1990 Jeep Cherokee

The contact owns a 1990 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 30-45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that he increasingly applied pressure on the brake pedal until the vehicle responded. There was a 100-feet stopping distance delay. The dealer was notified of the failure and declined to diagnose the vehicle. The contact provided a description of the failure to the dealer who informed him that the brake pump motor assembly needed to be replaced; however, the parts were no longer available nationwide. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 96V260000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which he associated with the failure; however, the parts were not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 195,492.

S10 DIRECT REPLY- LETTER TO THE SECRETARY FROM CONSTITUENT RE A COPY OF A LETTER TO THE VICE PRESIDENT REGARDING A CAR ACCIDENT IN ARCADIA, FL IN MARCH 2013. *SMD A 1990 JEEP CHEROKEE WAS IN A DRAINAGE DITCH, ACROSS FROM TWO OTHER VEHICLES, THAT WERE PARKED. THE OWNERS DAUGHTER GOT BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE JEEP,STARTED IT AND PLACED IT IN DRIVE, WITH THE INTENTION OF REMOVING IT FROM THE DITCH, AS SHE FLOORED THE GAS PEDAL, THE JEEP FLEW OUT OF THE DITCH GOING AIRBORNE, AND KNOCKED DOWN THE OWNER TO THE GROUND, CAUSING BRUISES, NEXT, THE JEEP FLEW OVER THE ROAD NEVER TOUCHING THE PAVEMENT, THE DRIVER DID NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, PRESUMABLY OUT OF FEAR, UNTIL IT RESTED ON TOP OF TWO PARKED VEHICLE. THE DRIVER, WHO WAS NOT LICENSED, CLAIMED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES AND THE ACCELERATOR. HOWEVER, THE WRECKER SERVICE, WHO WAS A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED CERTIFIED MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES OR ACCELERATOR PEDALS, AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE IN PARK IN ORDER TO START IT.

THE INFAMOUS BENDIX ABS MOTOR/PUMP ASSEMBLY FAILED FOR THE THIRD TIME RESULTING IN A LOSS OF VIRTUALLY ALL STOPPING ABILITY. ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS (1997 & 2007), CHRYSLER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE PURSUANT TO THE "LIFETIME WARRANTY" IMPOSED IN CONNECTION WITH RECALL #702. IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 5 WEEKS SINCE THE LOCAL DEALER DIAGNOSED THIS RECURRING DEFECT BUT BOTH THEY AND CHRYSLER CLAIM AN INABILITY TO FIX IT DUE TO THE UNAVAILABILITY TO OBTAIN THE REFERENCED ABS BOOSTER UNIT. THIS ASSERTION IS FALSE. MORE THAN 5200 JEEPS WERE RECALLED AND A REBUILDABLE CORE WAS OBTAINED FOR EACH INSTALLATION. CHRYSLER IS EITHER MAKING NO EFFORT TO OBTAIN EXISTING UNITS OR FAILING TO HAVE NEW ONES MANUFACTURED. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE ONE IN DEALER INVENTORY IN THE U.S. AND NO DELIVERIES ARE SCHEDULED. CHRYSLER IS HOPING THAT BY TELLING A CUSTOMER THAT THE ITEM IS "BACKORDERED", HE/SHE WILL SIMPLY GO AWAY AS IF SUCH A STATUS WAS AN UNAVOIDABLE ACT OF GOD. CHRYSLER'S REFUSAL TO HONOR THEIR OBLIGATION IS PUTTING MANY DRIVERS AT RISK AS SOME ARE CERTAINLY DRIVING THOSE JEEPS WITH UNASSISTED BRAKING WAITING FOR THE PART THAT WILL NEVER ARRIVE. I FOUND NUMEROUS MESSAGES ON JEEP FORUM WEBSITES WHEREIN 1990 OWNERS WERE COMPLAINING OF THIS PART UNAVAILABILITY SCAM AS EARLY AS 1999. NHTSA NEEDS TO COMPEL COMPLIANCE THROUGH EVERY AVAILABLE MEANS FORTHWITH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND NOTICED A HESITATION IN BRAKES RESPONSE. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND WITH TIME, BECAME WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 96V260000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

1. REDUCED BRAKE PERFORMANCE 2. BRAKE FLUID LEAK IN ABS PUMP MOTOR ASSEMBLY, PERMANENTLY, REDUCED THEN LOST BRAKE PERFORMANCE 3. NOTHING, OLD PART IS AVAILABLE ADDITIONAL NOTES: ORR CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP DID NOT REPLACE ABS PUMP MOTOR ASSEMBLY WHICH HAS LIFETIME COVERAGE. THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT THE ABS PUMP MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS NOT BROKEN WHICH IS NOT TRUE. CHRYSLER CORP. REFUSED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FTC AS WELL.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT BECAUSE HER VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V260000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK), SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED FIRST, AND THEN THEY WOULD REIMBURSE HER FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 137,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AND BRAKING POWER WAS REDUCED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC, AND DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE PUMP ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON 10/10/06, THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE CONTACT NOTICED A NHTSA RECALL #96V260000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND EXPRESSED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN BECAUSE THE RECALL STATED THAT THE BRAKE PUMP ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE LIFETIME COVERAGE.

RECALL CAMPAIGN 96V260000; CONCERNING ABS BRAKE FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKES FAILED JUST AS THE RECALL STATED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR OVER TWO WEEKS. CHRYSLER HAD DONE NOTHING TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO PARTS FOR THIS RECALL. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *SC