NHTSA Complaint #10820340 — 2008 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4

WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOP I WOULD HEAR A BANG NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY JEEP. IMMEDIATELY MY ESP/BAS LIGHT WOULD COME ON. THE ESP/BAS WARNING LIGHT WOULD GO OFF BUT COME BACK ON AGAIN AFTER MAKING A TURN. I NOTICED MY LEFT, REAR TIRE WAS WEARING OUT ON THE INSIDE. TREAD ON OTHER 3 TIRES HAD NO UNEVEN WEAR. ON DEC. 23, 2015 I BROUGHT MY JEEP INTO PALM CHRYSLER, JEEP, DODGE OF PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA FOR A MULTIPOINT INSPECTION AND OIL CHANGE. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY REAR SUB CHASSIS WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND REPAIRS EXCESSIVE. I WAS INFORMED BY MY SERVICE ADVISOR -- KRISTIE WILKINSON, REPAIRS WOULD EXCEED WHAT THE JEEP IS WORTH AND THAT RUST IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND IT IS NOT EVEN COVERED UNDER MY LIFETIME MAXIMUM CARE CHRYSLER SERVICE CONTRACT (# 34813970) I PURCHASED IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR WARRANTY. THE NEXT DAY I WAS SHOWN THE SEVERE RUST ON THE REAR CHASSIS SUBFRAME BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND TECHNICIAN. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THE REAR OF MY JEEP'S WEIGHT IS RESTING ON TOP OF THE TRANSFER CASE, AND IF HE JUST HIT THE REAR WITH A HAMMER ONE TIME IT WILL FALL APART IN PIECES AND THAT THE JEEP WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. MY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THIS IS A FAULT/WEAKNESS THAT IS ALREADY RECOGNIZED BY CHRYSLER CORP. IN THE 2007 JEEP PATRIOTS AND IS COVERED BY THEM UNTIL 2017. THIS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH MUST BE ADDRESSED IN THIS MODEL YEAR (2008), ALSO.