NHTSA Complaint #10885535 — 2016 JEEP RENEGADE

WE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2016 JEEP RENEGADE LATITUDE ON JUNE 11, 2016. ON JULY 1, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 400 MILES THE CAR BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. ON JULY 1, THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED VIA THE PUSH-START IGNITION AND RAN UNTIL THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE POWERED ON, AT WHICH POINT THE CAR SHOOK VIOLENTLY, SEVERAL DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON (ENGINE, PARKING BREAK, ETC.) AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO IDLE HEAVILY AND SHUTTER UNTIL THE ENGINE KILLED. UPON RESTARTING, ONLY THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS SHOWING, SO MY HUSBAND BEGAN TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES LATER, AT TOP SPEEDS OF 40 MPH THE CAR'S ACCELERATOR AND POWER STEERING FAILED AND HE VEERED OFF OF A TWO-WAY HIGHWAY INTO A FIELD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY "UPDATED THE COMPUTER" AND SENT US ON OUR WAY WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD REGARDING THE FINICKY COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS THE CAR AND CAN FAIL AT ANY MOMENT WITHOUT WARNING. ON JULY 15, THE SATELLITE RADIO SEARCHED FOR A SIGNAL FOR SEVERAL HOURS, WITH NO OTHER SYMPTOMS. ON JULY 17, THE CAR FAILED AGAIN, UPON IGNITION. SEVERAL DASHBOARD INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THE AND THE CAR COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO ANY GEAR. ON JULY 18 THE CAR WOULD START, BUT NOT SHIFT, AND AGAIN, HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. TODAY IS JULY 18, SO NOW WE'RE PLAYING A GAME OF "WAIT AND SEE" IF ANOTHER COMPUTER UPDATE WILL "FIX" THIS DEATH-TRAP OF A VEHICLE. I FEEL LIKE THIS CAR IS A HAZARD TO US AND ANYONE AROUND US ON THE ROAD OR SIDEWALKS WHERE WE MAY BE FORCED TO VEER OFF TO AVOID A COLLISION IF THE SYSTEM FAILS AGAIN. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE, IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED OR DIE DUE TO A DEFECT THAT THE DEALERSHIPS AND JEEP ARE OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF, BUT REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE.