1991 Jeep Cherokee Interior & seats Problems

FRAME OF SEAT SHEARED OFF ON BOTH SIDES. DT

NHTSA ID

768636

Incident

Oct 17, 2002

I WAS DRIVING IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC ON MY WAY TO WORK AT 6:45AM AND WAS ON THE ROAD FOR APPROX. 10 MINS. I SMELLED A STRONG BURNING SMELL, THEN NOTICED DARK BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD BY THE FRONT WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO A SAFETY ZONE, A FIRE HAD STARTED AND FLAMES AND MELTED PLASTIC STARTED DRIPPING TO THE FLOORBOARD. WITHIN 20-30 SECONDS, THE FLAMES HAD ENGULFED THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE AND WAS SHOOTING UP FROM THE CEILING OF THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT AND RUN UP THE EMBANKMENT ON THE FREEWAY. IN THIS VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,THE JEEP WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND THE ENTIRE CAR BURNT TO THE FRAME. TOTAL TIME OF VISABLE SMOKE TO FIRE IN THE DASH WAS LESS THAN A MINUTE.*AK

NHTSA ID

760509

Incident

Mar 25, 2002

WHILE DRIVING, THE DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT. I TURNED THE DIMMER CONTROL AND THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD ONLY BE ON FULL BRIGHTNESS OR OFF, THERE WAS NO DIMMER CONTROL. APPROXIMATELY 60 SECONDS LATER WE COULD SMELL SOMETHING HOT. APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES LATER WE NOTICED A GLOW COMING FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH BOARD. WE WERE CLOSE TO OUR HOME AND TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, AT WHICH TIME I WAS FORCED TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DUE TO BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT AIR CONDITIONING VENT. I PULLED UP TO THE GARAGE,SHUT OFF THE IGNITION, PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE AND EXITED THE CAR. MY WIFE GOT OUT OF THE PASSENGERS SIDE AND IMMEDIATLY HEADED FOR THE HOUSE TO GET WATER. I HURRIED INTO THE GARAGE TO RETRIVE A PAIR OF PLIERS TO PULL THE BATTERY GROUND CABLE. AS I EXITED THE GARAGE FLAMES WERE VISABLE ABOVE THE DASH INSIDE THE JEEP. I POPPED THE HOOD AND PULLED THE GROUND CABLE OFF, BY THIS TIME THE FLAMES WERE REACHING THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. I MOVED AROUND TO THE DRIVERS DOOR AND OPENED IT AS MY WIFE ARRIVED WITH A BUCKET OF WATER AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL; IN EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES. THE REOSTAT FOR THE DASH LIGHTS HAD SHORTED OUT AND DID NOT BLOW THE FUSE. THE LIGHT SWITCH BECAME HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE PLASTIC SURROUNDING THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS ABOVE IT, MELTING THE AIR CONDITIONER VENT, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH AND BURNING THE HEADLINER AND SUN VISOR. HAD WE NOT BEEN CLOSE TO HOME I BELIEVE THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BURNED COMPLETELY AS WE WOULD HAVE HAD NO MEANS OF PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. A FELLOW EMPLOYEE TOLD ME HE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIANCE WITH A 1989 JEEP CHEROKEE. I HAVE REMOVED THE DASH AND WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND WOULD HAVE IT AVAILABLE IF ANYONE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE?*AK

NHTSA ID

760086

Incident

Mar 20, 2002

DURING VEHICLE COLLISION SEAT BROKE RESULTING IN INJURIES TO NECK AND BACK.

NHTSA ID

542041

SHOULDER BELTS FAILED IN COLLISION.

NHTSA ID

603450

Incident

Mar 6, 1993

BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA ID

518243

FAILURE O THE REAR LIFTGATE LATCH. WHEN GOING OVER BRIDGES THE DOOR WILL FLY OPEN. DISCUSSED AT DEALER, BUT PROBLEM NOT CORRECTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

807518

WHILE DRIVING, DRIVERS' SEAT TRACK ANCHOR WELD BROKE, CAUSING FRONT END OF SEAT TO FLY UP, AND NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA ID

985462

THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND THE TWO FRONT SEATS COLLAPSED BACK. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA ID

966856

Incident

Jun 9, 1995

REAR LATCH GATE DOOR OPEN WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING ONLY IN VERY COLD WEATHER. TT

NHTSA ID

961045

Incident

Mar 1, 1994