Jeep/Chrysler hasn’t had the best of times in 2013 when it comes to recalls and safety investigations. In fact investigations and warnings of recalls on Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge vehicles were so common we could just as well have started ignoring them.
Since claims by a Swedish magazine that the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee failed the infamous ‘moose test’ when heavily loaded, there have been several recalls and investigations; with the most recent being a brand new recall of 91 599 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs built between January and August due to an electrical malfunction that may cause loss of ABS and ESC functions. Something not far off the Swedish Magazine’s complaints with the Grand Cherokee.
At the time of the ‘moose test’ failure claim, Jeep/Chrysler responded to the Swedish magazine saying the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee tested was improperly loaded, and the tyres were damaged (the test caused more than half a dozen blowouts). But could what happened seem like a daft coincidence, or perhaps a bad run of publicity for the U.S. carmaker, pointing the way to a serious ailment in the manufacturing processes?
For example, Jeep/Chrysler weren’t happy with how a brand new nine-speed gearbox performed when matched to their all-new Jeep Cherokee SUV’s range of engines. ‘It has too many ratios,’ Jeep technical engineers were heard saying, and so the official launch of the Jeep Cherokee was delayed and delayed, creating disillusionment with consumers and the media before one of its most important product launches.
As far as the brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee recall is concerned, the official word is: ’Due to a disruption of computer communications and loose alternator ground wires, the affected vehicles may experience random illumination of multiple instrument cluster warning lights, loss of cluster illumination and loss of anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) function,’ the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S. said in a statement.
In addition to losing ABS and ESC functions, drivers would also not be warned of brake system failures which would be illuminated on the dashboard display, the NHTSA warns, adding that both conditions increase the risk of a crash. Watch the Swedish magazine’s ‘moose test’ here and draw your own conclusions on the big SUV’s performance…
