2020 Jeep Cherokee

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A MOLDY AND MILDEW ODOR COMING FROM THE VENTS IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOB POYNTER CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM OF SEYMOUR LOCATED AT (873 E TIPTON ST, SEYMOUR, IN 47274) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT WATER ENTERED THE VEHICLE AT THE DRIVER'S SIDE WELD SEAMS. THE VEHICLE WAS RE-SEALED AND THE CARPET REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE MANUFACTURER BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,800.

VEHICLE STALLS WHILE IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS AND NEEDS TO BE PUT INTO PARK AND DRIVE AGAIN TO MOVE. VEHICLE HAS 85 MILES ON IT. PURCHASED 4 DAYS AGO. ON DAY AFTER PURCHASE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE GOING STRAIGHT ON 2 INSTANCES, IT STALLED ON A RIGHT TURN ON 2 INSTANCES, IT STALLED AT TAKEOFF AFTER BEING PARKED ONCE, IT STALLED WHEN TRYING TO BACK OUT OF PARKING SPACE 3 TIMES ON REVERSE. ON DAY 3 THE VEHICLE STALLED ON RIGHT TURN ONCE, GOING STRAIGHT ONCE AND WHILE EXITING PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHILE IN MOTION. WARNINGS WHEN CAR STALLED INITIALLY WAS JUST A BLINKING 'D' LIGHT ON DASH AND GEAR SHIFT WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO 'SHIFT TO PARK OR NEUTRAL, PRESS BRAKE + SELECT GEAR'. WHEN CAR STALLED AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN ADDITIONAL MESSAGES INDICATED THAT THE 'ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL' WAS NOT AVAILABLE. WHEN ENGINE SHUT OFF MESSAGES INDICATED 'SERVICE PARK BRAKE', 'SERVICE TRANSMISSION RESTART IN PARK WITH VEHICLE AT ZERO SPEED'.

DRIVING MY VEHICLE DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A THROTTLE ISSUE MESSAGE FLASHED, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A DRASTIC LOSS OF POWER CAUSING AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION FOR MYSELF AND OTHER MOTORISTS. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH ONLY 8 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, CURRENTLY HAS 500 MILES, VEHICLE HAS THE 2.4 LITER ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC 4X4 TRANSMISSION. CONTACTED THE JEEP DEALER WHEE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY DID NOT MENTION THAT THERE COULD BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS JEEP, HOWEVER AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND AN ARTICLE ON THE SAME IDENTICAL ISSUE BEING REPORTED BY MULTIPLE JEEP OWNERS OF THE 2019 YEAR MODEL WITH THE SAME 2.4 LITER ENGINE, SEE: HTTPS://WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CAR-RECALLS-DEFECTS/2019-JEEP-CHEROKEE-RECALLED-OVER-STALLING-RISK/ BASED ON THE ARTICLE THAT I FOUND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE ISSUE, HOWEVER SOME DRIVERS STILL HAD PROBLEMS AFTER THE UPDATE WAS DONE. I WAS ASKED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY, SOME JEEP OWNERS ALSO REPORTED THAT AFTER 4 HOURS OF THE VEHICLE SITTING WITH THE ENGINE OFF, THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DEALER TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE DURING DIAGNOSTIC AND THERE MAY NOT BE A CODE STORED THAT CAN BE PULLED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I HOPE THAT NHTSA KEEPS AN EYE FOR THIS, IF THE PROBLEM IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY NOW TO CHRYSLER-FIAT AND NO FIX HAS BEEN APPLIED TO CURRENT YEAR MODEL JEEPS, THEN CHRYSLER -FIAT MAY BE ACTING IN "BAD-FAITH" AND KNOWINGLY SELLING VEHICLES THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE PART OF A NATIONWIDE RECALL CAMPAIGN, ALSO THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT A VEHICLE THAT IS RENDERED POWERLESS WHILE OPERATING ON A HIGHWAY OR IN OUR CASE, HAVING TO DRIVE ON THE STEEP HILLS OF THE PACIFIC NW AS PART OF OUR DAILY COMMUTE.

I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE ACCELERATOR TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES FOR A MILE OR TWO UNTIL I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER. ONCE I PULLED OVER AND COMPLETELY STOPPED THE RPMS WENT OVER 7000. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. THE RPMS AGAIN WENT OVER 7000. I LET THE CAR SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED THE CAR ONCE AGAIN. THE CAR OPERATED JUST FINE AFTER THIS. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.