NHTSA Complaint #11309331 — 2016 JEEP RENEGADE

WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN A WEEK. MY WIFE COMMUTES MY DISABLED CHILD TO A STATE SCHOOL EVERY SCHOOL DAY. WHILE ON HER WAY HOME THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION SHUTTERED AND DIED WHILE DRIVING. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND ONTO A ACCESS ROAD. THE VEHICLE THEN WOULD NOT START WITH SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. SHE THEN CALLED ME, WHO WAS AT WORK, AND I LEFT TO HELP CHECK THE CAR. WITH LIMITED TOOLS AT MY DISPOSAL, I CHECKED FOR BATTERY VOLTAGE AND INTAKE RESTRICTION. NO PROBLEMS FOUND. I CHECKED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FOR FUEL AND HAD 2 LED BARS WITH NO LOW FUEL "DUMMY" LIGHT. CYCLED TO RANGE TILL EMPTY SECTION AND WAS SHOWING 60 MILES TO EMPTY. SO I ASSUMED FUEL WAS NOT THE ISSUE, BUT DIDN'T RULE IT OUT. SINCE SHE HAD ALREADY DRIVEN 60 MILES TO THIS POINT, I ASSUMED IGNITION WAS ALSO NOT A ISSUE. I THEN UNHOOKED THE BATTERY TO RESET ECM/PCM. HOOKED BATTERY BACK UP AND TRIED TO CRANK AGAIN WITH STILL A NO START. I THEN WENT WITH THE EASY ROUTE AND OBTAINED A FUEL CANISTER WITH FUEL AND ADDED 1.5 GALLONS OF FUEL TO THE TANK, WHICH INCREASED FUEL GAUGE TO 3 LED BARS. ONCE ABOVE PREVIOUS 2 LED BARS THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO HESITATION. SINCE THIS ISSUE I HAVE LOOKED FOR RECALLS ON PROGRAMMING OR ANY TSB PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE WITH NO AVAIL. I HAVE READ ON FORUMS THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENING TO OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES. I FIND THAT WITH OUT THESE INDICATORS OR THE RELIABILITY OF THE RANGE TO EMPTY THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO A SAFETY ISSUES DEPENDING ON THE ENVIRONMENT THE VEHICLE STALLS IN.