NHTSA Complaint #11242683 — 2000 JEEP WRANGLER

I BOUGHT MY JEEP IN OCTOBER 2000 AND HAD IT UNDERCOATED AT THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE IT EVER LEFT THE LOT. I HAD TAKEN IT BACK IN MULTIPLE TIMES TO HAVE IT RECOATED AND WHILE THE THE BODY EXPERIENCED SOME RUST DUE TO STONE CHIPS AND AGE THE FRAME STILL LOOKED GOOD UNTIL LAST YEAR WHEN I WENT TO HAVE SOME WORK DONE ON THE JEEP. WHEN LIFTING UP THE JEEP TO WORK ON IT, WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAD SOME STRANGE MARKS THAT SEEMED TO BE SHOWING ON THE FRAME. WHEN WE SCRATCHED OFF SOME OF THE UNDERCOATING WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME WAS CRUMBLING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. AFTER LOOKING CLOSER AT THE FRAME WE DISCOVERED THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAD LEFT OPEN HOLES IN THE FRAME INSIDE OF BOTH FRONT AND REAR WHEEL WELLS ON THE SIDE OF THE FRAME NEAR THE TOP OF THE ARC OF THE CURVE IN THE FRAME. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AN OK DESIGN BUT THEY DID NOT LEAVE ANY DRAIN HOLES IN THE FRAME AT ALL. THIS HAS LEAD TO THE ENTIRE FRAME BEING COMPROMISED WITH NO WAY TO KNOW THAT IT WAS HAPPENING AND NO WAY TO TRY TO PREVENT IT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS A FAILURE OF THE FRAME WHILE DRIVING WILL LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL AS WELL AS THE RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH.