[newtoncd8]

Anyone heard of this ... thought it was strange.


KUSA (Denver) - A car wash chain in town is turning away owners of a particular type of vehicle.

Viewers told us that people driving Jeep Grand Cherokees - model year 2010 or older - were not being allowed to go through the half dozen Waterway car washes in our area.

Sure enough, it's true.

Reports of sudden acceleration by Jeeps at car washes are all over the internet.

A Waterway spokesperson said the national chain banned them after experiencing dangerous and costly incidents.

The company issued the following statement:
"Waterway has experienced an unacceptable number of dangerous and costly accidents involving pre 2011 Jeep Cherokees. At Waterway, employee and customer safety is our chief concern. Therefore we have made the decision to stop washing these vehicles."

The policy was effective March 1, 2013.

9NEWS reached out to Chrysler Group LLC, Jeep's parent company, for an official response regarding sudden acceleration. A Chrysler Group LLC spokesperson did not return our calls before this article was written.

If Chrysler LLC accepts 9NEWS' request for a response, the new information will be posted here. Check back for updates.

 

[sndrsk]

I read this somewhere else about a year ago on JeepPatriot.com or another Jeep forum after a member took it to one of those conveyor-belt style car washes and they hung a red tag from the rear view mirror. Then apparently the car wash staff pushed the car out by hand. The user asked why that was, and they said there was a rash of cases involving unintended acceleration.

At least one incident was fatal: Questions still linger in weeks after deadly SUV crash at Rockville carwash | TBD.com

More details about the first post in this thread: Video: Car-wash chain won't clean older Jeep Cherokee models over sudden acceleration fears - Denver - News - The Latest Word

And a first-hand account: https://sites.google.com/site/jeepgrandcherokeesua/

Scary stuff.

 

[dr.lee.baugh]

This is about the third or fourth time these stories have surfaced since I bought my Jeep.

While I can't comment on this latest incident, I don't think they have ever determined the cause was anything more than human error.

Some of these incidents were eventually determined to be the car jockey's fault (give the keys of a 350hp suv to a 16 year old kid with limited driving experience and suddenly the number of 'unintentional accelerations' increases)...of course that headline never makes the news.

Not saying that's what happened here, and it's always unfortunate when someone is injured or worse, but I'm not particularly worried.

 

[Milous]

WHY is it only happening at car washes??

"“If a vehicle suddenly accelerates in a car wash, it's generally because some dude 'workin' at the car wash baby' is dancing with two left feet — stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brake," Chrysler spokesman Jason Vines wrote, according to the report."

 

[SvenskaJeepGuy]

You shouldnt be going through tunnel washes anyways

 

[tri0829]

the local car wash here make me turn my hazards on to go through cause apparently blinking lights in an automated car wash will save someones life if my car lurches off the line on its own
it makes me so angry when they tell me to turn them on i dont get how only the jeep grand cherokee would be doing this on its own, why not the commander as well which has the same parts?????? sooooo annoying
i did a little research on this awhile back when i first asked why i was the only car to have to turn my hazards on and they basically said what the article said, that the grand cherokee supposedly accelerates on its own at car washes. so i looked up chryslers response to it and they put recording devices in the vehicles that supposedly did it and couldnt find anything wrong with them, nothing with the computer system or any of the mechanics, seems very fishy to me. i also read too that many other car makers accelerate off the belt just as often but dont get the same press as the grand cherokee for some reason. seems like these car washes just want some publicity to me and are using a popular car that many people drive to draw attention to their business by making these claims.
also if they are concerned with unintended acceleration why do toyotas not have to turn their hazards on as well, seeing as they admitted that their cars actually do accelerate on their own (although many were most likely due to driver error as well here).
sorry for the rant haha just really annoys me, also once the weather gets warm i wash it myself, i can do a much better job then some dumb 16 year old does in the 5 seconds he/she has to dry it, plus its free haha

 

[thex2]

Which one wins, the gas or the brake, when you hold the brake down while the vehicle is trying to accelerate?

