NHTSA Complaint #11385732 — 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR

BOTH LATCHES ON MY 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR SOFT TOP INADVERTENTLY UNLATCHED WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, CAUSING THE TOP TO START OPENING. DRIVER AND PASSENGER GRABBED TOP AND CONDUCTED EMERGENCY STOP ON SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE TO KEEP THE SOFT TOP FROM FULLY OPENING. THE INADVERTENT OPENING OCCURRED THREE TIMES IN SPAN OF 15 MINUTES AT INCREASINGLY SLOWER SPEEDS. TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE THE SOFT TOP TO WINDOW FRAME WITH BUNGEE STRAPS INSTALLED OVER THE LATCHES TO KEEP LATCHES IN PLACE. CONCERNED THAT AN INADVERTENT OPENING OF THE SOFT TOP AT INTERSTATE SPEED MIGHT CAUSE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHILE DEALING WITH GRABBING THE SOFT TOP AT HIGH SPEED, STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TOP, AND/OR POTENTIAL FOR SOFT TOP TO DEPART THE JEEP AND DAMAGE VEHICLES DRIVING BEHIND. THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES APPEARS TO BE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE TWO LATCHES THAT SECURE THE SOFT TOP TO WINDOW FRAME. LATCHES SEEM TOO WEAK/LOOSE TO PROVIDE SECURE CLOSURE OF THE SOFT TOP. I TOOK THE JEEP GLADIATOR TO A CHRYSLER/DODGE/JEEP DEALER AND THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR ADJUSTING THE LATCHES. THE DEALER MECHANIC ADJUSTED MY JEEP'S LATCHES ACCORDING TO TSB SPECIFICATIONS. IN MY OPINION, THE LATCHES ARE STILL LOOSE AND UNSTABLE. WILL NOT DRIVE MY JEEP AT HIGHWAY SPEED UNTIL THE ISSUE IS FIXED. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER TO HOPEFULLY RESOLVE THE ISSUE.