEEL AS THOUGH IF CHRYSLER BETTER HANDLED THIS RECALL AND MADE THE FIX AVAILABLE PRIOR TO 2014, THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO MY JEEP WOULD HAVE NOT OCCURRED.