NHTSA Complaint #11257071 — 2017 JEEP WRANGLER

WHILE TURNING MY VEHICLE TO GO AROUND A PARKED CAR APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, I HEARD A SNAP AND FELT SOMETHING BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS. I LEFT THE STOP SIGN AND AT THE NEXT CURVE, THE STEERING DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, THE TRACTION CONTROL TURNED ON, AND IT FELT LIKE I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE VEHICLE, FINDING THAT THE WELD BETWEEN THE TRACK BAR BRACKET AND FRAME HAD BROKEN. MY VEHICLE IS A STOCK WRANGLER WITH THE STOCK TIRES AND WHEELS, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN OFF ROADING. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS ALONE IN THE VEHICLE AND TRAVELING VERY SLOWLY WHEN THE WELD FAILED. HAD I BEEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT THE WELD HAD MADE PENETRATION INTO THE FRAME, AND THAT IT WAS LIKE THAT FROM THE FACTORY. I AM AWARE OF THE CURRENT PROBLEMS WITH THE JL WRANGLERS AND THIS WELD, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING ABOUT 2017 JK VEHICLES. CHRYSLER HAS WELDED A BRACKET BACK ONTO THE FRAME, BUT I QUESTION THE OTHER WELDS ON THE REST OF VEHICLE AND THE OVERALL QUALITY CONTROL. I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH DRIVING THE VEHICLE, OR PUTTING MY FAMILY IN IT. I WORRY ABOUT EVERY BUMP OR TWIST WHEN I AM DRIVING IN THIS JEEP. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW AND HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN CHRYSLER PRODUCTS.*DT *DT*JB