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Jeep Transmission Problem Makes Sergio Marchionne Have “a Very Bad Engineering Day”

When the Jeep brand reimagined the Cherokee two years ago, one of the biggest ambitions was the ZF-developed nine-speed automatic transmission. The transaxle features a complex design that done good things and bad things to the KL-generation Cherokee.
2015 Jeep Renegade 1 photo
Photo: newspressusa.com
If your memory serves you well, you might remember that Jeep postponed the release of the Cherokee by a few months because there were “quality concerns” with the nine-speed transmission. After this and a few recalls, three software updates for the gearbox were released to date and many Cherokee complaints on www.safecar.gov are related to the cog swapper.

Speaking to a reporter from AutomotiveNews, Fiat-Chrysler numero uno Sergio Marchionne declared what can be described as a thoroughly perplexing statement: “I’m having a very bad engineering day... It’s a combination of attributes of that vehicle that is making my life horrible.” The vehicle in question is a newer model - the recently launched with much pomp and circumstance Renegade subcompact crossover, the little brother of the 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokee.

All things considered, these two SUVs use different platforms and engineering solutions, albeit the nine-speed automatic transmission is shared. Apparently, engineers found a software problem with the gizmo that controls the Renegade’s transmission. At the present moment, hundreds of Jeep Renegade SUVs are being held for this software issue, parked around a two-mile long FCA test track outside Toledo, Ohio.

It’s anybody’s guess when the revised transmission software will be ready or if it will solve the unspecified issues, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed it won’t be long now. The previously mentioned publication predicts that any 2015 Jeep Renegades being held are going to be released “by mid-June at the latest."
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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