NHTSA Complaint #10936121 — 2016 JEEP COMPASS

ON DECEMBER 9, 2016 I RENTED A JEEP COMPASS AND ON THAT DAY I HAD A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY. VERY LOW TRAFFIC AREA. BEFORE APPLYING THE BRAKE, I WAS DRIVING AT A SAFE SPEED FOR THE ROAD CONDITIONS - FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MPH ON FRESH SNOW AND SOME PACKED SNOW OVER A PAVED ROAD BASE. AT ABOUT TWENTY TO TWENTY FIVE FEET BEFORE A STOP SIGN I BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKE. THE BRAKE DID NOTHING. THERE WAS CLICKING NOISES AND THE COMPASS SEEMED TO ACCELERATE. I CONTINUED TO APPLY THE BRAKE AS I ROLLED THROUGH THE STOP AREA FOR THE STOP SIGN. THE PAVED ROAD ENDED AT THE STOP SIGN AND TURNED INTO A DIRT ROAD BASE. AT THIS POINT I TURNED THE WHEEL AS THE MOMENTUM CONTINUED. I WAS HOPING THE DIRT ROAD BASE WOULD PROVIDE GRAB FOR THE TURNED FRONT TIRES AND STEER THE COMPASS TO THE DIRECTION OF THE DIRT ROAD. THERE WAS NO GRAB AND THE COMPASS CONTINUED TO DRIVE ACROSS THE DIRT ROAD FOR ABOUT ANOTHER TWENTY FEET AS I CONTINUED TO APPLY THE BRAKE. I HAD APPLIED THE BRAKE FOR ABOUT FORTY-FIVE FEET WHEN I SEE THE TEN FOOT DROP DITCH AHEAD OF ME. THE COMPASS DIDN'T SLOW, EVER. IT SEEMED TO ACCELERATE. IT WOULDN'T BE DIRECTED BY STEERING IT. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER IT. AT THIS POINT I DID ALL THAT I COULD THINK OF TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I LOOKED AT THE DITCH AND KNEW THAT THE SUV AND I WOULD RECEIVE DAMAGE. THE COMPASS ROLLED INTO THE DITCH. WHEN THE SUV FINALLY STOPPED I WAS UP SIDE DOWN. FOR ME TO BEST DESCRIBE THIS JEEP COMPASS IS THAT IT WAS A "TERMINATOR". IT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. ONCE I APPLIED THE BRAKE, I HAD NO CONTROL OVER IT. *TR