[Resolved] Cracked spare tire carrier

[Hootbro]

Well, it sounds like your dealership service is stuck in their position. That leaves finding another dealership and/or just opening a case with FCA corporate customer service and making your case there.

Me personally, I do not think your case should be convoluted as they are making it and should replace it without question. Hope you get resolution to this.

Hootbro

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[myfirstjeep]

Yup, I've opened a case with FCA corporate already. I also went to 2 other dealers, but both acted the same as the dealer I originally purchased my JL from. Quick to blame..

The good news is that FCA corporate has provided a little pressure and my local service manager has sent pictures to the "Area Manager" and my case seems to be proceeding. Albeit at a snail's pace.

Appreciate your goodwill.

 

[timkim]

Yup, I've opened a case with FCA corporate already. I also went to 2 other dealers, but both acted the same as the dealer I originally purchased my JL from. Quick to blame..

The good news is that FCA corporate has provided a little pressure and my local service manager has sent pictures to the "Area Manager" and my case seems to be proceeding. Albeit at a snail's pace.

Appreciate your goodwill.

you are very correct that tire carrier supposed carry tires upto 37. relocating carrier is not making it stronger anyways.

 

[cabnfvr]

When I removed my spare (stock 33s) to turn it so the Jeep emblem was at the bottom (mildly OCD) I notice that it was real easy (real real easy) to place the tire on the backup camera mount. You're positioning 70 to 80 pounds onto the studs but it's easy to get the weight on the camera.

Why mention this? Look closely at your pic of the crack. If the camera boss is pressed downward one would expect the exact crack you have. If the stress was on the studs one would expect the crack to be in the carrier sides and not propagating from the stud. My guess is is the crack was created during installation of either the stock tire or the 37s (attempted installation). I do not believe the crack resulted from stress of a mounted tire. Is the carrier dusty / dirty on the inside? If yes, then it wasn't Jeeps fault. That crack is new and clean. I just don't think there's an issue with the mount design.

 

[Sean L]

looking at the photo, I see no immediate danger, as the spare tire is held on by the studs and not the plastic cover. Now if under the plastic cover there is damage to the framework that secures the studs to the tailgate then we have a problem. We won't know until that plastic cover comes off.

 

[Sean L]

If you know the damage was there and you placed the spare tire back on a broken carrier you can be held libel.

Liable and libel are two different legal terms and I think you are looking for the former.

 

[myfirstjeep]

When I removed my spare (stock 33s) to turn it so the Jeep emblem was at the bottom (mildly OCD) I notice that it was real easy (real real easy) to place the tire on the backup camera mount. You're positioning 70 to 80 pounds onto the studs but it's easy to get the weight on the camera.

Why mention this? Look closely at your pic of the crack. If the camera boss is pressed downward one would expect the exact crack you have. If the stress was on the studs one would expect the crack to be in the carrier sides and not propagating from the stud. My guess is is the crack was created during installation of either the stock tire or the 37s (attempted installation). I do not believe the crack resulted from stress of a mounted tire. Is the carrier dusty / dirty on the inside? If yes, then it wasn't Jeeps fault. That crack is new and clean. I just don't think there's an issue with the mount design.

You don't think FCA's group of engineers would have foreseen that issue of accidentally placing a heavy weight on the camera mount? Even if you press the camera mount downwards, as I and every service manager has done, the crack doesn't move. The exterior of the carrier is wrapped in a sheet of thin plastic. Nothing actually moves except for the crack itself, and only when directly pushed.

You may not see anything wrong with the mount design, and neither may Jeep. But the issue isn't the design. The issue is MY carrier. Unexpected issues happen in quality control. Even if there is a 99.9% success rate on building perfect carriers, what's there to say that mine isn't that rare lemon?

These are the reasons why I am having FCA look into this. I will report back when I get more progress notes. Right now my case has been taken from my dealer to the "Area Manager" with JEEP WAVE overseeing.

 

[cabnfvr]

You don't think FCA's group of engineers would have foreseen that issue of accidentally placing a heavy weight on the camera mount?

Actually I'd bet they did but it would be difficult (and expensive) to design it to support 70 to 80 pounds.

Even if you press the camera mount downwards, as I and every service manager has done, the crack doesn't move. The exterior of the carrier is wrapped in a sheet of thin plastic. Nothing actually moves except for the crack itself, and only when directly pushed.

So you are saying there's a metal carrier beneath the plastic? If so, is it cracked?

You may not see anything wrong with the mount design, and neither may Jeep. But the issue isn't the design. The issue is MY carrier. Unexpected issues happen in quality control. Even if there is a 99.9% success rate on building perfect carriers, what's there to say that mine isn't that rare lemon?

That's actually what I believe, that you have rare failure, just not a design issue.

These are the reasons why I am having FCA look into this. I will report back when I get more progress notes. Right now my case has been taken from my dealer to the "Area Manager" with JEEP WAVE overseeing.

Do keep us informed. I was just saying that based on the photo the failure does not seem to be related to tire mounting or tire weight. Look closely at your pic and you will see a tangential crack at the lower right of the main crack and secondary cracking around the camera boss at the 10 o'clock position. I do not believe a mounted tire would create stress in those areas.

