2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee

JEEP SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL UPON STARTUP AND ROLLED DOWNHILL IN PARK. (JAN. 2013) NOTE THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE CHRYSLER/JEEP "N23". I HAD NOT HAD THE RECALL SERVICE PERFORMED. I SCHEDULED THE RECALL SERVICE, WHICH WAS DONE AT BOSAK JEEP, MERRILLVILLE IN, IN FEBRUARY 2013. THE SERVICE IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO THE FINAL DRIVE CONTROL MODULE (FDCM). THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS TO STATE THAT THE SOFTWARE UPDATE PERFORMED ELIMINATES SPECIFIC FUNCTIONALITY FROM THE VEHICLE, NAMELY 4-WHEEL DRIVE LOW RANGE AND NEUTRAL MODES (JEEP BEING TOWED/TRANSFER CASE DISCONNECT). THE ELIMINATION OF THESE FUNCTIONALITIES IS CREATING A "BLACK MARKET" OF OWNERS WHO ARE SWAPPING OUT THE UPDATED FDCMS WITH PRE-UPDATED ONES; AND HAS INITIATED DISCUSSION OF PERSONS "HACKING" THE FDCM CODE TO REGAIN THE FUNCTIONALITIES. HTTP://WWW.JEEPFORUM.COM/FORUM/F67/N23-RECALL-ISSUE-NO-4-LOW-1561787/INDEX168.HTML MY VEHICLE, AFTER THE UPDATE, HAS THE "SERVICE 4WD SYSTEM" LIGHT UPON ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE 4WD LOW RANGE. SOFTWARE FIXES OF HARDWARE FAILURE IS SPECIOUS ENGINEERING. *TR

AFTER RECEIVING N23 SAFETY RECALL "FIX" LOST USE OF 4WD LOW RANGE (WHICH ALSO ALLEGEDLY COMPROMISES CLUTCH PACKS CONTROLLING HIGH-RANGE 4WD SYSTEM TORQUE/POWER DISTRIBUTION). JEEP DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR. "FIX" LASTED 1MO. RETURNED TO DEALER; TROUBLE CODES CLEARED. PROBLEM RETURNED IN LESS THAN 24H. THIS IS THE CORRESPONDENCE SENT TO JEEP: ...I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SOFTWARE ISSUE, AND MY REASONS ARE THIS: 1) THE ACTUATOR WORKS AS DESIGNED AFTER ALL CODES ARE RESET/CLEARED (THOUGH THE DURATION FOR WHICH THIS WORKS IS NOT CONSISTENT) 2) PULLING A FUSE FOR THE FDCM IS THE SAME AS "RESETTING/CLEARING" THE TROUBLE CODE - THIS DOES NOT POINT TO THE HARDWARE AS THE PROBLEM. 3) IF I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM CORRECTLY, LOSING FUNCTIONALITY OF THIS PORTION OF THE SYSTEM, WITH MY QUADRA-DRIVE II, CAUSES A SAFETY SIDE-EFFECT OF COMPROMISED TRACTION CONTROL SINCE THE CLUTCH PACKS IN THE TRANSFER CASE FOR AWD FUNCTION MALFUNCTION WHEN THE TROUBLE CODE IS LODGED. THIS VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY (ALBEIT WITH RISK OF A ROLL-AWAY WHEN REMOTE START IS USED WITHOUT THE PARKING BRAKE) PRIOR TO THE N23 RECALL. FOR IT TO ONLY EXHIBIT ISSUES AFTER THE RECALL, THEN CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT THEM AFTER REPLACING THE TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR MAKES THE SOFTWARE UPDATE HIGHLY SUSPECT AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, IF NOT A ROOT CAUSE. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE (IF IT IN FACT COMPROMISES THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM) IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, AND BELIEVE THAT IF FCA CANNOT FIND A SOLUTION QUICKLY, I WILL TAKE ACTION. I USE MY JEEP DAILY TO COMMUTE ON PUBLIC ROADS, AND CANNOT CONTINUE TO AFFORD TO HAVE IT OUT OF SERVICE OR AT RISK OF INCREASED SAFETY HAZARD. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE... THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. A RECALL SHOULDN'T REDUCE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE. PERIOD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4X4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V175000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. *TR

