NHTSA Complaint #11385239 — 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

THE ROOF ON THE INSIDE OF MY 2011 GRAND JEEP CHEROKEE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO A SUN VISOR RECALL (RECALL R71) THE JOHN HIESTER DEALERSHIP IN SANFORD, NC HAD PREVIOUSLY FIXED TWICE. THEIR SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR SAID THEY WEREN'T GOING TO PAY TO FIX THE ELECTRICAL FIRE DAMAGE BECAUSE IT WASN'T RELATED TO THE RECALL AND WASN'T A MANUFACTURER ISSUE. BASICALLY, THEY IMPLIED THAT I CAUGHT MY OWN VEHICLE ON FIRE & RISKED MY OWN LIFE & THE LIFE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN, WHICH IS CRAZY. SEE DETAILS BELOW: ON OCTOBER 23, 2020, I TOOK MY 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE TO THE JOHN HIESTER CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM DEALERSHIP LOCATED ON HAWKINS AVENUE IN SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA, TO HAVE THE SUN VISOR WIRING RELATED TO SAFETY RECALL R71 REPLACED. PER THE ATTACHED INVOICE FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED THE RIGHT AND LEFT SUN VISOR AND INSTALLED WIRE GUIDES AND GRIND RELIEFS. AT APPROXIMATELY 6:45 A.M. ON DECEMBER 9, 2020 (NOT EVEN TWO MONTHS LATER), FROM INSIDE OF THE HOUSE, AS USUAL, I USED THE CAR KEY TO AUTOMATICALLY START MY JEEP THAT WAS STATIONARY (SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY) SO THAT IT COULD WARM UP. WHEN MY GRANDCHILDREN AND I WALKED OUTSIDE TO GET INTO THE JEEP, I NOTICED A LOT OF SMOKE ON THE INSIDE, SO MUCH SO, THAT I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. UPON OPENING THE JEEP DOOR, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY FILLED WITH SMOKE. WITH THE DOORS OPENED, THE SMOKE FINALLY CLEARED, AND, IN HORROR, I SAW THAT THE ROOF ON THE INSIDE HAD BEEN COMPLETELY BURNED AND PAINT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ROOF HAD BUBBLED FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE A FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED THE INCIDENT TO THE RECALL THAT WAS REPAIRED ON OCTOBER 23, 2020 BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, I'D TRIED TO TURN ON THE VISOR LIGHT TO READ SOMETHING AND THE LIGHTS WERE EXTREMELY DIM. I MESSAGED THE JOHN HIESTER DEALERSHIP VIA ONLINE AROUND 7:30 A.M. FROM THERE, MY JEEP WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT STILL REMAINS UNREPAIRED.