NHTSA Complaint #10850836 — 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE

JEEP ACTIVELY MARKETS AND PROMOTES THE CHEROKEE AS TOWABLE FOUR-WHEELS-ON-THE-GROUND BEHIND MOTORHOMES. BEFORE I PURCHASED MY 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE TRAILHAWK IN NOVEMBER, 2015, I CONFIRMED BY REFERENCE TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL THAT THIS WAS TRUE. IN FEBRUARY, 2016, I BEGAN TO SEE DISCUSSIONS IN THE FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION (FMCA) MAGAZINE, AND IN THE FMCA WEBSITE FORUMS AS TO A TOWING ISSUE WHEN THE JEEP CHEROKEE IS TOWED FOUR-ON-THE-GROUND BEHIND A MOTORHOME; THE ISSUE BEING A SEVERE WOBBLE IN THE JEEP CHEROKEE'S FRONT END--SEVERE ENOUGH TO DESTABILIZE THE MOTORHOME. JEEP ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 08-022-16 ON FEBRUARY 24, 2016, WHICH NOT ONLY RETROACTIVELY REQUIRES AN "ACCESSORY KIT TO ENHANCE FLAT TOW PERFORMANCE" (PART NO. 68321424AA), BUT REVISED THE JEEP CHEROKEE'S OWNER'S MANUAL PROHIBITING FLAT TOWING WITHOUT THIS ACCESSORY. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY JEEP DEALER SAYS THIS ACCESSORY IS NOT AVAILABLE (AS OF MARCH 21, 2016), AND DOESN'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE. JEEP APPARENTLY IS LETTING THEIR CUSTOMERS BEAR THIS BURDEN ALONE, AS I HAVE NOT HAD ANY COMMUNICATION FROM JEEP, AND CANNOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT ANY OTHER JEEP CHEROKEE OWNER HAS, EITHER. THE DILEMMA WE FACE IS THAT THE SEASON FOR EXTENDED MOTORHOME TRIPS IS UPON US, AND WE ARE FACED WITH TWO UNACCEPTABLE CHOICES: 1) CANCEL LONG-PLANNED, EXPENSIVE TRIPS, OR 2) TOW OUR JEEP CHEROKEES WITHOUT THE ACCESSORY "FIX" THAT JEEP HAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE.