2001 Jeep Wrangler Electrical System Problems

There is a known problem with the electrical wiring to the climate control panel including the blower motor fan switch. The wiring attached to the assembly gets too hot and melts the blower motor fan switch. When this happens, you are unable to turn on any heat/ac/air speeds. You are not able to select any speed to turn on the air which means you can’t use it to defrost the windshield. This can lead to a poor visibility situation. I am the original owner of my 2001 TJ and I’ve had to have this problem fixed multiple times. There are several videos & discussions about this problem in Jeep forums. Chrysler should’ve recalled it years ago..

TL-CONTACT OWNS A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER--- SPOKE WITH CHRYSLER --- CHRSYLER STATED NO RECALLS ON VEHICLE---HORN IN VEHICLE DOES NOT WORK AT ALL AND AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON... CONTACT WAS GIVEN NUMBER TO JEEP REGARDING AIR BAG LIGHT....0 RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VIN

I WAS DRIVING WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON WHEN I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC, THEN SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE AIR VENTS. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER AND GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MIN THE SMELL DISSIPATED AND I CONTINUED ON WITHOUT THE AIR CONDITIONING. LATER I REMOVED THE COVERS AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FIRE IN THE PLUG THAT GOES TO THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR

I HAD A FIRE DUE TO A RECALLED IGNITION SWITCH THAT WAS NEVER REPAIRED, I HAD NO IDEA WHEN I BOUGHT THE USED JEEP FROM THE DEALER. CHRYSLER IS NOW DENYING ANY REQUEST TO FIX THE PARTS DAMAGED BY THE FIRE

I LEFT MY TOP OFF OF MY JEEP WRANGLER AND IT RAINED HARD INTO THE NIGHT AND NEXT MORNING. I HEARD THE HORN GOING OFF RANDOMLY SO I RAN OUTSIDE AND THE DRIVERS SIDE DASH AND STEERING COLUMN WERE ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I QUICKLY OPENED THE HOOD, DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND THEN PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH THE HOSE. THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN AND SURROUNDING DASH AND WIRING HARNESS ARE COMPLETELY MELTED. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE THE JEEP WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY

THE HVAC SYSTEM IN MY 2001 JEEP WRANGLER WAS BURNT AND MELTED, DUE TO LACK OF PROPER EQUIPMENT. THE HVAC BLOWER FAN, DUE TO BEING OLD, CAUSED RESISTANCE, SENDING TOO HIGH OF A CURRENT TO THE CLIMATE CONTROL HEAD UNIT, MELTING AND BURNING ALL WIRES, CONNECTORS, AND THE HEAD UNIT ITSELF. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN REMEDIED WITH THE EXISTENCE OF RELAYS FOR EACH SOURCE OF POWER HEADING INTO THE HEAD UNIT. *TR

I WENT TO START JEEP THOUGHT DEAD BATTERY AND TRIED TO CHARGE BATTERY GAUGES ON DASH JUMPED AROUND FINALLY BATTERY ENOUGH TO TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT START SAW WARNING LITE FOR KEY ON DASH.ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START.TOOK TO JEEP DEALER REPLACED COMPUTER MODULE AND FOUND CORRODED MAIN POWER FEED IN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS SPLICED IN NEW WIRE AND SERIAL DATA ALL CAME BACK.I WAS RETURNING HOME JUST PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY ENGINE LITE CAME ON ALONG WITH OTHER LITES ENGINE STALLED TRIED TO START SAME PROBLEM AS BEFORE.RETURNED JEEP TO DEALER CURRENTLY WAITING FOR ANSWER TO PROBLEM COMPUTER DOES NOT ACCEPT MY KEY?I BROUGHT THIS JEEP USED THAT IS WHY I AM LOOKING INTO ANY RECALLS OR KNOWN PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE. *TR

