NHTSA Complaint #11488309 — 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE

Was driving home for lunch and stopped at traffic light. Parking brake self-engaged and would not release. I could not move the car in either direction. Repeated attempted to get parking brake to release by pushing/pulling on switch. Finally turned off car (sitting in moving traffic) and when I restarted the brake released. Was able to get car home and parked. Called my regular mechanic and got it in yesterday, but again brake wouldn't release (it had not been set) without turning car off and on. When my repair shop took the components apart, it revealed that water had leaked down into the computer system that controls the parking brakes (had various flashing lights on dash -- odometer/stop/start signal, etc.) and damaged the circuitry. The repair shop called to explain this problem and noted that NHTSA had begun and investigation into this problem in July and had about 80 cases under investigation at that time -- apparently a body-weld issue causing leak into that component. Prior to this locking up, a service parking brake light had come on intermittently for a couple of days. My wife and I were both at risk and just fortunate this didn't lock up while on the interstate which we drive regularly. Have called local Jeep dealer where we bought it and they claim they have heard nothing about this and the earliest we can get in is 10/18. Our mechanic has temporarily disabled the parking brake (both electronically and mechanically) so that the vehicle is drivable, but said he wouldn't advise driving on it very long this way, due to the other warning components that are now compromised.