FROM NEW, I HAVE NOTED AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF MY COMMANDER WHEN STOPPED ON AN INCLINE. THE VEHICLE DRIFTS BACKWARD UNLESS YOU APPLY THE BRAKE. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE LEFT IT DRIFT A FOOT OR SO TO SEE IF IT WOULD STOP DRIFTING, BUT IT WAS USUALLY NOT SAFE TO LET IT CONTINUE. OBVIOUSLY APPLYING THE BRAKE IS THE NORMAL THING YOU WOULD DO WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT ANYWAY, SO I DIDN'T CONSIDER IT A REAL PROBLEM. I REPORTED IT TO MY DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CHECKED THE TCM FOR ANY ERRORS OR PROBLEMS, CLAIMING THEY FOUND NONE. I ASKED IF THEY COULD PLEASE CHECK IT AGAIN, TEST DRIVE IT, ETC., AND THEY REPORTED THAT AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO SERVICE BULLETINS OR ISSUES THEY SAW A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON A NUMBER THEY FOUND ON THE TRANSMISSION OR TCM THAT A "FLASH" OF THE TCM SHOULD BE PERFORMED. THEY REPORT THAT THIS WAS DONE. TODAY, UPON RECEIVING THE VEHICLE BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP, I TESTED THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THIS CONDITION HAD BEEN FIXED. TODAY I FOUND A SAFE LOCATION TO TEST, AND THIS TIME I LET THE VEHICLE CONTINUE TO DRIFT BACKWARD. TO MY SURPRISE, IT CONTINUED TO DRIFT FOR ABOUT 15 FEET, AND THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY STALLED. I DID THIS TWICE WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE, BUT I DO FEEL THAT IT IS NOT CORRECT BEHAVIOR AND BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I CANNOT REALLY EVEN THINK OF ANY SITUATIONS WHERE THIS WOULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT UNLESS THERE WAS A BRAKE FAILURE OR SOMETHING, OR IF THE VEHICLE COULDN'T BE RESTARTED AFTER A STALL. I AM JUST REPORTING THIS VERY ODD BEHAVIOR FOR AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I CAN RE-CREATE THIS PROBLEM AT ANY TIME.
2006
ENGINE
STARTED THE CAR AT THE HOUSE AND DROVE 1 MILE TO THE GAS STATION. SHUT THE CAR OFF TO FILL THE TANK. TRIED TO RESTART AND IT WOULD NOT START UNTIL I PUSHED THE GAS IN. WHEN IT STARTED SMOKE POURED OUT THE BACK. TOOK IT ACROSS THE STREET TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE WAS TRASHED. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE JEEP DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY SAID THE SAME THING THAT THE MOTOR WAS TRASHED. I PAID THE DODGE DEALER TO TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE SO I COULD KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE VALVE IN THE 4TH CYLINDER HAD SLIPPED DOWN INTO THE MOTOR AND DESTROYED THE PISTON AND CYLINDER WALL. HAVE TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE IS A 2006 JEEP COMMANDER WITH THE 5.7 HEMI AND ONLY HAS 77,000 MILES ON IT AND FROM WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED AND TALKING TO MECHANICS THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN. THIS PART SHOULD NOT FAIL IN THIS MANOR. HAVE GOTTEN NO RESPONSE FROM CHRYSLER AND AM TAKING ON THE COST OF THE REPAIR MYSELF. IF I WAS HARD ON THE MOTOR IT WOULD BE ONE THING BUT IT WAS ONLY DRIVEN TO WORK BY MY WIFE. WE ONLY PUT MAYBE 20,000 MILE ON IT SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. I AM AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER VEHICLES AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY WERE REPAIRED BY CHRYSLER, UNDER WARRANTY. I WILL BE INTO THIS VEHICLE ABOUT 40,000 DOLLARS AFTER THE NEW ENGINE IS INSTALLED AND I THINK CHRYSLER BARES PART OF THE BLAME AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN CONSIDERING THIS MATTER. *TR