NHTSA Complaint #11011515 — 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE

BLUE OX BX1136 VERSION 0 BASEPLATES WERE USED ON THIS CAR TO PULL IT BEHIND A MOTORHOME. THE BASEPLATE DESIGN PLACED EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE JEEP'S ALUMINUM FRAME COMPONENTS THAT RESULTED IN THEIR WELDS TO FATIGUE, CRACK AND FAIL AND INCREASED THE PROBABILITY THAT THE JEEP COULD DETACH DURING TOWING. A DETACHED CAR IS A SIGNIFICANT HAZZARD TO VEHICLES AND PEOPLE. BLUE OX HAS SINCE REVISED THE DESIGN OF THE BASEPLATES TO REDUCE THE STRESS APPLIED TO THE ALUMINUM FRAME COMPONENTS, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THE DESIGN REVISION. I ONLY LEARNED OF THE REVISION AFTER MY FRAME COMPONENTS HAD FAILED AND I WAS AT SIGNIFICANT RISK OF LOSING THE CAR DURING TOWING. IN ADDITION, I HAVE INSPECTED ONE OTHER CHEROKEE USING THE SAME DESIGN BASEPLATES AND FOUND THAT THEIR ALUMINUM FRAME COMPONENTS HAVE FAILED SIMILAR TO MINE. I BELIEVE THAT BLUE OX NEEDS TO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THE BX1136 ORIGINAL DESIGN BASEPLATES AND ISSUE A RECALL.