NHTSA Complaint #736371 — 1993 JEEP WRANGLER

THE JEEP WAS PARKED IN GARAGE AND HAD WORKED OKAY THE DAY BEFORE. I STARTED ENGINE WITH CLUTCH DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE RAMMED FORWARD HITTING A DOOR IN THE GARAGE AND NARROWLY MISSING A GAS WATERHEATER. MECHANIC LATER SAID THE CLUTCH BEARING CRACKED (VERY RARE HE CLAIMS). THE CLUTCH WAS RUINED, THE FLYWHEEL AND THE TOTAL COST TO FIX WAS $1200.00. THE DOOR WILL COST $500. THE DANGER FROM HITTING THE WATER HEATER WAS EXTREME AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN A FIRE. AGAIN THE VEHICLE DROVE FORWARD WITH THE CLUTCH DEPRESSED AND NO SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL (WHICH EVEN REPAIRMAN CONCEDES IS PROBABLE CONSIDERING THE STATE OF THE FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH). THIS WAS THE SECOND CLUTCH IN THE VEHICLE AND ONLY HAD 20,000 MILES ON IT! *AK