THE BLOWER MOTOR SWITCH GROUND, CONNECTED TO THE MODE SELECTOR HAS MELTED IN MY JEEP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. BACK IN JULY 2013 THE CONNECTION TO THE MODE SELECTOR MELTED. I REPLACED THE HVAC AC A/C & HEATER CONTROL WITH BLOWER MOTOR SWITCH ONLY TO HAVE IT MELT AGAIN ONE YEAR LATER. *TR

THE DASH BLOWER CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. WHEN THE MECHANIC CHECK IT AND THE SYSTEM, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BLOWER HAD OVER HEATED THE PIGTAIL CONNECTORS AND MELTED THEM. THE BLOWER CONTROL WAS VISIBLY MELTED AND MULTIPLE SIGNS OF OVERHEATING WERE APPARENT. THE BLOWER CONTROL, ALL PIGTAIL CONNECTORS AND THE BLOWER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS CAUGHT JUST SHORT OF ME HAVING TO DEAL WITH A FIRE BEING CAUSED BY THIS OVER HEATING OF THE ELECTRICAL PARTS OF THE A/C-HEATER SYSTEM. THIS IS THE SAME SITUATION AS REPORTED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS. REFER TO ODI ID NUMBERS: 10364281, 10283272, 10181912 AND 10145512. *TR

LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE BEHIND THE HEATER CONTROLS ALL THE WIRES AND THE BACK OF THE SWITCHES ARE MELTED THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE FAN MOTOR CONTROL SWITCH HAS BEEN MELTED. *TR

KEY DISENGAGES AND FALLS OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH AND CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING. *TR

THIS IS ONE MORE CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING THE HEATER/FAN/BLOWER WIRING DESIGN FAILURE FOR THE 2001 MODEL OF THE JEEP WRANGLER. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CONTINUES TO OCCUR IN OTHER TJ MODEL YEARS AS WELL SO I THINK IT IS A SYSTEMIC DESIGN PROBLEM THAT IF NOT CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. MY CASE IS TYPICAL OF THE FAILURES DESCRIBED BY OTHER 2001 WRANGLER OWNERS IN THAT THE HEATER BLOWER FAN SWITCH BEGAN TO DROP SPEEDS UNTIL ONLY THE HIGHEST SPEED WAS LEFT OPERATIONAL [WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS HOW THE UNDERLYING ELECTRONICS SPECIFICALLY A RESISTOR BANK FAIL IN THIS MODEL]. RECENTLY, THIS 4TH SPEED HAS FAILED AND I AM NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL I CAN RECEIVE SOME ASSURANCE THAT THE HEATER BLOWER WILL NOT CONTINUE TO HEAT UP UNTIL IT CATCHES FIRE AS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN OTHER INSTANCES. AS I WRITE THIS COMPLAINT, IT IS ABOUT 25 DEGREES OUTSIDE, SO DRIVING MY 2001 WRANGLER WITHOUT HEAT IS NOT AN OPTION. I GUESS I AM LUCKY THAT (A) IT FAILED COMPLETELY IN COLD WEATHER FORCING ME TO (B) RESEARCH THE ISSUE LEARNING THAT (C) THIS OBVIOUS VEHICLE DEFECT CAN RESULT IN THE WRANGLER CATCHING FIRE WHICH HAS FORCED ME TO (D) GO WITHOUT THE USE OF THE WRANGLER UNTIL A FACTORY DESIGNED AND SPONSORED FIX IS ENGINEERED AND INSTALLED. SO, IN SUMMARY, 2001 WRANGLER ' FAILED HEATER/FAN/BLOWER SWITCH ' MANY OTHER CASES FOR THIS MODEL YEAR AND SURROUNDING MODEL YEARS ' HAS A HISTORY OF CAUSING VEHICLE FIRES ' THIS NEEDS TO BE A FACTORY SPONSORED RE-ENGINEER AND RECALL, AND NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW BEFORE A FIRE SITUATION CAUSES A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR INJURY OR DEATH ! *TR

THERE IS A SERIOUS PRODUCT DEFECT IN THE FAN MOTOR-SWITCH-RESISTER ASSEMBLY IN MY 2001 JEEP WRANGLER. THIS CONDITION HAS BEEN REPAIRED SEVEN TIMES, SIX TIMES UNSUCCESSFULLY (THE FIRST TIME WAS IN 2004, THE YEAR I BOUGHT MY JEEP FROM A DEALERSHIP) AND THE LAST ONE ACCOMPLISHED AUGUST 20, 2009 AND WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THIS WILL LAST. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FAN SWITCH SUDDENLY FAILS TO OPERATE AND WHEN THE MATTER IS INVESTIGATED THE MECHANIC FINDS THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR, RELAY AND SWITCH HAVE MELTED. THERE IS SOME SORT OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OR SURGE WHICH SIX REPAIRS HAVE FAILED TO CORRECT AND MY FEAR IS MY JEEP WILL CATCH ON FIRE AS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN A NUMBER OF CASES. *TR

JEEP WRANGLER SPORT, 4.0L WAS PURCHASED AS SUBSEQUENT OWNER IN 2003(?) IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO. THE PROBLEM APPEARED IN MAYBE 2008 AFTER MOVING TO PANAMA CITY (PANAM). AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS OBSERVED, INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN FIRST STARTING. USUALLY A SECOND ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESSFUL. GRUPO Q CHRYSLER JEEP REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH, AT MY EXPENSE. I WAS UNAWARE THAT CHRYSLER DAIMLER HAD RECALLED THESE VEHICLES FOR IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS IN 2003/04, I THINK. MY RESEARCH REVEALED THAT GM/AC-DELCO WAS OEMING THESE SWITCHES TO CHRYSLER-DAIMLER, AND MAYBE OTHERS. THE ONLY THING I EXPERIENCED WAS AN ANNOYANCE, BUT THOSE SYMPTOMS SEEMED TO SUGGEST THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN DRIVING WITH DISABLED AIR-BAGS, HAD I NOT NOTICED THE LIGHT, OR IF HAD BEEN NON-FUNCTIONAL. THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY PEOPLE MIGHT STILL BE DRIVING NON-GM CARS WITH THESE DEFECTIVE SWITCHES, AND WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN PUBLICIZED? *TR

WIRES FOR HVAC CONTROLS ARE MELTING IN THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR BEHIND THE DASH. SOME OF THE CONTROLS DON'T WORK RIGHT ANYMORE. WIRES COULD SHORT AND CAUSE FIRE. *NM

WHEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING I NOTICED A BURNT ODOR SMELL FROM THE DASH AREA. THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS RUNNING ON HIGH BLOWER AND ON THE MAX SETTING OF INTERNAL AIR FLOW. THE BLOWER STOPPED WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THIS HAPPENED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE BLOWER SWITCH I FOUND THE SWITCH HAD STARTED TO BURN AND MELT AT THE CONNECTION FOR THE MAX BLOWER SPEED. I HAVE REPLACED THE SWITCH TWICE NOW WITH THE SAME PROBLEM,THE CIRCUIT NEEDS A RELAY IN IT TO PREVENT THE BLOWER SWITCH FROM OVER HEATING AND CAUSING THE WIRE FROM BURNING UP. AT NO TIME WAS THE FUSE BLOWN ON THE CIRCUIT.

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH SMELL OF BURNING STYROFOAM PERMEATED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. A FEW SECONDS LATER, HEATED STYROFOAM BEGUN TO BE EJECTED FROM DRIVER'S SIDE AIR VENTS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF CONSUMER WENT INTO THE STORE, AND WHEN COMING OUT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THAT DAY CONSUMER DROVE ONLY 18 MILES. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND THE DEALER WAS TAKING A LOOK AT VEHICLE.*AK

SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL START AND SOMETIMES IT WON'T.*AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE CONSUMER WAS INSIDE. VEHICLE WAS NOT TURNED ON. CAUSE WAS UNKNOWN. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK