NHTSA Complaint #11562625 — 2022 JEEP WAGONEER

The electrical system, transmission system, and electronic parking brake system were all actioned without command. At approximately 9:31AM, December 26th, 2023, the vehicle immediately shut down without warning. The vehicle was driving at a speed of 25-30 MPH. The gears automatically shifted down and the power steering was immediately disabled as a shutdown sequence began. The vehicle drifted left into oncoming traffic (due to the loss of power steering? and the curvature of the road ahead). Fortunately, there was a parking lot available to the left and the oncoming vehicles stopped due to the lane incursion. With difficulty, the driver steered the vehicle left towards the parking lot. Suddenly, the electronic parking brake engaged automatically. The driver did not engage the e-brake, it was activated on its own. The driver was trying to steer the vehicle without power steering and avoid oncoming traffic. The vehicle came to an abrupt halt once the e-brake was auto-engaged, and the vehicle shifted itself into “Park”. The vehicle had electrical power supplied from the battery, but the engine was completely shut off. At this time, the driver noticed a message that prompted to “Open Hood”. The only other indication that something went wrong was a “Check Engine” light. The driver opened the hood and found nothing out of place, damaged, or leaking. At this time, the driver attempted to contact towing services, but was not having any success. The driver re-started the vehicle using the “Transmission Limp Home Mode”. The “Check Engine” light was still on. The vehicle needed to be moved from its obstructive positioning in the parking lot. The driver decided to drive the vehicle back home, less than one mile away. The vehicle was repositioned safely, without further incident. The “Check Engine” light was the only remaining indication of the incident. This safety incident was a potentially fatal accident. A random, complete loss of power and control is unacceptable.