NHTSA Complaint #11046917 — 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE

I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A RED LIGHT. THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS WERE FROZEN IN PLACE AND THE ELICTRICAL EQUIPMENT ON THE DASH WENT HAYWIRE FOR A MOMENT. THE MESSAGE CENTER THEN SHOWED THE MESSAGE "START STOP SYSTEM UNAVAILABLE/ PLEASE RETURN TO PARK, THEN CHOOSE DESIRED GEAR." I WAS ABLE TO TURN ON MY FLASHERS, BUT DESPITE SHIFTING TO PARK AND TO DRIVE SEVERAL TIMES THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE ENGINE DID NOT SEEM TO BE RUNNING. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON WITH THE KEY SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE TURNED OVER. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AT THE NEXT TWO STOP LIGHTS. I DROVE ABOUT THREE MILES PAST THE THIRD STOPLIGHT, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55 MPH. THERE WAS NO SHOULDER. IT WAS TERRIFYING. I TURNED ON MY FLASHERS AND CAME TO A FULL STOP COASTING WITH NO BRAKES AND NO ABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON WITH THE KEY AGAIN AND THE CAR SEEMED "FINE." I USED THE DASH BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE AUTO-OFF MECHANISM AND DROVE THE LAST TEN MILES HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THE ESS SYSTEM IS RELATED TO THE MALFUNCTION, HOWEVER THE ERROR MESSAGE AND RESULT OF TURNING IT OFF SUGGESTS IT IS. I STILL HAVE A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "SERVICE AUTO ON OFF SYSTEM." CALLING DEALERSHIP TODAY.