What 306 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee

While exiting an automatic car wash, I pressed the brake pedal to put the vehicle in gear and while turning in the lot to go to a vacuum station the accelerator stuck and went to wide open full speed mode and I could not stop it with the brakes. I shot through a vacuum stall, jumped a curb and hit a concrete drain collection box. The air bags deployed but the car was a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11537221

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND TOWING MY BOAT (APPROX 4500LBS) FOR THE PREVIOUS HOUR OR SO ON STATE HIGHWAY BETWEEN 50-65 MPH WITH SOME STOPLIGHTS (NOT INTERSTATE), THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) CAME ON AND THE DRIVER INTERFACE ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CAME ON DISPLAYING SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "SERVICE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM". CONTINUED DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES TO GET TO AN INTERSECTION TO TURN OFF THE MAIN ROAD. ONCE STOPPED AT THE STOPLIGHT I NOTICED SLIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT CORNER OF THE HOOD BY THE HEADLIGHT. I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK, PUT THE HAZARDS ON AND PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE. BY THE TIME I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND MADE MY WAY AROUND THE DOOR TO THE HOOD, THICK BLACK SMOKE WAS BILLOWING FROM ALL AROUND THE HOOD AND FLAMES WERE NOTICED COMING THROUGH BODY GAPS AND THE GRILL. WITHIN 30 SECONDS THE ENTIRE ENGINE BAY AND HOOD WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I DID MANAGE TO GET THE BOAT UNHOOKED AND PUSHED BACK AND DOCUMENTED WITH PHOTOS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THESE INDICATIONS (CEL) AND DRIVER INTERFACE DISPLAYED THE EXACT SAME INDICATIONS. THE FIRST TIME IT RESOLVED UPON SHUTTING DOWN THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIME, IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER. APPROX 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE FIRE THE DEALER FOUND NOTHING ON INSPECTION AND RESET THE CODE. THE CODE WAS FOR EXCESSIVE EGR FLOW. ADDITIONALLY THE DEALER PERFORMED ANY OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE 3.0 ECO DIESEL ENGINE AND WAS BOUGHT NEW, DEALER, SERVICED ITS ENTIRE TIME AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 70K MILES ON IT. I HAVE NO DOUBT THIS WAS DIRECTLY RATED TO AN EGR PROBLEM THAT THESE PARTICULAR ENGINES HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH DIRECTLY RESULTING IN THE FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 11375815

BACKING UP TO PARKING SPOT A HOME, FROM A DEAD STOP I GOOSED THE THROTTLE TO GO UP A SLIGHT INCLINE AND THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN IN REVERSE. STOOD ON THE BRAKE FOR 20FT WHILE FIGHTING THE THROTTLE, HIT THE SIDE OF GARAGE AND THREW IT INTO DRIVE AND CONTINUED TO STAND ON THE BRAKES FOR ANOTHER 40FT IN DRIVE. AFTER SMASHING THE IGNITION BUTTON FRANTICALLY ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES AND ALSO ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, THE JEEP SHUT OFF. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN OUR DRIVEWAY THAT OUR CHILDREN PLAY ON OFTEN. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT, AND NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN WAY WORSE. NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT IN MY LIFE UNTIL THIS EVENT. COMPLETELY OUT OF MY CONTROL. NOTE THE SKID MARKS ON THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11324833

WHEN I BRAKED FOR PEDESTRIANS, THE AUTO STOP FEATURE TURNED OFF ENGINE AS I ENTERED A SLOPED PARKING SPACE. AFTER PEDESTRIANS CLEARED, I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY RESTARTED, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD AND HIT A WALL AT THE END OF THE PARKING SPACE---DAMAGING THE BUMPER.

NHTSA ODI 11013079

LESTER GLENN DEALERSHIP, TOMS RIVER, NJ DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS RECALL!

NHTSA ODI 10938837

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. AS THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO THE DRIVE POSITION, THE ENGINE REVVED AND ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE SIDE AIR BAGS ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

NHTSA ODI 10919662