BLEND AIR DOOR: I am a victim of a commonly occurring, dangerous, and defective ventilation system in a Jeep Grand Cherokee that results in rapid fogging of interior windows, defective defogging, and defective passenger-side heating.
The defective part in the Jeep is called a "Blend Air Door," and if you run a simple google-like search on the internet, you will be SHOCKED at how common, costly, and dangerous this defect is to Jeep customers. I strongly believe Daimler-Chrysler is neglectful and irresponsible in ignoring all the complaints about this problem, and I am looking to expose this fraud.
A little more information about this safety hazard: Jeep Grand Cherokees, model years 2000-2004, have experienced a defect in the valve that controls the ventilation to the front-passenger side of the Jeep. This defect is fairly specific for Jeeps, and seems to occur MOST COMMONLY at 50,000 miles - a significant marker for victims like me who have warranties that do not allow extended coverage after the 48,000 mile marker. (My defective blend air door relapsed at 51,400 miles.) The result - windows fog up, defogger malfunction, and no heat to the passenger side of the Jeep.
Additionally, this defect is costly. It appears that the average cost for this repair is around $1,200, and nearly ALL of this cost is absorbed in labor. Also noteworthy, many Jeep Grand Cherokees are on the road with the defect being undiagnosed, which is just an accident to happen. And conversely, many diagnosed blend air door defects exist in resale Jeeps and are sold to unaware consumers.
This is a defect that Daimler-Chrysler will not acknowledge, and it appears that MANY Jeep owners experience this safety hazard. For this reason, Daimler-Chrysler is irresponsible and should be exposed for its negligence. I urge consumers to file complaints and expose this dishonesty of Daimler-Chrysler Corp.
Mike
Omaha, Nebraska
U.S.A.