NHTSA Complaint #10926561 — 2015 JEEP WRANGLER

TWO WEEKS AGO THE JEEP FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF GEAR ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. PRIOR TO THIS IT WAS NOT DISPLAYING ANY ISSUES. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE AND CALLED FOR A TOW BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. LATER THAT DAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A SERVICE MANAGER, ROGER THAT THE CLUTCH WAS WORN OUT AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. I WAS SHOCKED THAT A VEHICLE THAT IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD WITH LESS THAT 18K MILES WOULD NEED A CLUTCH SINCE ABOUT ALL I DO WITH IT IS DRIVE TO WORK. HE EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS A WEAR PART AND NOT UNDER THE WARRANTEE SINCE I WAS OVER 12K MILES. LATER THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED ME DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE THE FULL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE CLUTCH JUST DIDN'T WEAR IT SHREDDED ITSELF APART CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE MECHANIC (WHO SEEMED TO KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT) EXPLAINED THAT BASED ON THE FLYWHEEL CONDITION THAT THIS WAS NOT A CASE OF GRADUAL WEAR BUT A SUDDEN FAILURE THAT DAMAGED THE FLYWHEEL AND TRANSMISSION HOUSING. HE WAS BASING THAT ASSESSMENT ON THE FACT THAT THE FLYWHEEL WAS NOT WORN AT ALL AND SHOWED ME WHAT A WORN FLYWHEEL WOULD LOOK LIKE. UPON HEARING THAT I INSISTED THAT THIS SHOULD BE A WARRANTY COVERED REPAIR AS IT SOUNDED LIKE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT CAUSED THIS AND CERTAINLY NOTHING I'VE DONE. BASICALLY THE CLUTCH EXPLODED AND CAUSED THIS. I'VE POSTED THIS STORY ON A FEW JEEP FORUMS AND FOUND A FEW OTHER JEEP OWNERS THAT WERE TOLD THE SAME THIS. ITS ABOUT TIME FCA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AND ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE ANYONE GETS HURT.