NHTSA Safety Complaint 10695557: 2014 Jeep Cherokee

anonymous to NHTSA
March 20, 2015


All Products Associated with this Complaint: 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Date Complaint Filed: 03/20/2015
Date of Incident: 09/03/2014
Component(s): EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE , POWER TRAIN
NHTSA ID Number: 10695557
Consumer Location: WALDORF, MD
Crash: No
Fire: No
Number of Injuries: 0
Number of Deaths: 0
Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US LLC)
Vehicle Identification No. (VIN): 1C4PJLCBXEW...

SUMMARY: WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW, WITH 4,658 MILES ON IT AND WITHIN THE FIRST DAY, WE NOTICED THE EXTREMELY ROUGH SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND €“ 4TH GEARS. AFTER SEVERAL PCM REPROGRAMS AND A NEW TRANSMISSION, IT IS STILL DOING THE ROUGH SHIFTING AND CONTINUES TO WORSEN. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE ACCELERATOR IS INCONSISTENT, SLUGGISHLY MOVING FORWARD ON ONE OCCASION AND LUNGING FORWARD AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS MASHED TO THE FLOOR ON THE NEXT. SAME CAN BE SAID FOR BRAKING; ROUGH DOWN SHIFTING AND OFTEN TIMES FEELING AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE AS IF THE GAS PEDAL IS STILL PRESSED EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE IS BEING APPLIED. IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, I STARTED THE VEHICLE, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE SHIFTED IT TO DRIVE, THEN BEGAN TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE FROM THE BRAKE TO INCH FORWARD, WHEN IT SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD NEARLY STRIKING MY PARENTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE NOW SEEMS TO BE DRIVING ITSELF. WHEN ENTERING MY NEIGHBORHOOD DOING APPROXIMATELY 25MPH, UPON LETTING UP ON THE GAS COMPLETELY, THE VEHICLE MAINTAINS THE RPM€™S AND SPEED ON A FLAT SURFACE AS IF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ON. WE HAVE FILED FOR THE MD LEMON LAW WITH CHRYSLER, BUT AFTER A TEST DRIVE WITH ONE OF THE THEIR REPS WHERE THE CAR WAS NOT AS VIOLENT IN THE SHIFTING BUT STILL QUITE ROUGH, THE REP DECLARED THE VEHICLE AS €œPERFORMING AS DESIGNED€ AND €œIT€™S THE ADAPTIVE LEARNING OF THE VEHICLE€ AND CLOSED THE CASE.THIS VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE AND INCONSISTENT, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UNSAFE AND NERVE RACKING TO DRIVE. MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE NOR RIDE IN IT ANY LONGER FOR FEAR OF AN ACCIDENT, NOR WILL SHE ALLOW OUR SON TO RIDE IN IT. IN MY 28 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER OWNED NOR DRIVEN A VEHICLE THAT ACTUALLY MADE ME FEEL UNSAFE IN. AS I STATED TO THE REP ON THE TEST DRIVE: WITH THIS VEHICLE, IT€™S NOT A MATTER OF IF THIS THING GETS IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT RATHER WHEN!