NHTSA Complaint #10853936 — 1995 JEEP WRANGLER

CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, MINOR ATF LEAK, & HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED. ATF WAS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED BY PARTICULATE MATTER GENERATED BY MECHANICAL WASTE. NO LEAK WAS INITIALLY FOUND UPON INSPECTION, HOWEVER ONE WAS VISIBLY APPARENT AFTER INSPECTION AS ATF SPRAYED FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE ACROSS BOTH ENDS OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE AFTER TURNING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND ONTO A MAIN ROAD. ATF BEGAN TO BURN OFF OF VEHICLE CREATING A THICK SMOKE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR OTHER DRIVERS TO SEE AND THEY AVOIDED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. CONSUMER PUT HER HAZARDS ON WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE REGARDLESS OF HOW HARD CONSUMER PRESSED ON GAS. HIGH RPMS WERE NOTED THEN AND THE WEEKS PRIOR. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO PARK ON A SLOPED RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO GO INTO GEAR AND THE PARKING BRAKE WAS THE ONLY THING PREVENTING IT FROM ROLLING BACK DOWN. APPROXIMATELY 4.5 QUARTS OF ATF LEAKED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT AWAITS A SUITABLE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION AFTER DIAGNOSIS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THIS AND OTHER INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN NOTED, AND IN PREVIOUS INSTANCES, CHRYSLER HAS BLAMED TRIM OPTIONS (CONSUMER'S VEHICLE IS A 4 CYL 2.5 L 3 SPEED AUTOMATIC RIO GRANDE EDITION 4WD) AS THE REASON FOR SUCH ISSUES- - - - - -HOWEVER, JEEP ALSO ADVERTISED A "LIFETIME GUARANTEE" RELATING TO TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE. FORUM USERS OFFER 60K MILES AS AN ACCEPTABLE DEFINITION OF "LIFETIME" HOWEVER THIS CONSUMER BELIEVES SUCH CLAIMS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED TO BE LITERAL AND REPAIR OR REIMBURSE FOR THOSE COVERED REPAIRS UNDER THEIR GUARANTEE. APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 101K.