2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

On April 20, 2026, my 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L was involved in a crash due to a sudden and complete brake failure. At the time of the incident, the vehicle was in the custody of an authorized FCA dealership. An employee of the dealership was operating the vehicle when the brakes completely failed to respond, resulting in an accident. FCA US LLC Special Investigations conducted an inspection (Case #[96529168]) and stated they found no physical evidence of a manufacturing defect or component malfunction. However, the mechanical or electronic failure was severe enough to cause a crash while being operated by a professional dealership technician. I am filing this complaint because sudden brake failure represents an extreme safety hazard to the public. The manufacturer has denied assistance, and independent federal oversight is required to determine if a software or hydraulic defect exists in this model year.

Updates to the case#11679471. Since my initial report, Jeep arranged for an independent technician to retrieve and review the Event Data Recorder (EDR) from our vehicle. While Jeep has not shared the expert’s conclusions with us, we obtained a copy of the raw EDR data file from the same tech (attached). Based on the EDR data: 1. The brake pedal was fully applied approximately 0.4 seconds before impact and remained depressed. 2. The vehicle’s deceleration was only ~0.5 g, significantly below the expected ~0.8–1.0 g for dry asphalt conditions. 3. The ABS did not engage, indicating that hydraulic brake pressure was not reaching the level required to approach wheel lock. 4. The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system was “On” but did not engage. 4. The Advanced Brake Assist (ABA) activated only ~0.3 seconds before impact, too late to reduce the stopping distance. 5. No DTC (diagnostic trouble codes) were recorded at the time of the event. These EDR findings indicate that the driver executed proper emergency braking, but the brake-by-wire system did not deliver sufficient hydraulic pressure to achieve normal deceleration. This may suggest a potential electronic or hydraulic brake system defect. The vehicle remains undrivable, and we have been declined by two separate Jeep dealerships to obtain an effective inspection or repair. Given the direct connection to FMVSS 105 (Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems) requirements for service brake performance, we respectfully request that NHTSA treat this case as an urgent safety concern.

This complaint is an update to my previous complaint #11679471 submitted on August 8, 2025. Please consider this as additional information to the original case. Since my initial submission: Second Dealership Refusal: I attempted to bring the vehicle to a second authorized Jeep dealership for inspection and diagnosis. They refused any service, stating they would not inspect or repair the vehicle. This is now the second dealership to reject the vehicle after the incident. Obtained Diagnostic Printouts: Despite refusing service, the second dealership was convinced to provide printed codes from the vehicle. These codes show multiple system errors recorded at a very low vehicle mileage, including communication failures with the ABS control module, brake system internal failure, and CAN bus errors. These indicate potential electronic or computer system faults that could have occurred immediately before or during the brake failure. Manufacturer Warranty Issue: Immediately after the incident, Jeep opened a warranty case #93917003 for the vehicle. However, during subsequent communication, I was informed that this brand-new vehicle has no manufacturer's warranty at all. This is extremely concerning, as the vehicle was purchased new with only minimal mileage and no prior damage or modifications. Vehicle Condition: The vehicle remains undrivable and unsafe to operate. Jeep or its authorized dealers have performed no corrective action. Given that this was a brand-new vehicle with extremely low mileage purchased solely for personal family travel, and that both authorized dealerships have refused to address a major safety defect, I am requesting that NHTSA treat this as an urgent safety matter. The refusal to investigate by Jeep dealerships, combined with the unexpected claim that there is no manufacturer warranty, leaves this defect unresolved and poses an ongoing safety risk if similar failures occur in other vehicles.

While driving on the Belt Parkway towards Coney Island in stop-and-go traffic at approximately 25–35 mph, the vehicle in front slowed and came to a stop. The distance to the vehicle ahead was more than two car lengths. The brake pedal was fully depressed, but the vehicle did not decelerate adequately to come to a complete stop. The driver's record is clear of any car accident All forward collision warning alerts were sounding, but the ABS and automatic emergency braking (AEB) did not activate. There was no tire screech or pulsation from the brakes. The vehicle slowed but continued to move forward, resulting in a low-speed frontal collision. After the collision, the vehicle refused to move until the engine had been turned off for several minutes. Airbags did not deploy. This incident happened on a brand-new vehicle with only 318 miles on the odometer. We immediately contacted Jeep Corporate and opened a safety case. However, the first authorized dealer we visited, as was told by the Jeep advisor at 111 58th St., Brooklyn, NY 11220, refused to inspect the brake, ABS, or AEB systems under warranty, after we said that we have case number from Jeep and we need to read the computer while it still has information about the acident in the memory. Also were refused to provide a written denial, and directed us to a collision center instead, which repairs only the body but doesn't have equipment to read the car's faults. Due to this refusal, Jeep Corporate initially closed our case without resolution or notification; we had to insist on having it reopened, as the issue wasn't investigated. We are aware that Jeep models from 2024–2025 (though not exactly this trim) have had recalls for ABS, brake module, and electronic stability control issues, and these systems share similar or identical computer modules across model lines. Given these known issues and the seriousness of a complete brake system failure on a new vehicle, I believe this warrants immediate investigation by NHTSA.