1996 JEEP CHEROKEE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING BOX GEAR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED HE DISCOVERED NEW CRACKS IN THE FRAME SINCE THE DEALER PERFORMED THE REPAIR LAST YEAR. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FOR THE SECOND TIME BECAUSE OF THE STEERING BOLTS BREAKING, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE RECALL WAS FOR SPECIFIC RIGHT HAND JEEP MODELS AND THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS A LEFT HAND JEEP MODEL. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME BROKE AWAY FROM THE FLOOR, MAKING THE SEAT INOPERABLE. *AK

THIS IS THE 3RD TIME I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT A WATER LEAK IN MY 96 CHEROKEE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR. THE PROBLEM STARTED 1 YEAR AGO AND I HAVE SPENT A OVER $900 TO HAVE IT FIXED BY THE DEALER (ANTWERPEN, BALTIMORE, MD 21228). SINCE THIS IS THE 3RD OCCURRENCE IN ONE YEAR, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS A STRUCTURAL DEFECT AND THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD STAND BEHIND IT AND FIX IT. IT GOES BACK TO ANTWERPEN ON 4/5 FOR ANOTHER GO AROUND. I CONCEPT IS THEY ARE STALING AND WAITING FOR THE WARRANTY ON THE 1ST REPAIR TO RUN OUT, BUT SORRY THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, EVEN IT I HAVE TO TAKE IT THERE WEEKLY UNTIL SOMEBODY FIXES IT PROPERLY. *JB

IN 2003 I EXPERIENCE LEAKING WATER FROM UNDER THE DASH ON BOTH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER'S SIDE IN POURING RAIN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AND FIXED FOR $766. NOW IN MARCH 2004, JUST BEFORE THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY ON THE FIRST FIX RUNS OUT THE LEAK IS BACK. VEHICLE WENT TO DEALER, THEY SAY IT IS NOW LEAKING SOME WHERE ELSE (AROUND THE DRIVER'S DOOR,DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY I AM GETTING WATER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE) FIX GASKETS FOR $220. WAITING FOR NEXT LEAK, WHICH I AM WILL COME. CHRYSLER REFUSED TO FIX THE SECOND LEAK UNDER THE FIRST WARRANTY.*AK

I OWN A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE AND THE SHEET METAL THAT CONNECTS THE DRIVERS SEAT TO THE ADJUSTABLE TRACK UNDER THE SEAT IS TEARING AND COMING LOSE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT AND FURTHER INCREASED INJURY DURING THAT ACCIDENT WHEN THE SEAT BECOMES DISENGAGED FROM ITS ANCHORING POINTS. WHILE THE JEEP IS 7.5 YEARS OLD, I AM ONLY 5FT 10IN 195LBS AND DO NOT THINK THAT THE METAL SHOULD BE TEARING. THIS BEING A SAFETY ISSUE I FELT I SHOULD CONTACT JEEP BEFORE TAKING ACTION MYSELF SO IF NECESSARY JEEP COULD HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AND SEE IF THEY HAD ANY CONCERNS THAT NEEDED TO BE DEALT WITH. I HAVE CONTACTED JEEP STAFF FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP ALL THE WAY UP TO SUSAN AT CHRYSLER CORP CUSTOMER SERVICE (INCIDENT # 12175350) WITHOUT LUCK IN HAVING MY SAFETY RELATED ISSUE ADDRESSED. *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD WATER LEAKAGE FROM UNDER THE DASH ONTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR SOAKING EVERYTHING. THE OCCURENCE WAS 5/2/03, PROBLEM FIXED AT DEALER (ANTWERPEN, BALTIMORE) FOR $766. NOW LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THE SAME PROBLEM IS OCCURING. I AM DUE TO TAKE IIT IN NEXT WEEK, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO BET THE PROBLEM WILL BE DIAGNOISED AS LEAKING IN A DIFFERENT PLACE SO THEY WON'T HAVE TO HONOR THE ORGINIAL REPAIR WARRANTY. THIS IS ALMOST A GIVEN. FIRST OF ALL THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT ALL. THERE OBVIOUSLY IS A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WITH THE TRUCK WHEN IT WAS MADE. I HAVE ALSO READ SEVERAL COMPLIANTS FROM OTHER OWNERS AND JEEP/CHRYSLER REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT CALL THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE AT ALL EXPECIALLY WHEN IT IS THE SECOND TIME AROUND. *AK

THE VEHICLE IGNITED AFTER BEING PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. FIRE INVESTIGATION PINPOINTED START IN THE MAIN HOUSING OF THE ELECTRICAL, IN THE FIREWALL.

THE ENTIRE REAR AXLE WAS REPLACED AT THE ADVICE OF JEEP SERVICE. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE WHEEL BEARINGS WOULD NOT NOT SEAT IN THE AXLE AS THE "RACES" WERE WORN BEYOND THE POINT OF HOLDING THEM IN. BECAUSE I NEEDED THE VEHICLE FOR MY BUSINESS, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THEM REPAIR IT WHILE THEY HAD IT APART AS I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DO THE JOB MYSELF. IT WAS A THREE WEEK WAIT FOR PARTS AS IT WAS. THEN I NOTICED THE "MUSTY" SMELL. UPON FUTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THE ENTIRE JEEP WAS SATURATED UNDER THE CARPETS ON BOTH SIDES. MOLD EVERYWHERE. NO WONDER MY ALLERGIES WERE KILLING ME. I'VE SINCE GUTTED THE VEHICLE AND BLEACHED THE ENTIRE FLOOR AREAS. I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM SO I CAN PASS IT ON TO OTHER JEEP OWNERS. CHRYSLER HAS A BULLETIN OUT ON A PROCEDEURE TO CLEAN THE A/C DRAIN BUT IT DOES NOT WORK AS IT COMES BACK EACH YEAR. I'VE FOUND THAT GLUING NYLON SCREENING IN THE AIR INTAKE UNDER THE HOOD KEEPS ALL OF THE DEBRIS THAT CLOGS THIS DRAIN TUBE OUT OF THE HEATER BOX. NOW I AM WORKING ON A WAY TO STOP THE WATER FROM RUNNING BACK INTO THE DASH AREA THROUGH THE FIREWALL WHERE IT DRAINS OUT INTO THE FRAME. NOT ONE DEALERSHIP WOULD TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS. I KNOW THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE BULLETIN. ALSO, I FOUND THAT THE "VENTS" BEHIND THE REAR FIXED GLASS ON THE CHEROKEE HAVE A SMALL HOLDING CUP AND A TUBE WHICH THE WATER THAT ENTERS THAT AREA DRAINS INTO, WHAT I COULDN'T BELIEVE WAS THAT IT DRAINS INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, INSIDE, WHICH RESULTS IN THE ENTIRE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BECOMING WET UNDER THE REAR RUG. THIS PROBLEM IS SOLVED BY PUNCHING A HOLE THROUGH THE FLOOR AND EXTENDING THE FACTOY DRAIN TUBE THROUGH THE FLOOR SO THE WATER DRAINS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE WHERE IT BELONGS. I AM A CAR BUFF AND PRETTY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT REPAIRS AND I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES WHEN I SAW THESE DESIGN FLAWS. THEY ARE BLATANTLY OBVIOUS.

MY SEAT BELT IS KNOWN TO CAUSE FAILURE. I HAVE A GEN 3 SEAT BELT IN MY 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE VEHICLE AND CHRYSLER WOULD NOT REPLACE THEM WITH THE GEN 4 MODEL AT THEIR EXPENSE. MY SEAT BELT OFTEN COMES UNDONE WHEN I AM DRIVING AND I HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED IT. *LA

BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR THE BRAKE RECALL. IT SEEMS THAT THEY DID WHAT THE RECALL REQUIRED BUT SAID THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. *LA