NHTSA Complaint #11707545 — 2020 JEEP CHEROKEE

While driving in northwestern Pennsylvania during a snowstorm, the driver engaged the vehicle’s factory “Snow Mode.” Immediately thereafter, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and loss of steering control. The driver was forced to pull off the I79 interstate in severe winter conditions and exit the vehicle to avoid being struck by a snowplow. This created a dangerous roadside exposure and a significant risk of collision or injury. The vehicle was towed to a Jeep dealership and diagnosed with a failed rear differential requiring replacement. The dealership stated the part has been on national backorder since 2024, with no estimated availability. The failure occurred without warning and rendered the vehicle completely inoperable. The dealership further advised that this rear differential failure is a known issue, and recommended against installing a used replacement due to reliability and safety concerns. Safety Concern: This failure resulted in: •Sudden loss of vehicle control in hazardous weather •Loss of motive power •Forced roadside exposure in active traffic conditions The inability to obtain replacement parts compounds the safety risk by leaving the vehicle unusable and preventing timely repair. Request: I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate whether this represents a systemic safety defect related to the rear differential in this vehicle platform, including failure mode, warning adequacy, and parts availability affecting safe remediation.