NHTSA Complaint #11218499 — 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE

ALMOST DIED LAST WEEK!! WE PURCHASED THE JEEP CHEROKEE TRAILHAWK NEW IN 2014 WITH THE FULL INTENT OF TOWING IT 4 WHEELS DOWN BEHIND OUR MOTOR HOME. THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR TOWING IS VERY CLEAR AND WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS AS PROVIDED AND AS INSTRUCTED BY THE JEEP DEALERSHIP. LAST THURSDAY NIGHT (MAY 30TH 2019) ON HWY 24 IN KENTUCKY WE HIT A ROUGH PATCH OF ROAD AND THE JEEP WENT INTO A DEATH WOBBLE THAT BROUGHT THE ENTIRE RV COACH FROM 65 MPH TO A DEAD STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY IN THE DARK OF NIGHT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC!!! BY GOD'S GRACE ONLY ARE WE NOT DEAD!! NO DRIVER EXPECTS AN RV TO BE PARKED ON THE HIGHWAY (EMERGENCY FLASHERS OR NOT). WE HAVE BEEN SCARED BEFORE WITH THIS AT A LOWER SPEED OF 30 TO 40 MPH, BUT NEVER AT FULL HIGHWAY SPEED! WE ARE TERRIFIED TO TOW THIS VEHICLE EVEN THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS CLEARLY SOLD AS TOW-ABLE. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS, I FIND OUT IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH JEEP 2014 / 2015 MODELS AND THAT A ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS IS NOW REQUIRED TO TOW THE VEHICLE SAFELY - HOWEVER - JEEP WANTS TO CHARGE YOU FOR THIS PART AND INSTALL!!! THIS IS PURE EVIL ON JEEPS PART. THEY KNOW OF THE ISSUE AND ARE PUSHING THE REPAIR OFF ON THE OWNER, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS CLEARLY ADVERTISED AND SOLD AS TOW-ABLE WITH NO NEED FOR ANY ADAPTATIONS. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED DUE TO THEIR NEGLIGENCE IN GETTING THESE VEHICLES REPAIRED. I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED BY JEEP THAT MY LIFE IS IN DANGER. THEY HAVE MADE NO EFFORT IN RECTIFYING THIS DEADLY SITUATION OR EVEN LETTING ME KNOW ABOUT A POTENTIAL SOLUTION. I HAVE TRIED TO FIX THE WOBBLE INDEPENDENTLY BY CHANGING TIRES, BALANCING ETC, ONLY TO LEARN THROUGH GOOGLE THAT THE JEEP IS FAULTY IN AND OF ITSELF, THAT THE STEERING IS NOT POWERED CORRECTLY TO KEEP THE JEEP FROM GOING INTO A DEATH WOBBLE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND NOT THE BURDEN OF THE OWNER.