May 20, 2015, 3:47pm ET

Jeep Renegade faces sales halt over software issue

The company is having trouble similar to the drivetrain software issues that affected the Cherokee.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has reportedly halted deliveries of its new Jeep Renegade until a software issue can be resolved.

The brand's foray into the subcompact crossover segment uses the same nine-speed automatic transmission that already caused trouble for the Jeep Cherokee and Chrysler 200. Initial glitches were addressed via several software updates, though one problem was handled as a formal safety recall.

"The vehicle will all of a sudden accelerate even though you are braking to come to a stop or are slowly idling forward," reads one complaint in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration database. "My husband and I both just bought 2015 Jeeps with their nine-speed automatic transmission. These cars are extremely dangerous and I am scared to drive these vehicles in snow."

Speaking at an SAE Foundation award ceremony, FCA chief Sergio Marchionne said the Renegade software issue is being addressed and will likely be resolved by mid-June at the latest, according to quotes published by Automotive News.

"I'm having a very bad engineering day," he said bluntly. "It's a combination of attributes of that vehicle that is making my life horrible."