NHTSA Complaint #10785728 — 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

ON 09/12/2015, I WAS REAR ENDED AT A STOP LIGHT IN A GRAND CHEROKEE WITH THE FACTORY TOWING PKG.IE FACT. TRAILER HITCH AND WAS TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE UNTIL ASSISTANCE ARRIVED. MY REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, ALSO A GRAND CHEROKEE, HAS NO TRAILER HITCH. AFTER READING SEVERAL ARTICLES ABOUT THE GAS TANK FIRE RECALL, I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING THIS RECALL DONE. I WENT TO BERTERA CHRYSLER, JEEP, DODGE EXPECTING A TRAILER HITCH TO BE INSTALLED AS A PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR THE FUEL TANK. TO MY SURPRISE I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. RECALL NUMBER N45. WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED EVERY THING SEEMED TO PERFORM CORRECTLY. THE TRAILER HITCH BENT DOWN TO PROTECT THE FUEL TANK, THE FRAME BUCKLED, AND THE BODY STRETCHED BETWEEN THE DOORS. I SEEMS TO ME THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRIVER DOOR, EVERYTHING PERFORMED AS IT SHOULD TO ABSORB ENERGY FROM THE CAR STRIKING MINE. THE DRIVER'S DOOR WAS JAMMED CLOSED BECAUSE THE TOP FRONT EDGE OF LEFT REAR DOOR OVERLAPPED THE REAR EDGE OF THE DRIVER DOOR. THIS CAUSED ME, THE DRIVER, TO BE TRAPPED IN THE FRONT SEAT UNTIL MY PASSENGER CAME AROUND THE CAR AND FORCED THE DRIVER DOOR OPEN. HAD THE FUEL TANK RUPTURED AND CAUGHT FIRE I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN DIRE STRAIGHTS. SO WHILE THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT ABOUT A NEW ISSUE, IT IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT HOW THE DEALER HANDLED MY RECALL. EVERYTHING I HAVE READ LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER AGREED TO INSTALL HUTCHES ON ALL THE VEHICLES THAT DID NOT HAVE THE TOWING PKG. OR A MOPAR AFTERMARKET HITCH.