NHTSA Complaint #11020362 — 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE

THIS COMPLIANT INVOLVES TOWING BEHIND A MOTOR HOME. ON 3 OCCASIONS THE TOW VEHICLE DID NOT TRACK PROPERLY, THE FRONTS WHEELS BEGAN TO OSCILLATE SHAKING THE MOTOR HOME VIOLENTLY CREATING A SITUATION WHERE THE TOW VEHICLE COULD BREAK LOOSE OR CAUSE THE MOTOR HOME TO LOOSE CONTROL. ON FIRST OCCASION AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN THE MOTOR HOME BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FROM THE BACK. I PULLED OVER TO INSPECT VEHICLE, A PEDESTRIAN WHO WITNESSED THE EVENT CAME OVER AND SAID THE FRONT WHEELS OF THE TOW VEHICLE (JEEP CHEROKEE) WERE OSCILLATING FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND HE WITNESSED BOTH THE TOW VEHICLE AND MOTOR HOME SHAKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. ON THE SECOND OCCASION I CROSSED OVER A DOUBLE SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS, GOING 25MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE, THE TOW VEHICLE WHEELS BEGAN TO OSCILLATE UNCONTROLLABLY. AFTER SLOWING TO A COMPLETE STOP, I COULD START AGAIN NORMALLY. THE THIRD TIME OCCURRED ON THE FREEWAY IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE, I WAS TRAVELING AT 50 MPH AND WENT OVER UNEVEN SURFACE THE TOW VEHICLE AGAIN BEGAN TO OSCILLATE. I T WAS ALL I COULD DO TO HOLD RV STRAIGHT AS IT WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN FREEWAY. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS IN SEPT 2015, THE SECOND IN JULY 2017 AND THE THIRD IN AUGUST 2017. I HAVE A 38 FT MOTOR HOME, I BELIEVE IF IT WAS SMALLER I EASILY COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL, OR THE TOW VEHICLE COULD TEAR LOOSE FROM THE MOTOR HOME. WHEN NOT TOWING THE JEEP DRIVES WITH NO ISSUES. I HAVE A BLU-OX TOW BAR AND IT WAS BEING TOWED AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I BELIEVE THIS VEHICLE COULD HAVE A DESIGN FLAW.