NHTSA Complaint #11291644 — 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE

APPROX. 68,000 MILES, OWNED FOR 3 YEARS, REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION. VEHICLE IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS TURNS TO NEUTRAL AFTER THE FIRST FEW RIGHT TURNS. GEAR SHIFTER AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL AFTER THE CAR'S WARNING SYSTEM READS "SHIFT TO PARK" WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE AND IN MOTION. TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER MUST PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTART IT, HOWEVER THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASHES. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN AS MANY WEEKS, ALL WHILE IN TRAFFIC. WHEN TAKEN TO JEEP DEALERSHIP MECHANIC, NO CODE SHOWS UP ON OBD. AFTER ONLINE RESEARCH, MANY OWNERS OF JEEP WRANGLERS, (AS WELL AS LATITUDES) HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. THERE IS A CONSENSUS IT MAY BE A RESULT OF A POORLY IMPLEMENTED FAILSAFE THAT JEEP INSTALLED WHEN THE ENGINE OIL IS LOW. ALLEGEDLY, ON JEEPS WITH CERTAIN ENGINES (2.4L) THEY BURN OIL AT A HIGHER RATE THAN WHAT THE ONBOARD COMPUTERS CAN GAGE. IT APPEARS THAT JEEP DEALERSHIPS FEIGN IGNORANCE WITH THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WHEN OTHER OWNERS HAVE PRESSED THE JEEP CORP., THEY SAY THEY MAY ISSUE A RECALL IF ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN. HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/JEEP/CHEROKEE/2019/ENGINE/ENGINE_SHUT_DOWN.SHTML