← NHTSA complaints

2012 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — POWER TRAIN

fire · 1337284 · 2016-11-30

Vehicle

Make
JEEP
Model
GRAND CHEROKEE
Year
2012
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
POWER TRAIN
Miles at failure
80,000

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

ISSUE: TRANSMISSION FAULT LEADS TO UNEXPECTED "CREEP MODE" IN DRIVE, OVER-PRESSURIZED TRANS EXPELS TRANS FLUID ONTO MANIFOLD LEADING TO ENGINE FIRE. DETAILS: WHEN STOPPED & IDLING IN DRIVE FOR PERIOD OF TIME, TRANSMISSION GOES INTO CREEP MODE OF SOME SORT & WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM STOP IT DOES NOT MOVE. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT A LEFT-TURN RED-LIGHT AND WHEN LEAST EXPECTED, HAVING DISASTROUS RESULTS. TRANSMISSION FAILURE FROM OVER-PRESSURIZATION ALREADY LED TO TRANS FLUID BEING EXPELLED FROM DIPSTICK TUBE ONTO ENGINE MANIFOLD RESULTING IN AN ENGINE FIRE. OWNER WAS EASILY ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM BY SITTING IN DRIVE FOR 7-8 MINUTES & THEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. VIDEOTAPED EVIDENCE SHOWS THE TRANS IS AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMP, YET TACHOMETER IS SHOOTING UP TO 25,000RPM'S & CAR ONLY CREEPS FORWARD. AT THAT MOMENT SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AS ONCE AGAIN FLUID WAS BEING EXPELLED ONTO MANIFOLD. ONLY THIS TIME OWNER DID NOT OPEN THE HOOD SO THE LACK OF INFLUX OF FRESH O2 DID NOT IGNITE FLUID LIKE IT DID THE FIRST TIME. VEHICLE IS UNDER 100,000 MILE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY & JEEP DEALER ENTERED DIAGNOSIS AND REQUEST TO "REPLACE TRANSMISSION, COOLER, O2 SENSOR, & WIRING HARNESS" WHICH FCA USA, LLC REJECTED. FCA RREFUSES TO SAY WHY. DEALER HAS HELD VEHICLE NOW FOR 2MONTHS & 2WEEKS WHILE DEALER TRIES TO CONVINCE FCA TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE DRIVETRAIN. FCA REFUSES TO SUPPLY WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF WHY CLAIM IS BEING REJECTED. FCA SENT OUT A "SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR"

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10928833
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown