NHTSA complaint: 2007 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
UNCONTROLLED REVERSE ROLLING / BRAKE FAILURE: 2007 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON UNLIMITED 4 DOOR MODEL. WHILE I'M SURE THAT NO ONE WILL WANT TO HEAR OF A VEHICLE TAKEN OFF-ROAD, THE RUBICON IS MARKETED & DESIGNED TO DO JUST SUCH ACTIVITIES AND DOES THEM EXTREMELY WELL. I HAVE OWNED AT LEAST 12 JEEP VEHICLES AND THIS ONE IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING FOR IT'S CAPABILITIES. I LOVE IT & CAN'T SAY ENOUGH POSITIVE. PROBLEM: WHEN ATTEMPTING TO GO UP A STEEP HILL, IF YOU HAVE TO STOP AND ROLL BACK, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES 'STIFF' AND ALLOWS VEHICLE TO FREE ROLL BACKWARDS UNTIL YOU SMASH INTO SOMETHING WHICH MAKES IT STOP. DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME, BUT IT'S HAPPENED 3 SEPARATE TIMES TO ME IN MY 900 MI I HAVE ON THE VEHICLE. THE PEDAL IS TOTALLY STIFF AND THE BRAKES WILL NOT APPLY. THIS MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND AND I ALMOST RAN OVER TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE ON FOOT BEHIND THE VEHICLE AS I WAS ALLOWED TO ROLL UNCONTROLLED BACKWARDS UNTIL I SMASHED INTO A ROCK APPROX 30' FROM WHERE I WANTED TO STOP. THANKFULLY THE ROCK WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO STOP THE JEEP SINCE I WAS ON A PRETTY SERIOUS HILL AND NO CLUE HOW FAR I WOULD HAVE ROLLED UNTIL MOST CERTAINLY A TREE WOULD HAVE HAD TO STOPPED ME. IN THE STOPPING, I BROKE OFF A REAR SHOCK AS I HIT THE ROCK. I'VE BEEN DRIVING JEEP VEHICLES FOR OVER 25 YEARS. I CONSIDER MYSELF A VERY CAPABLE OFF-ROAD DRIVER AND VERY COMFORTABLE IN THE SITUATION & VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN IN THIS SAME OFF-ROAD SITUATION HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation