NHTSA Complaint #10863314 — 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILED SUDDENLY. A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND STEERING WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH OCCURRED SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, OPENING THE DOOR TO POWER OFF THE ELECTRONICS, AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO WORK PROPERLY AND THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS GONE. THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP AWAY FROM HOME WITH MY FAMILY AT BOTH LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED. IT OCCURRED ONCE MORE WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT, WHICH CAUSED ME TO NARROWLY MISS HITTING A POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS DIRECTING TRAFFIC, BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO DROP THE VEHICLE OFF AT A DEALERSHIP. AT LOW SPEEDS, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE AND IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AT A LOW ENOUGH RADIUS TO PARK OR MAKE A RIGHT TURN INTO OR OUT OF TRAFFIC. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A VERY STRONG PERSON AND I WAS REQUIRED TO USE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FORCE USING BOTH HANDS TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHILE THE POWER STEERING WAS OUT. IT FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO BREAK THE STEERING WHEEL OR BEND THE STEERING COLUMN JUST TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN OUT OF TRAFFIC ON A CITY STREET. I HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE DRIVING WITHOUT HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING IN OLDER VEHICLES, AND I KNOW THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO USE TWO TO THREE TIMES MORE FORCE IN THIS INSTANCE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VEHICLE'S ISSUE. THIS FAILURE, WHICH OCCURRED EACH TIME WITHOUT WARNING, HAS CAUSED ME TO FEEL UNEASY ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WITH MY WIFE AND INFANT SON IN THE CAR. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR AND HAS BEEN WAITING TO RECEIVE THE NECESSARY REPLACEMENT PART FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK IS ON BACKORDER.