 

[Milous]

...also once the weather gets warm i wash it myself...

Just remember, in some jurisdictions now they are requiring Grand Cherokee owners to turn on their hazard lamps when washing their own cars at home.

 

[Milous]

Which one wins, the gas or the brake, when you hold the brake down while the vehicle is trying to accelerate?

Not to mention turning to key to "off".

 

[dr.lee.baugh]

...or slapping it into neutral.

 

[robpp]

Stats and facts don't lie........

For some reason the wash place insurance computer says too many incidents with your model.......its a fact. For whatever reason....the facts dont lie.

I equate if to the pit bull. Lots if incidents however lots if us know one that's a pet and is the friendliest pup ever met.

I do find it weird that Jeep or the gov isn't involved.

GL

 

[Boomer914]

Just to end this, sounds like conspiracy. I swear people are out to get jeep. As far as I know in a tunnel car wash, you gotta put the car in neutral. What is really happening? Prolly people accelerate then go oops neutral, slam drive snD boom take off. I know they slam these cars with all types of water to test these cars. Too much torque for folks I guess

 

[Breckman]

Ditto for Waterway Car Wash in the Kansas City area!
I am the original owner of a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland and I have 102,500 miles. NEVER have I experienced any sudden acceleration issues nor have I heard of any until the Waterway issue.
My opinion is that Waterway employees are the cause.

 

[robpp]

Whatever the cause.......the numbers do not lie. The insurance company pays claims. It doesn't do that blindly. It looks for patterns and such for its own purpose. And it found one......like it or not.

And the poster that thinks its a conspiracy call the place and ask them. Its a chain of car washes reported on all the news channels.

 

[Boomer914]

Sarcasm, friend. Jeep is the best

 

[robpp]

Sarcasm, friend. Jeep is the best

:slapfight:


now that's funny




show some facts friend/

 

[Boomer914]

:slapfight:

now that's funny

show some facts friend/

Uh number one awarded suv, do you even have a jeep? I know a 4.0 litre will last forever.

 

[robpp]

Uh number one awarded suv, do you even have a jeep?

actually I only own one at the moment ; I came to my senses though after owning a WK and bought elsewhere

actually I am one of the founders of this forum. :slapfight:


you changed a thread about a car wash not washing WK's or older into a quality thread. im IN.

awards dont really matter to me. AGAIN, as I stated earlier, ..........POST SOME FACTS. lets see some actual numbers compared to the rest of the market.

I now own an acura. lets compare it to that in all categories. I will allow you awards category if you insist. But lets put at the top Resisdual value. you can pick a few categories if you like. BUT NO OPINIONS.........they are useless. JUST THE FACTS FRIEND/


















here's one/

http://www.thecarconnection.com/image/100393694_2012-j-d-power-initial-quality-study

 

[Boomer914]

actually I only own one at the moment ; I came to my senses though after owning a WK and bought elsewhere

actually I am one of the founders of this forum. :slapfight:

you changed a thread about a car wash not washing WK's or older into a quality thread. im IN.

awards dont really matter to me. AGAIN, as I stated earlier, ..........POST SOME FACTS. lets see some actual numbers compared to the rest of the market.

I now own an acura. lets compare it to that in all categories. I will allow you awards category if you insist. But lets put at the top Resisdual value. you can pick a few categories if you like. BUT NO OPINIONS.........they are useless. JUST THE FACTS FRIEND/

here's one/

http://www.thecarconnection.com/image/100393694_2012-j-d-power-initial-quality-study

Opinions are useless. I'm done here. Jeep is best. Stats mean nothing.

 

[Boomer914]

Opinions are useless. I'm done here. Jeep is best. Stats mean nothing.

Here's a fact, my wk will best your Acura offroad any day. And have fun with those transmissions