NHTSA Complaint #11359888 — 2012 JEEP WRANGLER

MY 2012 JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA UNLIMITED 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STARTED VIOLENTLY POPPING OUT OF FIRST GEAR. IT IS VERY RANDOM AND UNPREDICTABLE MAKING IT EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. I COULD BE PULLING OUT INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION, TAKING OFF FROM A STOP SIGN/ LIGHT OR PULLING OUT FROM A PARKING SPACE INTO TRAFFIC AND MY SHIFTER WILL SUDDENLY JUMP OUT OF FIRST GEAR INTO NEUTRAL, CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE ALL POWER. THERE IS A LOUD SOUND AND A FEELING OF SCRAPING LIKE THE GEARS ARE BEING STRIPPED. THE STEERING ALSO GETS VERY SHAKY EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS (APPROX 40 MPH) IN THE SAME WAY IT WOULD AT A HIGH SPEED WHEN IN NEED OF A HIGH SPEED BALANCE. THIS IS MY 3RD JEEP WRANGLER, ALL OF WHICH HAVE HAD MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS (A 1989, 2004 AND THIS 2012). I'VE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND SPORTBIKES SINCE 1989 FROM TOYOTAS AND HONDAS TO VOLKSWAGENS TO SUZUKIS AND YAMAHAS AND I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS, NEVER EVEN BURNED OUT A CLUTCH, SO I CAN RULE OUT DRIVER ERROR. I PURCHASED THIS 2012 BRAND NEW AND HAD IT BUILD TO MY SPECIFICATIONS BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AVAILABLE IN THE DEALER INVENTORY. I HAVE FOUND THAT 1000S OF OTHER JEEP OWNERS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE, NARROWLY ESCAPING SERIOUS COLLISIONS WHEN THE CARS JUMP OUT OF GEAR AND LOSE POWER. JEEP LOVERS ARE LOYAL AND SUPPORT THE BRAND. IT WOULD BE NICE IF CHRYSLER WOULD BE LOYAL TO ITS CUSTOMERS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE FLAWS IN THEIR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, RECALL THE OLD ONES AND CHANGE THE DESIGN OF THE NEW ONES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED.