NHTSA complaint: 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
MY WIFE AND I OWN TWO JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES, A '99 THE AN '04. IN 1999, JEEP CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THEIR GRAND CHEROKEES AND ONE DESIGN CHANGE POSES A SAFETY RISK TO PASSENGERS IN THE BACK SEATS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN. MODELS PRODUCED STARTING IN 1999 ALLOW FOR THE WINDOWS IN THE BACK SEATS TO ROLL DOWN, LEAVING A GAP BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND THE FRAME ON THAT PART OF THE WINDOW CLOSEST TO THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER. THE 1998 JEEP ALLOWED FOR THE WINDOW TO BE ROLLED DOWN AND THE GAP BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND THE FRAME WAS AT THE FRONT OF THE WINDOW, FURTHEST FROM THE PASSENGER. ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS WE HAVE ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS AND MY CHILDREN (AGES 2 AND 4) , ATTRACTED BY HAVING THE WIND HIT THEIR HAND, HAVE STUCK THEIR FINGERS BETWEEN THIS GAP AREA. WHEN THE WINDOWS ARE ROLLED UP, THEIR FINGERS GET CRUSHED BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND THE FRAME. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY CONTACTED JEEP ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY WERE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT WAS WHETHER MY CHILDREN'S FINGERS WERE BROKEN. THEIR SOLUTION, USE THE WINDOW LOCKS ON THE DRIVER'S CONSOLE. HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I CAN ONLY GUARANTEE THEIR HANDS ARE NOT IN THE WINDOWS BY TURNING AROUND AND CONTINUING TO LOOK AS I ROLL THE WINDOWS UP. THIS IS DISTRACTING AND NOT A SAFE COURSE OF ACTION. BUT THIS WAS THEIR RECOMMENDATION. MY WIFE AND I DID NOT PAY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR VEHICLES THAT CAUSE PAIN TO OUR CHILDREN. WHETHER THEY HAVE BROKEN THEIR FINGERS IS IRRELEVENT AND REALLY SHOWS A LACK OF RESPO
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation