It's a long time coming but they finally did the right thing.
Many Jeeps already came with the tow package but for those that didn't this should help bring some peace of mind.
I have the "tow prep" package which includes Tran.y cooler, 3.73 gears and the god awful proportionate steering. There was no trailer wiring or hitch.
No letter to this day.
I feel safer that the prev owner installed a skid and hitch.
So I got my notice in the mail yesterday. It didn't say anything about a skid plate also are they installing the 2" receivers? Are you still eligible if you have modified your zj?
I got a notice also, Even tho mine has the factory Hitch and skid, And how did they know i had a ZJ? I never took it to a dealer so the dealer shouldn't of had anything saying i own one. hmmmmm
Chrysler is required to send that information out to everyone who has a ZJ registered in their name, according to the department of motor vehicles. It's got nothing to do with what the dealership knows.
To what do they attach the hitch? I have a couple of old rusted studs sticking out of the rear frame rails pointing down toward the ground. One is slightly bent. The studs are so rusty that I don't know if they handle the stresses of towing, if they are the fastening points for a hitch. And it looks like AAA tow truck yanked hard on one of the tie-down holes in the box rail.
To what do they attach the hitch? I have a couple of old rusted studs sticking out of the rear frame rails pointing down toward the ground. One is slightly bent. The studs are so rusty that I don't know if they handle the stresses of towing, if they are the fastening points for a hitch. And it looks like AAA tow truck yanked hard on one of the tie-down holes in the box rail.
The two unit frame rails that reach the end have studs that come out for mounting. I believe the studs are screwed in and can be replaced if damaged.
I will say, the mounting studs are rated to something like 8,000lbs of force on each side, and were the location for the factory rear tow hook on non-towing-equipped UpCountry ZJs. They're plenty strong for snatching and towing.
I also have the recall listed when I type in my VIN to the Chrysler customer help page - even though I already have a hitch and the full tow package. So does my other ZJ, which has the same! Might check with the dealer and see if they know anything about it over here - a nice new hitch or two would be great as mine has a small (almost invisible) smear of grease on the towball, and I don't feel like taking a rag and wiping it off...
Got my "recall pending, await further responses" notice the other day as well. Huh.. I wanted to replace my hitch anyways, I wonder if the mopar unit will be any better
btw, to those curious, they poll the DMV records for anyone with vehicles actively registered falling under recall status. It ties into information sharing stuff under NHTSA regulations so the companies can pull info straight from there instead of trying to querry dealerships that probably wont have half the records for these older vehicles. For vehicles that are new releases, they usually only go through dealerships
They sent the letter because ALL ZJs are affected by the recall. So all currently-registered ZJs are supposed to have their owners notified that their vehicle is subject of a new recall. The recall is to address a safety issue regarding the fuel tank, and the fix Chrysler are performing is to inspect the rear end of the vehicle and attach a factory-specification towing hitch, in order to improve structural rigidity, where necessary. Even if you have the hitch, your Jeep is still subject to the recall, at least for the inspection portion. If it's deemed up-to-spec, you won't get a hitch and you'll be good to go. If it's deemed unsafe, they'll install a new hitch.
Let's not talk about the bailout, shall we? Especially because they were bought out by Fiat before that even happened.
Besides, the reason Chrysler went bankrupt was not because they sent out recall notices at bulk postage rate, but because they made a line of consistently unreliable, undesirable vehicles that could not compete with any of the rest of the market and tried selling them to a market of buyers becoming more and more educated and selective of the type of vehicle they were looking for. Chrysler went bankrupt because of the Dodge Neon, Dodge Avenger, and Jeep Commander.
So since I installed my own hitch will they just give me the $ what a new hitch installed is worth w/labor like when Chrysler sent me a check for $300 when I had a private shop replace my recalled cat?
No, it specifically says, "If you have purchased and installed the OEM trailer hitch after your initial vehicle purchase, please send your original receipt and/or other adequate proof of payment to the following address for reimbursement:"
No aftermarket, unfortunately. At least not the letter I got.
Yeah, you're talking about the "B02 Safety Recall" for the secondary parking detent kit they install on the shifter. At first I didn't like it at all since a little more difficult to get in/out of park but it became easier after using it for a while.
I was debating on removing my aftermarket hitch and then take it in but bet it's so rusted on from the road salt it's almost impossible to get off. And they probably have some safety guidelines to determine if the frames too rusted to support a hitch w/towing.
Kind of strange I bought my 96 new from the dealer and still haven't received my letter. Actually I leased it for the first 3-4 years, then bought it, and thought they had taken the hitch off since it came with the "AHC Tow Group". Didn't come with a factory tank skid either.
Wonder if they force us to get recalls done if we bring in our jeeps? My 94 has 3 recalls including the hitch and all I want is the hitch. 1 other is the shift interlock, cant remember the other.
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