What 481 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 392

I STARTED MY JEEP THIS MORNING IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE FACTORY REMOTE START, 10 MIN LATER I WALKED OUT OF MY HOUSE AND SAW FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. A CAR DRIVING BY HAD STOPPED AND CALLED 911. ANOTHER NEIGHBOR RAN OVER WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE FIRE IN CONTROL BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND MELTED, THE WINDOW IS GONE. THE ROOF, SEAT AND SURROUNDING AREA ARE ALSO DAMAGED. THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE STARTED SOMEWHERE IN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. I CALLED JEEP TWICE TODAY THINKING THEY WOULD BE CONCERNED AND RESPONSIVE, BUT I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE 2-5 DAYS BEFORE THEY COULD HAVE SOMEONE COME OUT AND INSPECT THE CAR. IN THE MEANTIME I WAIT CARLESS...THANK GOODNESS MY 2 CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE CAR WHEN IT HAPPENED. I DID SOME RESEARCH THIS EVENING AND FOUND THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO A COUPLE IN MONTREAL LAST JANUARY AND FOUND REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING 2 OTHER TIMES WITH THE EXACT SAME MAKE, MODEL & YEAR JEEP. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10562796

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED A FIRE STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE BY A NEIGHBOR THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CONTACTS HOME AND ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,500.

NHTSA ODI 10485250

DEAR[XXX] A VERY HIGH PROFILE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE AREA ON APRIL 30, 2011. ON THAT DATE A [XXX] DROVE OFF A CLIFF ON SIGNAL MOUNTAIN AND WENT MISSING FOR 7 MONTHS... T-3.4 SECS, THE YAW RATE SENSOR SHOWED A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE YAW RATE FROM -23 DEGREES/SECOND TO 0 DEGREES/SECOND IN 0.2 SECS. T-2.9 SECS, THE VEHICLE DETECTS THE SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE YAW RATE AND CAUSES THE ESP TRACTION LAMP TO START FLASHING. THE LAMP REMAINS FLASHING UP UNTIL THE IMPACT WITH A 300# BOULDER AT WHICH TIME THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED RECORDING THESE DATA. T-2.5 SECS, THE DRIVER NOTICES THE FLASHING ESP TRACTION LAMP IN 0.4 SECS LIFTING HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR BRIEFLY FOR 0.3 SECONDS. THE ACCELERATOR POSITION IS INDICATED BY THE BLUE LINE. SHE THEN REAPPLIED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE SAME LOCATION BY T-2.2 SECS INDICATING THAT SHE REALIZED SHE WAS NOT SLIDING DESPITE THE ESP TRACTION INDICATOR. SHE HAD HER VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AT THIS TIME. T-1.8 SECS, THE ESP MODULE APPARENTLY TOLD THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PUMP TO LOCK BOTH FRONT WHEELS WHILE ALLOWING BOTH BACK WHEELS TO KEEP DRIVING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. THIS SUGGESTS THAT IN ADDITION TO HER YAW SENSOR FAILURE THERE WAS ALSO A SOFTWARE ERROR THAT TOOK PLACE. (I KNOW OF NO CIRCUMSTANCE WHEN ONE WOULD WANT BOTH FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK IN ORDER TO STABILIZE A VEHICLE IN MOTION). THE LOCKING OF BOTH FRONT WHEELS THEN CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL ULTIMATELY PLUNGING HER OFF THE 300 FOOT CLIFF. T-0.5 SECS, ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER IS STILL 0.5 SEC FROM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT THE YAW RATE SENSOR LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT RECORDER CONFIRMING THAT HER YAW RATE SENSOR HAD FAILED, I.E. THESE READINGS ARE DENOTED AS SNA. [XXX] CC: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10479246

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL ON AN ELEVATED ROAD. THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD WHERE THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A FRACTURE TO HER SPINAL CORD AND SEVERAL BRUISES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,600.

NHTSA ODI 10461190

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN VARIOUS DRIVERS ALERTED HIM TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL WELLS WERE ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT APPEARED ON THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT GRASS WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND BODY OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE GRASS CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,200. ...UPDATED 08-03-12 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10458584

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE STARTED THE VEHICLE BY USING THE PUSH TO START FEATURE. THE CONTACT THEN OPENED THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WAS ON FIRE. THE WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TOW THE VEHICLE BACK HOME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND AN INVESTIGATOR WAS SENT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED NEAR THE HEATED MIRROR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER WAS WAITING ON REPLACEMENT PARTS TO ARRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

NHTSA ODI 10454932

I WENT TO A JEEP JAMBOREE ON THE WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 17TH AND AS I WAS DRIVING TO GO WASH MY JEEP MY JEEP FIRST SPEED UP AND I COULDN'T GET IT TO SLOW DOWN THEN I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL AND THEN DASHBOARD STARTED HAVING TROUBLE LIGHTS COME ON SO I GOT IT OFF THE HIGHWAY AS I EXITED THE HIGHWAY I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD SO I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND OPENED THE HOOD AFTER SHUTTING IT OFF AND SAW IT COMING FROM THE MAIN FUSE BLOCK GRABBED SOME TOOLS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BUT BY THEN IT STARTED TO BURN SO I POURED WATER ON THE FUSE BLOCK PUT IT OUT AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TOOK IT TO TRI STAR JEEP IN UNIONTOWN, PA THEY GOT IT FIXED AFTER ALMOST 2 WEEKS AND ON THE WAY HOME IT STARTED AGAIN AND I CAUGHT IT EARLIER BUT THIS TIME I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. EVER SINCE THOSE 2 EPISODES IT'S HAD LOTS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND IT JUST NEVER STOPS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10453855

WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN WHICH WAS ON A HILL WHEN SUDDENLY I LOST TOTAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHICH CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL. THE VEHICLE DID NOT JUST VENTURE OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IT ACTUALLY ENDED UP LOOKING AS THOUGH I MADE A SHARP RIGHT TURN. A STATE TROOPER REPORTED TO ME THAT IT LOOKED AS IF THE TIEROD HAD BROKEN CAUSING THE STEERING TO GO OUT WHICH IN TURN FORCED THE CRASH. MY CONCERN IS, AS WELL AS OTHER 2011 JEEP WRANGLERS, IS WHETHER OR NOT MY JEEP MAY HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES AS THE ONES WHICH AT THIS POINT HAVE BEEN RECALLED. THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS ACCIDENT WHATSOEVER ON MY PART. I HAVE TO GO TO COURT IN JANUARY AND SURE WOULD LIKE SOME ANSWERS. CHRYSLER SAYS THE VEHICLE COULD VERY WELL BE RECALLED AT A LATER DATE HOWEVER, I FEEL A NEED TO PROTECT ANOTHER FROM A SIMILAR ACCIDENT. I STRONGLY FEEL THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE VEHICLE. HTTP://WWW.AUTOBLOG.COM/2011/03/07/2010-2011-JEEP-WRANGLER-RECALLED-OVER-POSSIBLE-DRIVETRAIN-PROBLE/. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10438117

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DOWNSHIFT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH UPHILL, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NOSE. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE POLICE OFFICER ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A FRACTURED TIE-ROD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

NHTSA ODI 10438129

I HAD A VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY INSURANCE AGENT AND AUTO BODY TECHNICIAN BOTH AGREED THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10392715