NHTSA Complaint #11324844 — 2007 JEEP WRANGLER

THIS IS A SIX SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE. FROM STOP INTO FIRST GEAR, THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY POPS OUT OF FIRST GEAR INTO PARTIAL NEUTRAL. THERE IS NO BINDING APPARENT FROM ANY OF THE DUST BOOTS ON THE SHIFTER LEVER. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE SINCE LATE 2009. IT WAS STORED FOR A YEAR AND ONLY DRIVEN MONTHLY FOR SHORT PERIODS. UPON RETURN FROM MY DEPLOYMENT I DROVE THIS VEHICLE AS MY DAILY DRIVER UP TO CURRENT. THE HOTTER THE WEATHER, THE MORE THE TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF GEAR. EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE, IT HAS HAD THIS ISSUE. IT VIOLENTLY POPS OUT IF FIRST GEAR 1 TO 2 TIMES A WEEK; OCCASIONALLY MORE. IT IS NOW BECOMING MORE APPARENT THAT THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE ISSUE. RECENTLY, WHEN TRYING TO MAKE LEFT HAND TURNS ACROSS TRAFFIC, IT WOULD POP OUT OF GEAR AND I WOULD QUICKLY HAVE TO RECOVER AND GET IT BACK INTO GEAR BEFORE ONCOMING TRAFFIC APPROACHED. I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF BLOGS AND INTERNET POSTS STATING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE STATED BY HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OTHER JEEP OWNERS OF SIMILAR YEARS AND REFERENCING HAVING TO CHANGE OUT 1 AND 2 GEAR SYNCHROS ACCORDING TO A JEEP BULLETIN. SO, IF JEEP KNOWS IT IS A MAJOR ISSUE, THEN WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL? OTHERS WERE LUCKY TO GET REPAIRS FOR FREE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OWNERS WERE OUT OF WARRANTY, SIMILAR TO ME. SINCE THIS IS SUCH A PREDOMINANT MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, THEN THIS IS CLEARLY A NEED FOR A RECALL FOR THOSE THAT NEED/REQUIRE THE REPAIR. HISTORY WISE, I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER 2009 WITH 15703 MILES ON IT. BY APPROX. FEBRUARY 2011 WHEN I STARTED DRIVING IT DAILY AND AT ABOUT 17000 MILES THE ISSUE STARTED. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 89800 MILES ON IT.