Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| PE12009 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 03/28/2012 | 08/07/2012 | Skid plate debris fires | 12V216000 | |
| In a letter dated may 15, 2012, the chrysler group llc (chrysler) submitted a defect information report to nhtsa identifying a safety defect regarding fires originating between the transmission skid plate and the exhaust catalyst in approximately 65,246 model year (my) 2010 jeep wrangler 4x4 vehicles with automatic transmissions (nhtsa recall 12v-216).according to chrysler, changes to the exhaust system for my 2010 resulted in reduced clearances between the exhaust catalyst and the skid plate.if debris collects in the area of the skid plate and is not removed, there is an increased potential for underbody debris fires.odi's analysis of skid plate area fires in the my 2010 wrangler vehicles with automatic transmissions found that the rate increased significantly from approximately 1.7 fires per 100,000 vehicle years in the my 2007 through 2009 vehicles with the prior exhaust design to approximately 14.8 fires per 100,000 vehicle years in my 2010 vehicles, a nearly 800 percent increase.in analysis of both vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) data submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) and chrysler's consumer complaint data submitted to odi, 35 unique reports were identified by chrysler alleging fire in subject vehicles with origins near the engine compartment or in the underbody area directly beneath and to the rear of the engine compartment.chrysler's assessments of the 35 reports of fire were categorized by likely causes.eleven of the fires were determined to be caused by skid plate debris accumulation and 4 additional fires were found to have originated in the area of the skid plate, but debris ignition could not be confirmed.an additional skid plate debris fire was reported to odi after the recall announcement, bringing the total known fire count to 36, including 12 caused by skid plate debris and 4 originating in the skid plate area from unknown causes.chrysler identified a design change to the exhaust system in my 2010 that increased the possibility of debris contact with an exhaust catalyst.beginning in my 2011, the skid plate was replaced with a skid bar for weight reduction purposes.the skid bar having a much smaller surface area than the skid plate reduces the potential for debris entrapment.the recall remedy for recall 12v-216 will involve replacement of the skid plate with the skid bar.as background, the my 2010 subject vehicles are a part of the jk generation of jeep wrangler vehicles that began production in my 2007.chrysler conducted a prior recall (09v-436) of my 2007 and 2008 jeep wranglers for a defect involving overheated transmission fluid expulsion that could contact the exhaust and cause an engine compartment fire.the recall remedy was to add audible (chime) and visual warnings (hot oil message in the instrument cluster) to alert the driver that the vehicle was being operated with elevated transmission fluid temperatures.chrysler enhanced the audible warning with a service campaign (j31) for my 2009 and a portion of the subject my 2010 vehicles.transmission fluid expulsion has not been identified as the cause of any of the 36 fire incidents in the subject vehicles. no indications of a common causal pattern were evident in the remaining 20 fire incidents in the subject vehicles.six (6) of the incidents appear to be related to improper wiring of various added aftermarket equipment, 2 appear to be related to improper oil change, 1 was related to a damaged transfer case, 1 was related to an electrical short circuit and the remaining 10 were of unknown origin.accordingly, this preliminary evaluation is closed.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:skid plate debris fires:10460378, 10441570, 10421483, 10406886 underbody fire, skid plate debris unconfirmed:104515170 | ||||||
| PE12009 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 03/28/2012 | Engine Compartment Fire | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received eight reports alleging fires originating in the engine compartment of my 2010 jeep wrangler vehicles.seven of the 8 complainants allege the fire or symptoms of the impending fire began while driving.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.the odi complaints cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following odi identification numbers:10358879, 10441570, 10371836, 10421483, 10423198, 10427833, 10429042, 10451570 | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/18/2012 | 18000 | ||
| Owner reports: unexplained vehicle fire under normal driving conditions in a city road. (35-45 mph) 2010 jeep wrangler while moving, owner/driver noticed smoke coming out from the sides, front and inside cabin area, and the permeating smell of burning plastic and vehicle fluid(s). immediately, the power-steering system lost functionality while owner tried to pull-over to the shoulder of the road. the vehicle failed to maneuver properly and with ease. without any prior warning from vehicle the engine compartment area suddenly caught on fire while vehicle was still moving. visible fire flames ensued from the hood area. owner immediately stopped, turned off ignition and proceeded to use a fire extinguisher. that, when owner arrived at front of vehicle, he saw flames protruding from under the hood. owner proceeded to open hood to fight fire with his own fire extinguisher . owner had to, immediately, jump-back because hot oil/fluids (power steering, transmission coolant fluid) was gushing out in massive amounts. despite owner's attempt to extinguish flames, the engine | |||
| 12/10/2012 | 41000 | 1 | |
| Bought a certified used vehicle from fairfield dodge, crysler, jeep in muncy , pa and in 4 months of owning this vehicle it had a recall on the transmission skid plate, engine light on due to broken sensor, in need of four brake rotors and brake pads. they stated that when they serviced the vehicle when they purchased it that the rotors were cut for the last time when they certified the vehicle for sale on the lot. and now four months later it needs $1,200.00 worth of repairs. they state that the esim was broken by me or someone that was under the hood and that i would have to pay for the parts but not the labor the same with the brakes. i feel that this vehicle should have never been front line ready or even certified with all these issues, they are very, very poor representitives of your brand. i did not buy a jeep to have major problems within four months of purchase. then when i arrived the day of service they no longer had my recall part they put it on another vehicle that came in before mine. i live two hours away from the dealership and they failed to do there job. *tr | |||