I do hope you get this resolved, I just don't blame the design, nor do I blame you. I also think Jeep will replace it. They should. So I'm on your side but with a different opinion of the cause.

 

[myfirstjeep]

Actually I'd bet they did but it would be difficult (and expensive) to design it to support 70 to 80 pounds.
So you are saying there's a metal carrier beneath the plastic? If so, is it cracked?

That's actually what I believe, that you have rare failure, just not a design issue.

Do keep us informed. I was just saying that based on the photo the failure does not seem to be related to tire mounting or tire weight. Look closely at your pic and you will see a tangential crack at the lower right of the main crack and secondary cracking around the camera boss at the 10 o'clock position. I do not believe a mounted tire would create stress in those areas.

I do hope you get this resolved, I just don't blame the design, nor do I blame you. I also think Jeep will replace it. They should. So I'm on your side but with a different opinion of the cause.

I don't think any part of the carrier is metal except for the 3 metal bolts. The exterior is a thin sheet of plastic. That sheet looks, to me, like a sort of skin that wraps around the actual carrier itself, which is thicker plastic. There is no visible damage to the integrity of the actual thick plastic, only the thin outer layer. If the carrier so removed, the backside shows no hints of stress. My JL has never had any sort of rear impact either.

Mounting any weight on the cracked skin SHOULDN'T be an issue with my amateur point of view, but I'm one of those "better safe than sorry" types. Would rather not find out the hard way that mounting a spare is a bad idea.

 

[myfirstjeep]

I am missing something if so please tell me ? You put a 37 tire on as a spare and it broke and your upset ? Everyone knows if you put 37s on the spare they sell the after market heavy bracket for that why you do that and then blame the stock one that is only good for a 35 and even at that it didn't come with 35s so anything bigger then the stock tire is your own fault and on your own to replace it. Jeep shouldn't have to pay for this

You're missing quite a bit. In the OP I stated that discount tire discovered the crack as soon as the stock tire was removed from my brand new JL. The 37 spare wasn't ever mounted because the tech said it wouldn't fit.

 

[mwilk012]

You're missing quite a bit. In the OP I stated that discount tire discovered the crack as soon as the stock tire was removed from my brand new JL. The 37 spare wasn't ever mounted because the tech said it wouldn't fit.

I'm curious if you ever got resolution on this.

 

[Jammer]

You don't think FCA's group of engineers would have foreseen that issue of accidentally placing a heavy weight on the camera mount? Even if you press the camera mount downwards, as I and every service manager has done, the crack doesn't move. The exterior of the carrier is wrapped in a sheet of thin plastic. Nothing actually moves except for the crack itself, and only when directly pushed.

You may not see anything wrong with the mount design, and neither may Jeep. But the issue isn't the design. The issue is MY carrier. Unexpected issues happen in quality control. Even if there is a 99.9% success rate on building perfect carriers, what's there to say that mine isn't that rare lemon?

These are the reasons why I am having FCA look into this. I will report back when I get more progress notes. Right now my case has been taken from my dealer to the "Area Manager" with JEEP WAVE overseeing.

That's cool Jeep wave gets involved I didn't know that did that kind of stuff

 

[myfirstjeep]

UPDATE (not a happy one):

My dealer sent the pics up to FCA corporate and the warranty claim was rejected saying that the factory carrier bracket is not rated to hold oversized tires. I asked for an appeal and my case manager was told there is no way to appeal this as it is a final decision from the higher ups.

I brought this issue up to the owner of the dealership and he said that he talked to FCA corporate as well and that he agrees there was a misprint of information on the JL parts. Especially where it could be interpreted as a the stock materials being able to hold up to an oversized spare. The owner said he will just eat the cost and order the new parts for me.

That phone conversation took place about a month ago and I haven't heard anything back yet. I am about to contact one last time to see where we are with this process, but the look is not too bright. I have withheld the name of the dealership until the final decision is made because I would rather not come across as slandering a business.

Moral of the story so far: If you have oversized tires on your JL (even if the oversized spare was not mounted), your carrier, if it cracks, will likely not be covered under warranty.

 

[mwilk012]

A misprint of information? What a bunch of bull. Jeep is screwing you over.

 

[RubenZ]

When I removed my spare (stock 33s) to turn it so the Jeep emblem was at the bottom (mildly OCD) I notice that it was real easy (real real easy) to place the tire on the backup camera mount. You're positioning 70 to 80 pounds onto the studs but it's easy to get the weight on the camera.

Why mention this? Look closely at your pic of the crack. If the camera boss is pressed downward one would expect the exact crack you have. If the stress was on the studs one would expect the crack to be in the carrier sides and not propagating from the stud. My guess is is the crack was created during installation of either the stock tire or the 37s (attempted installation). I do not believe the crack resulted from stress of a mounted tire. Is the carrier dusty / dirty on the inside? If yes, then it wasn't Jeeps fault. That crack is new and clean. I just don't think there's an issue with the mount design.

This was my thought exactly. May Discount Tire tech was a n00b and let the tire fall onto the plastic backup cam.

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