DEALER PERFORMED N23 RECALL IN AUGUST 2013, SINCE RECALL PERFORMED, JEEP HAS BEEN BACK TO SEVERAL DEALERS 10-11 TIMES. SINCE RECALL, CAN NOT PUT JEEP INTO FREEWHEEL OR 4 LOW. JEEP WAS PURCHASED SPECIFICALLY FOR TOWING BEHIND MOTORHOME. HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO RETURN TO DEALER AND MANY HOURS OF PERSONAL TIME. HAVE ALSO DRIVEN VEHICLE HUNDREDS OF MILES WHEN TOW MODE FAILED AFTER WE PULLED BEHIND MOTORHOME. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT OUR VEHICLE MAY SHIFT INTO GEAR WHILE TOWING AND JEOPARDIZE US OR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT OUR JEEP MAY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AT A TIME THAT WOULD RISK OUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. *TR

I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO MY DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL THAT I WAS SUGGESTED TO DO. THE RECALL # IS: N23. NOW, THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH LOW GEAR 4X4 AND NEUTRAL POSITION. I CANNOT USE THESE MODES. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, WE FOUND OUT THROUGH THE DEALER, THAT HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE BROUGHT IN MY VEHICLE FOR THE ORIGINAL( N23) RECALL. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY ADVISED ME TO GO BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP. I WENT BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY JUST SAID THEY CAN'T KEEP RESETTING THIS FAULT CODE. I TOLD THE BBB ABOUT THIS, AND THEY SUGGESTED I GO BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP, CHRYSLER TOLD THEM THAT, AND THEY CLOSED MY CASE. HOW DO I DRIVE MY VEHICLE SAFELY NOW. I CAN'T USE MY GEARS FOR WHICH I BOUGHT THIS SUV FOR. WHAT DO I DO NOW? PLEASE HELP ME. I SEEM TO BE GETTING THE RUN-AROUND. (APPARENTLY, SEARCHING N23 PROBLEMS ON "GOOGLE" WILL SHOW THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE). THANK YOU. *TR

HAD TRANSFER CASE RECALL COMPLETED IN OCTOBER HAD NO PROBLEM BEFORE NOW CANNOT PUT TRANSFER CASE INTO NEUTRAL. HAD CAR BACK TO MY DEALER 7 DIFFERENT TIMES TWICE THEY KEPT IT FOR A FEW DAYS WHEN I GET HOME IT WILL NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL ALSO CAR WAS IN A DEALER IN LANSING MI. ONCE AND IT WAS IN A HENDERSON NV DEALER IT IS NOW DEC. 29 AND IT WILL NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL HAD IT IN NEVADA 2 TIMES. JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE IN AUBURN MI.DON'T WANT TO HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DOWN SHIFT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED THE VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WAS A CIRCUIT IN THE DOWN SHIFT MODE THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. *TT

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK VEHICLE, WITH ONLY BRAKE BEING APPLIED, AND MOTOR ALLOWED TO IDLE, VEHICLE ACCELERATED. ALL ATTEMPTS TO STOP VEHICLE BY HARD APPLICATION OF FOOT BRAKE FAILED, AND VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A BUILDING. SUBSEQUENT INVESTGATION BY INSURANCE ADJUSTER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS FAST IDLING, POSSIBLY A TPS ISSUE. DESPITE MANY COMPLAINTS TO VARIOUS JEEP AUTHORIZED SERVICERS, NONE EVER DISCLOSED A PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE. SINCE NEW, THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION HAS ALWAYS HAD A TENDENCY TO GRAB WHEN APPROACHING A STEEP INCLINE AT IDLING SPEED, WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION IF GAS PEDAL IS GENTLY DEPRESSED. *TR

2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSFER CASE SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND IN MOTION, NOT PARKED. THE RECALL NOTICE, THAT WAS SENT TO HIM, WAS NOT WHAT HE EXPERIENCED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL NOTICE FOR CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V175000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN) SEVERAL MONTHS AGO BUT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE PARTS FOR THE REMEDY WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE ARE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.