NHTSA Complaint #11207678 — 2016 JEEP RENEGADE

WHILE IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT, THE COOLING FAN COULD BE HEARD MAKING A WEIRD NOISE, FOLLOWED BY A STRONG ODOR. THIS HAPPENED ONE TIME EARLIER WHILE IDLING AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON. THE STRONG ODOR MADE ME TAKE IT TO A SHOP NEAR ME FOR FEAR OF DRIVING IT. LUCKILY IT WAS COLDER THAN USUAL OR IT WOULD HAVE OVERHEATED. UPON LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE AND HAVING MY COOLING FAN REPLACED, I FOUND IT WAS A COMMON ISSUE IN THE 2016 MODELS, AND HAS BEEN FIXED FOR (OR PART OF) THE 2017 MODELS. I CHECKED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED NO OFFICIAL RECALLS WERE SENT, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY. LUCKILY, I GOT THIS REPLACED BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED, BUT I'VE SPOKEN WITH NUMEROUS OTHER RENEGADE OWNERS WHO HAD THE VEHICLES BREAK DOWN AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO SHOPS FOR REPAIRS. I DID HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT BECAUSE I TOOK IT TO SHOP NEAR ME (FOR FEAR OF DRIVING IT) INSTEAD OF THE DEALERSHIP, THEY ONLY COVERED PART OF THE REPAIR WHICH WAS ABOUT $200 OUT OF MY $550 BILL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THESE ARE BEING LEFT OUT ON THE ROAD WHEN IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE. THE DEALER WHO PROVIDED THE PART EVEN HAD MULTIPLE FANS IN STOCK, INDICATING THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.