Grand Cherokee, Car Washes Don't Mix
By Bill Visnic March 17, 2010If you're seeing a lot of particularly dirty Jeep Grand Cherokees these days, there might be a good reason.
Doug Newman, owner of conveyer-belt style carwash chain in Milford, Connecticut, told Bloomberg news last week the Chrysler Group LLC sport-utility is an unintended acceleration beast, accounting for all four of the unintended-acceleration incidents that have occurred at his operations since 2000.
Little more than a month ago, a worker piloting a 2006 Grand Cherokee at the Octopus carwash in Albuquerque, New Mexico, killed another worker after the driver said the Jeep accelerated uncontrollably, smashing the worker against a wall.
And a member at Edmunds.com's CarSpace social-media forum identified as Octo30yrs said the Grand Cherokee's unintended-acceleration reputation with the carwash community is such that some operations now are either pushing through Grand Cherokees or rejecting them altogether.
Newman has a Google page detailing his history with the Grand Cherokee after 20 years in the carwash business that has completed more than 1 million washes. He said in that time, all four of the sudden acceleration incidents at his locations have involved the Grand Cherokee.
Newman adds that a colleague who owns operations that have performed as many as seven million carwashes has had nine unintended acceleration incidents and seven have involved the Grand Cherokee. Between the two operations, he said, more than 8 million washes were performed with a total of 13 unintended acceleration accidents - and of that 13, 11 involved the Grand Cherokee.
Newman's Google page also includes an attachment of a letter to U.S. House of Representatives Henry A. Waxman, who chaired the recent House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearings regarding Toyota Motor Corp.'s highly publicized recent recalls related to reports of unintended acceleration.
The letter, written by David J. Bizzak, a Ph.D. and engineer for the consulting engineering firm Romauldi Davidson & Associates Inc., said his firm's investigation into unintended acceleration by the Grand Cherokee resulted in a request to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate the model. The agency denied the petition, Bizzak said - but did not directly contact his engineering firm to say so.
Instead, it was an attorney for Chrysler who contacted Bizzak with the news the request for a NHTSA investigation had been denied.
Grand Cherokee Definitely Represented
A February analysis by Edmunds.com of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) consumer complaint data base showed, of the Big Six automakers selling vehicles in the U.S., Toyota - as a manufacturer and as an individual brand - had the most consumer complaints filed with NHTSA for unintended acceleration.
And although nine of the top 12 models with the most complaints of unintended acceleration are made by Toyota, the Grand Cherokee is number 10 on the list.
Although there is no confirmed evidence the Grand Cherokee has any mechanical, electrical or software-related faults, the on-the-street anecdotal evidence of the unintended acceleration incidents in carwashes seems difficult to ignore. Engineer Bizzak's report of how NHTSA dealt with his firm's request for investigation is another example that lends credence to critics' allegations NHTSA has become too friendly with automakers, as well as being unwilling to thoroughly investigate reports of unintended acceleration. - Bill Visnic, senior editor
Photo by KRQE News 13, Albuquerque, NM
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Um, shouldn't the vehicle be OFF and in neutral if running through a conveyor carwash?
Yes, much like a lot of the Toyota huffing and puffing, 99% of this is likely driver error. (Read stupidity)
This is ancient history, but when one vehicle accounts for so many of one type of incident, you really can't call it driver stupidity. If folks remember, Chrysler was the last hold-out on shifter interlocks. Had they not been, this likely wouldn't have happened, though it still should be looked at to be sure it's only older models. If it is, then I doubt a recall will be done if it's only happening with drivers in a hurry in a model they're not familiar with, ie car wash employees. If that's the case, car washes should ask Chrysler to install the interlock or continue to turn away owners and tell them what Chrysler failed to do and to take it up with Chrysler.
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