NHTSA Complaint #10865600 — 2012 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC REAR TAILGATE AND ASSOCIATED OBSTRUCTION/SAFETY SENSOR MECHANISMS. TAILGATE OPENS TO WITHIN AN INCH OR TWO OF FULL HEIGHT THEN SILENTLY STARTS TO FALL BACK AT AN INCREASING VELOCITY AND SLAMS SHUT. PRESSING THE CONTROL BUTTON TO STOP THE FALL DOES NOT WORK NOR DOES THE RAPID DROP STOP WHEN ENCOUNTERING AN OBSTRUCTION. WHEN TAILGATE FIRST STARTED TO REVERSE DIRECTION I REACHED IN TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO STOP OR REVERSE IT AND IT CONTINUED DOWNWARD AND PINNED MY ARM AND CAUSED ME TO WRENCH MY BACK. HAD ANYONE LEANED INTO THE BACK AS IT WAS GOING UP, IT WOULD HAVE SILENTLY SLAMMED BACK DOWN ON THEIR HEAD OR NECK RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY AS THE TAILGATE IS QUITE HEAVY AND QUICKLY GAINS SUBSTANTIAL MOMENTUM AND FORCE. SINCE THE TAILGATE NEVER REACHES FULL HEIGHT IT APPEARS THAT SAFETY INTERLOCKS DO NOT GET ACTIVATED/TRIGGERED HENCE IT BECOMES A DEAD DROP. IT APPEARS THAT THE CAUSE IS A LOSS OF PRESSURE IN THE RIGHT REAR STRUT, THOUGH OTHER ELECTRONIC FACTORS MAY BE CONSIDERED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SERIOUS OR EVEN A FATAL INJURY. A REPAIR IS SCHEDULED AT THE DEALER ON MAY 25. OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON GOOGLE SEARCH.