| 03/05/2012 | 36539 | ||
| My 2010 jeep was parked but running when a friend yelled that my car was on fire so i got out and looked and flames were shooting out of the grill and coming out of the wheel well, within 2 min the whole jeep was in flames and was a total loss, the fire department responded but was to late, the insurance company said it most likely came from the transmission or engine as there was problems reported lately | |||
| 08/12/2011 | 10000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler unlimited sport. the contact was driving 40mph when yellow flames emitted from under the hood near the engine. the vehicle was not destroyed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 10,000. tlb | |||
| 05/07/2010 | 5 | 04/23/2010 | |
| Letter re the problems experienced with a 2010 jeep wrangler feels that vehicle falls under the new car lemon law (entire package not imaged, forwarded to nvs-200) *tgw the consumer stated there have been repeated attempts to repair the vehicle. however, the vehicle remains defective. the consumer stated the vehicle was running sluggish and burning oil, but no leaks were found. the problem went on for several months. the consumer believed the engine was defective, but the dealer would not approve a new engine, so they kept replacing parts. the vehicle was eventually returned to the consumer, with the same problem. the dealer checked the engine again, and discovered it was burning 1 quart of oil per hour and it was determined the engine needed to be replaced. the hard top was leaking and ruined the carpet. the starter was defective. also the transmission was exhibiting a burning smell, it would slip and wouldn't go into gear and the fluid was no longer the correct color. also, the temperature gauge rose just under the overheating point. the radiator cooling fan was defective. also, there was a grinding noise coming from the transfer case. *jb | |||
| 08/12/2011 | 10000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler unlimited sport. the contact was driving 40mph when yellow flames emitted from under the hood near the engine. the vehicle was not destroyed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 10,000. tlb | |||
| 05/07/2010 | 5 | 04/23/2010 | |
| Letter re the problems experienced with a 2010 jeep wrangler feels that vehicle falls under the new car lemon law (entire package not imaged, forwarded to nvs-200) *tgw the consumer stated there have been repeated attempts to repair the vehicle. however, the vehicle remains defective. the consumer stated the vehicle was running sluggish and burning oil, but no leaks were found. the problem went on for several months. the consumer believed the engine was defective, but the dealer would not approve a new engine, so they kept replacing parts. the vehicle was eventually returned to the consumer, with the same problem. the dealer checked the engine again, and discovered it was burning 1 quart of oil per hour and it was determined the engine needed to be replaced. the hard top was leaking and ruined the carpet. the starter was defective. also the transmission was exhibiting a burning smell, it would slip and wouldn't go into gear and the fluid was no longer the correct color. also, the temperature gauge rose just under the overheating point. the radiator cooling fan was defective. also, there was a grinding noise coming from the transfer case. *jb | |||
| 08/12/2011 | 10000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler unlimited sport. the contact was driving 40mph when yellow flames emitted from under the hood near the engine. the vehicle was not destroyed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 10,000. rds. | |||
| 05/07/2010 | 5 | 04/23/2010 | |
| Letter re the problems experienced with a 2010 jeep wrangler feels that vehicle falls under the new car lemon law (entire package not imaged, forwarded to nvs-200) *tgw the consumer stated there have been repeated attempts to repair the vehicle. however, the vehicle remains defective. the consumer stated the vehicle was running sluggish and burning oil, but no leaks were found. the problem went on for several months. the consumer believed the engine was defective, but the dealer would not approve a new engine, so they kept replacing parts. the vehicle was eventually returned to the consumer, with the same problem. the dealer checked the engine again, and discovered it was burning 1 quart of oil per hour and it was determined the engine needed to be replaced. the hard top was leaking and ruined the carpet. the starter was defective. also the transmission was exhibiting a burning smell, it would slip and wouldn't go into gear and the fluid was no longer the correct color. also, the temperature gauge rose just under the overheating point. the radiator cooling fan was defective. also, there was a grinding noise coming from the transfer case. *jb | |||
| 12/10/2010 | 3000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler limited. while driving approximately 45 mph the contact smelt smoke in the vehicle and pulled into a driveway and got out of the vehicle. the contact stated smoke was coming from under the hood of the vehicle. the contact then noticed fire coming from the engine and called the fire department. a police officer arrived but did not file a report. the fire department also did not file a report. the vehicle was destroyed. she called the manufacture and they performed an investigated and denied the claim. the approximate failure mileage was 3,000. vwb | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 1000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler. while accelerating from a stop the vehicle stalled. upon restart the vehicle operated as normal. the failure has since recurred intermittently when accelerating from a stop. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the failure mileage was 1,000 and the current mileage was 12,000. sm. | |||