NHTSA Complaint #11152472 — 2001 JEEP WRANGLER

FRAME BEGAN ROTTING OUT AT ROUGHLY 100,000 MILES. I DISCOVERED THIS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ON MY COMMUTE HOME FROM WORK. WHILE ACCELERATING I FELT A SUDDEN POWER LOSS. THIS WENT ON FOR ANOTHER ROUNDTRIP THE FOLLOWING DAY. UPON RETURNING HOME THE FOLLOWING DAY I SAW SOMETHING HANGING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. IT WAS THE SKID PLATE, HANGING BY THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BOLTS, SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE WEIGHT OF THE DRIVETRAIN. THE DRIVESHAFT BEING AT THAT UNNATURAL ANGLE IS WHAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER. TO THINK THAT I HAD DRIVEN 100 MILES THAT WAY WAS SLIGHTLY UNSETTLING. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE FRAME WELDED, WHICH RAN $1,200. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE REAR RAILS (BEHIND REAR WHEELS) REPAIRED FOR AN ADDITIONAL $400. MY FRONT BODY MOUNT HAS ALSO ROTTED OUT, WHICH I FIXED MYSELF FOR $10, BUT SHOULD PROBABLY BE WELDED BY A PROFESSIONAL. BOTH MECHANIC AND WELDER SUGGESTED THAT FRAME ROT OCCURRED DUE TO LACK OF HOLES FOR WATER TO DRAIN OUT AND THAT THE SITTING WATER AND SALT JUST ATE AWAY AT EVERYTHING. THE CAR NOW HAS 215,000 MILES ON IT. I AM OTHERWISE HAPPY WITH THE CAR, BUT IT UPSETS ME THAT I COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT DUE TO THE POOR DESIGN OF THE FRAME. SEEMS STRANGE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FIX FOR THE ISSUE, NOR A RESPONSE FROM CHRYSLER TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT PEOPLE CAN DIE AS A RESULT OF THE FRAME ROTTING OUT. MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR A FIX?!? AT 200,000+ MILES YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD GO STRAIGHT BACK TO A WRANGLER ONCE THIS ONE BITES IT, BUT I WILL NEVER BUY A JEEP AGAIN BASED ON THIS ISSUE. I BOUGHT THIS AS A 25 YEAR OLD WITHOUT KIDS. WITH A 2 AND 4 YEAR OLD AT HOME, I WOULD NOT TRUST A JEEP TO TRANSPORT THEM (TOO BAD, AS MY SON LOVES MY JEEP DESPITE NEVER BEING IN IT). I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST, SO RUST/ROT EXPECTED TO AN EXTENT. MY BROTHER OWNS A FORD F-250 USED FOR PLOWING..SAME YEAR, SAME MILAGE...NO ROT!