NHTSA Complaint #11396803 — 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE

VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY, 70MPH, FOR 20 MINS, EXITED THE HIGHWAY TO 40 MPH AND ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A RATTLING SOUND, SHAKING, BACKFIRING, AND ACCELERATION BECAME DIFFICULT, LOSS OF HORSE POWER. DROVE TO NEAREST PARKING LOT. CONTINUES TO MISFIRE WHILE IN NEUTRAL AND AT IDLE. TURNED OFF THE ENGINE FOR 5 MINS. RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR CONTINUED TO MAKE NOISES, BACK FIRE AND IDLE POORLY. TOWED TO A SHOP. CODES WERE IDENTIFIED IN CYLINDER #3 SPARK PLUGS WERE CHECKED TO BE FINE, COILS WERE CHECKED TO BE FINE, AND CYLINDER #3 CONTINUED TO SO ERROR CODES. CAR WAS LEFT TO HAVE FUEL PUMP INJECTOR CHECKED. THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS NOT AFFECTED. CYLINDER #3 WAS FOUND TO HAVE NO PRESSURE AND NOT OPERATING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN "BURNING" OIL, AND NEEDED TO HAVE OIL CHECKED ON A WEEKLY BASIS, OIL CHANGED ON A BY MONTHLY SCHEDULE AND IF IT WAS EVER CLOSE TO MEASURING LOW ON THE DIPSTICK THE AUTOMATIC ENGINE SHUTDOWN WOULD DISABLE THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION. THE CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE AND NOW THE FEAR IS THAT THE "BURNING" OF THE OIL HAS DAMAGED THE ENGINE CYLINDER BEYOND REPAIR. WE'VE BEEN ADVISED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR A COST OF $12,500 AT ONLY 35,000 MILES.