Evidently the brake recall Chrysler just put out on the streets effects the JK's.
I experienced this first hand Saturday as I tried to stop going up a hill as I entered a busy US highway. When I applied the brakes my foot went to the floor with a crunching/grinding noise. No brakes at all. Thankfully the uphill momentum and the emergency brake allowed me to stop just short of entering the US highway. Friends it was a hair raising experience . Truck is at dealer now and after speaking with Chrysler yesterday they say there is no recall I guess nobody has been killed yet....... Dealer is waiting for Chrysler engineers to tell him what to do. I am getting the feeling that profits are more important than peoples lifes. My wife posts here and loves the truck but with all the problems we have had, roof leak and auto trans. neutral shift while in gear (still not fixed after several dealer trips) I am fast approaching the arbitration/lemon law mode. Hope others are having better luck with there JK's. Too bad, the vehicle has alot of positive things but Chrysler's engineers are ruining Jeeps good name. This is the 3rd Jeep I have owned and will probably be the last.

 

Truck info:
2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4x4 (hardtop)
Purchased in April
Around 9000 miles on vehicle

 

Gonzo, sorry to hear about your scare! You're doing all the right things in reporting it to the proper authorities. I've read so many horror stories on this forum that sometimes I feel a little paranoid when driving around in my Jeep (especially w/ my son on board), but I've been pretty lucky so far...I've had no leaks, no stalls, no electrical problems...the only annoying thing was the steering wheel clunk which I fixed myself, thanks to members on this forum. I still knock on wood daily! I hope you are able to resolve your issues w/ your Jeep.

 

I've experienced the brake failure 3 times now... First was very scary, but am now prepared... just let off on the brake and try again (maybe Microsoft did the software... ). By no means acceptable, and am very surprised they are not moving faster - but overall good to they are taking action. I'm also one of the 20 cases they site in the recall - good to be heard.

 

I'm so glad they felt the need to add all that software for our safety. I miss the days where you step on the brakes and the vehicle comes to a stop, or you step on the accelerator and the vehicle picks up speed. I hate having some computer program trying to second guess what it is I want to do.

If the computer can't figure out what to do then lets go back to the old system that worked just fine for nearly 100 years.

 

Was speaking with Chrysler again today. They will not take any action until the recall is "officially" issued even if you have experienced the problem unless the dealer can duplicate it. Be careful out there......you are on your own.

 

I think you did the right thing by filing a complaint. I think everyone that has experienced this should do the same. It might get them moving faster, or at least give them a black eye. I haven't had the problem (and I've had plenty of opportunities), but I guess you never know when it'll crop up.

As for the engineering, I see too much good to think that the problem is the engineers. Instead, there was probably some middle manager (i.e. PHB) that made some changes to cut costs. Programming is an easy thing to cut too. Here's a hypothetical situation:

Manager: Is that code done yet for the Wrangler?
Developer: Almost done, need to do the regression testing, and ...
Manager: Testing? Why do you need to do that? Don't you know how to program? We don't have time for that.
Developer: Ahh... Um. Well, we need to test, bec...
Manager: Just do whatever, as long as everything is done by the end of the week.
Developer: But, it's Thursday afternoon.
Manager: Is that a problem? Maybe we should have outsourced this.
Developer: *sigh* I'll have it done.

 

This is in JP or 4 Wheel and Sport Utility this month. Of course there is always:

2007 JEEP WRANGLER SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Recall Date: 12/29/2006

Summary:
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) CONTROL MODULE SOFTWARE MAY CAUSE THE REAR BRAKES TO LOCK UP DURING CERTAIN BRAKING CONDITIONS.

Consequence:
THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Potential Units Affected: 50665

Notes: JEEP WRANGLER F50

and don't forget the STALL BUG:

2007 JEEP WRANGLER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Recall Date: 07/03/2007

Summary:
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE (TIPM) WAS PROGRAMMED WITH SOFTWARE THAT MAY ALLOW THE ENGINE TO STALL UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS.

Consequence:
THIS COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE TIPM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 5, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Potential Units Affected: 80894

Notes: JEEP WRANGLER G25

I got an automated message from Don A Vee today asking me to call the Service Department to bring the JK in... I'm guessing for the Stall Bug.

 

I received a bit more info today from a reliable source that was interesting. Evidently starting in 2004 with the Durango Chrysler started using a very sophisticated computer system in some of there vehicles. Its use has spread to the Jeeps. Chrysler is having alot of problems with bugs in this system as many of us know. The stall bug and most likely the neutral shift is all related to this system. The system usually quickly resets itself however the down side is it stores no codes when this happens and unless the dealer can duplicate it it is your word against theres. This makes it difficult to apply for lemon laws and may require you to get a lawsuit going to get any results. So far for me Chrysler customer service is no more than a real person who will listen to your problem but not provide any assistance. My dealer has been great but they are stuck in the middle and cannot fix these type of problems without Chryslers assistance which they are not getting. I was also told by Chrysler that my vehicle may not even be recalled even though I have the exact problem the recall states. It really stunned me how little they care about there repeat customers such as myself. This is the 3rd new Jeep I have bought from them.

 

Maybe there is a recall:
Just saw this on CNN!!

Chrysler recalls nearly 300,000 vehicles
Automaker confirms braking problem affecting recent Grand Cherokees, Commanders, Jeep Wrangler SUVs and Dodge Nitros.
September 14 2007: 2:12 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Chrysler confirmed Friday that it was recalling nearly 300,000 vehicles because of an error in the braking system.

The affected models include 2006 and 2007 Grand Cherokees and Commanders, 2007 Jeep Wrangler SUVs, and 2007 Dodge Nitro SUVs, said a company spokesman.

An error in the electronic braking system can cause momentary braking delays on hills in rare instances. The braking system comes from a supplier outside Chrysler. An estimated 296,550 cars are affected.

Owners of the affected vehicles should receive a letter from Chrysler within the next few weeks instructing them how to resolve the issue, said the company.

But owners who experience delayed braking should take their vehicles to dealers immediately.