NHTSA Complaint #10910872 — 2015 JEEP RENEGADE

PURCHASED VEHICLE IN JULY 2015, WITH 12 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. VEHICLE DIED WHILE IN MOTION AT APPROXIMATELY 12 MPH ON MAY 2016. HAD FULL ELECTRICAL POWER, BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND IGNITION DID NOT EVEN MAKE "CLICK" NOISE. TOWED BY FCA 24H SERVICE TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP (AND NOT THE ONE I BOUGHT IT FROM AND REQUESTED IT GO TO). AFTER 3 DAYS WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED OIL, OIL CHANGED WAS PERFORMED, AND THAT IT WAS FINE. OIL STARTED "DISAPPEARING" - NO LEAK, WASN'T BURNING. OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WOULD COME ON CONTINUOUSLY. CALLED FCA TO ALERT TO PROBLEM AND ASK WARRANTY QUESTIONS. WAS TOLD TO PUT OIL IN AND THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH 2015 RENEGADES; WARNED REP THAT CONTINUED DRIVING WITH NO OIL WOULD SEIZE ENGINE. CALLED ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM - ENGINE SEIZED, WITH ONLY 9288 MILES ON IT, ON AUG 29 2016 WHILE ENTERING NEIGHBORHOOD AT APPX.15 MPH - FIRST STARTED SHAKING AND RUMBLING LOUDLY, SPUTTERING AND DYING WHILE IN MOTION, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT START AFTER THAT. HAD TOWED TO ORIGINAL PURCHASE DEALERSHIP. WAS FIRST TOLD WAS A CYLINDER HEAD AND THAT WAS OIL IN THE SPARK PLUG SOCKETS AND ELSEWHERE (LUCKY IT DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING). WEEK LATER WAS TOLD THAT A WHOLE NEW ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO GO IN, AS IT WAS SEIZED. ENGINE HAS FINALLY BEEN REPLACED AFTER 30 DAYS, AS DEALER HAD TO WAIT FOR FCA APPROVAL. NOW OUT OF POCKET ALMOST $400 FOR VEHICLE RENTALS AND TOWING, DESPITE FCA PROMISES TO PROVIDE. FILED FOR BUY BACK PROCESS AND GIVEN RUN AROUND. HAVE NOT HAD MY VEHICLE FOR A TOTAL OF 37 DAYS THIS YEAR - 35 WHICH ARE CONSECUTIVE. STILL WAITING FOR FCA RESPONSE; HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND REP WILL NOT RETURN MY CALLS. STAY FAR AWAY FROM ANY FCA PRODUCED VEHICLE THAT HAS THE 9 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.