NHTSA Complaint #11012805 — 2012 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, THE RED BATTERY LIGHT CAME FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I OWNED THE VEHICLE. WITHIN MINUTES OF THE LIGHT APPEARING, THE JEEP'S AIR CONDITIONING WENT OFF, ALL WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON (WITHOUT PROMPTING THEM). ALL THREE OF THESE THINGS HAPPENED WITHIN SECONDS OF EACH OTHER SO I TRIED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY BUT THE JEEP LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED IN THE RIGHT LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY ZERO POWER SO I WAS UNABLE TO TURN MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON OR PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO ROLL TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE (SEE ATTACHED PICTURE). I THEN HAD TO EXIT THE JEEP INTO ONCOMING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN THE LEFT LANE AND LUCKILY MADE IT SAFETY TO THE SHOULDER WHERE I CALLED 911 AND TRIPLE A FOR A TOW. THE JEEP WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND THAT HE HAD TO UNPLUG IT FROM THE BATTERY SINCE IT WAS STILL PRODUCING EXCESSIVE HEAT HOURS AFTER IT ARRIVED THERE. I THEN CALLED THE FCA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REFERENCED RECALL T36, SINCE THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AS THE DESCRIPTION PROVIDED (ALTHOUGH I DID NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS ON MY VIN). THEY PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH THE LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP TO SET UP AN APPT SO I PAID FOR ANOTHER TOW THERE. THE NEXT DAY I RECEIVE A CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPT THAT MY ALTERNATOR FAILED, WHICH DRAINED MY BATTERY, WHICH BROKE MY MODULE POWERTRAIN CONTROL COMPUTER TOTALING $2,134 IN REPAIRS. THEY CANNOT CONFIRM NOR DENY THAT MY JEEP IS PART OF RECALL T36, BUT REGARDLESS SINCE MY VIN DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS ON IT, THAT I HAVE TO PAY IN FULL AND THAT IF DOWN THE ROAD THERE IS A RECALL THAT I WILL GET REIMBURSED. I THEN CALL THE FCA CUSTOMER SERVICE BACK AND THEY CHECK THEIR INTERNAL SYSTEM AND CONFIRM THAT I AM NOT PART OF RECALL T36 AND THERE ARE NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS FOR MY JEEP.