NHTSA Complaint #11217907 — 2016 JEEP PATRIOT

2016 PATRIOT WITH,54,000 MILES. NO MAJOR ISSUES PRIOR. 2 WEEKS AGO HOWEVER, I WAS LEFT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY ENTRANCE RAMP, ALMOST REAR-ENDED BY A SEMI AND SIDE SWIPING A CONSTRUCTION SIGN TO AVOID BEING HIT. WHEN ACCELERATING THE ETC SYMBOL (LIGHTENING BOLT) WILL DISPLAY, TRACTION CONTROL ICON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL DISPLAY. THE JEEP COMPLETELY STOPS ACCELERATING (HIGHWAY SPEED TO 0 MPH WITHIN SECONDS=DEADLY), IT WILL SHAKE BEFORE JUST DYING. IF I'M LUCKY I'LL MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER (IF IT HAPPENS TO HAVE ONE). THROUGH GOOGLE RESEARCH, I CAME ACROSS A WAY TO DO A "RESET" (TURN CAR OFF, INSERT KEY AND TURN "ON", PRESS GAS PEDAL SLOWLY, RELEASE SLOWLY, TURN CAR OFF AND THEN RESTART THE ENGINE). DOING THIS TYPICALLY CLEARS THE ICONS AND I'M ABLE TO TRAVEL AGAIN. THIS INTERMITTENTLY HAPPENS, SO YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU'RE POTENTIALLY ABOUT TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT FROM STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY. WHEN DRIVING ON CITY/TOWN ROADS, IT HAS NOT COMPLETED STOPPED AS STATED ABOVE, BUT WILL "JUMP" WHEN SWITCHING GEARS, THEN THROW THE ETC SYMBOL. IF I LET OFF THE GAS, THE ICON GOES AWAY AND CAR RUNS NORMAL. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC 1 DAY AGO AND WAS TOLD TO GET A NEW BATTERY. THE BATTERY WAS CHANGED 1 DAY AGO AND THE ISSUE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES TODAY. THROUGH ONLINE SEARCHES IT APPEARS THIS IS A TERRIBLY COMMON ISSUE THAT JEEP HAS YET TO ADDRESS! SOMEONE IS GOING TO END UP LOSING THEIR LIFE BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO WAY OF KNOWING THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN OR ANY PREVENTATIVE MEASURES THAT A TYPICAL PERSON WOULD KNOW TO TAKE TO AVOID THIS DEADLY MALFUNCTION. AS EASY AS IT IS TO JUST TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC, THAT IS NOT FINANCIALLY POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE AND IN THIS SITUATION NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY JEEP AS IT IS RECURRING ISSUE AND IS DEADLY. NOTHING AS A VEHICLE OWNER WOULD AVOID THIS FROM OCCURRING.