NHTSA Complaint #10908136 — 2007 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS A BATTERY LIGHT THAT CAME ON WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN DURING A LIGHT RAIN. THE SOLUTION SUGGESTED BY OUR NORMAL MECHANIC (WHO IS VERY GOOD AND HAS SERVICED THE CAR FOR YEARS) WAS TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AND THEN IT WAS NOTED THE BATTERY WAS BAD. IT WAS REPLACED SINCE IT WAS THREE YEARS OLD. AFTER THE REPAIR THE CAR STARTED TO DIE INTERMITTENTLY WHILE BEING DRIVEN. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO CHECK THE DIAGNOSTICS AND SAID IT APPEARED TO BE POINTING TO THE IGNITION SWITCH (BASED ON THEIR DIAGNOSTIC FLOWCHART). THE MECHANICS SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE STALLING IN THE VEHICLE WHEN HE DROVE IT. SUGGESTED WE TAKE BACK TO THE DEALER WHO HAD REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH TUMBLERS DURING THE RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE LAST NOVEMBER. THE DEALER WANTED A $85 DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO JUST CHECK THE SWITCH. WE RECEIVED A DOWNLOAD OF THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES WHICH APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO MULTIPLE FAILURES OF IGNITION MODULES BUT THE DEALER REPORTED HIS SERVICE TECHNICIAN HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE TIPM BUT WAS SURE IT WAS NOT THE SWITCH. HE WAS UNABLE TO TELL US WHAT THE FAILURE WAS AND SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR MORE DIAGNOSTICS IF HE WAS TO FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY IT WAS. I TOOK IT BACK TO MY MECHANIC WHO REPLACED ALTERNATOR. HOWEVER, AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR LAST SATURDAY IT DIED AFTER WE STOPPED AT A RAILROAD CROSSING WAITING ON A TRAIN AND THEN TRIED TO CROSS THE TRACKS AFTER THE ARMS HAD GONE UP. THE CROSSING T-BONES INTO ANOTHER ROAD AND A VERY DEEP BAR DITCH AT THE SIDE OF THAT ROAD. THE CROSSING WAS A STEEP INCLINE. ALMOST PUT CAR IN DITCH. MY WIFE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL AND STOP IT AS I BARELY WAS ABLE TO. AFTER REVIEWING OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS I NOW BELIEVE IT IS THE TIPM. THIS IS SAFETY RELATED SINCE ALL SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS TIED TO THIS.