NHTSA Complaint #11076445 — 2016 JEEP RENEGADE

JEEP SAFETY CONCERN 2016 JEEP RENEGADE TRAIL HAWK 4WD MILEAGE: 35.000 OUR VEHICLE DISPLAYED CHECK ENGINE CODE (P0440). TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED A FRONT VACUUM VALVE. THREE DAYS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS BACK ON. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED A PRESSURE SWITCH IN THE GAS TANK WAS THE PROBLEM BUT THE PART HAD TO BE ORDERED. WHILE THIS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON I DISCOVERED THAT WHEN THE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER MODULE (ECM) SEES AN EMISSION CODE THE ECM WILL DISABLE THE VEHICLES 4WD AND THE REMOTE START. THE REMOTE START IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN BUT THE 4WD IS.THERE WAS A SNOW STORM THAT HIT THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND EFFECTED OUR AREA. SINCE MY WIFE USES THIS VEHICLE, FOR SEVERAL DAYS MY WIFE WAS WITHOUT A VEHICLE DURING THIS STORM. THANKFULLY I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE BEFORE THE STORM HIT. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING IF THIS CODE WAS SET WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING IN THE SNOW WITH MY 3-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER IN THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE IS ADVERTISED AS 4WD' TRAIL RATED' OFF ROAD VEHICLE.I NEVER HAVE HAD ANY 4WD ISSUE WITH ANY OF THESE VEHICLES. IF YOU'RE DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE INCLEMENT IN WEATHER SUCH AS SNOW AND THE ECM SEES AN EMISSION ISSUE, YOU LOSE YOUR 4WD. LOSING YOUR 4WD ON A SNOW-COVERED ROAD CAN BECOME A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOUR OFF ROAD ON A SLIPPERY TRAIL AND YOU LOSE YOUR 4WD YOU MAY SLIDE INTO A LARGE TREE OR WORSE, SLIDE OFF THE TRAIL. CHRYSLER JEEP NEVER TELLS THE CUSTOMER THIS CAN OCCUR BUT THEY ADVERTISE THE VEHICLE AS A 'TRAIL RATED' OFF ROAD VEHICLE. PEOPLE THAT PURCHASE JEEPS ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT 'TRAIL RATED' STAMP MEANS THIS VEHICLE IS CERTIFIED FOR USE DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER OR FOR RECREATIONAL USE. THE LAST THING A CUSTOMER WANTS TO FIND OUT IS THAT THE VEHICLE THEY PURCHASED WILL LOSE THE 4WD IF THERE IS A ECM CODE SET. LOU FROM NY