2001 JEEP CHEROKEE Complaints

2001 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT, WIFE PARKS VEHICLE AT TOP OF STEEP DRIVEWAY ON FAIRLY LEVEL GROUND. PUTS TRANSMISSION IN "PARK", SETS EMERGENCY BRAKE AND EXITS CAR, LEAVING CAR RUNNING FOR NIECE AND 2YR OLD SON TO HAVE AC. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 MIN, NIECE DECIDES TO EXIT VEHICLE, OPENS PASSENGER DOOR, REACHES OVER TO TURN OFF IGNITION. AS SOON AS IGNITION IS TURNED OFF, CAR LURCHES BACKWARD, RUNS DOWN HILL, CROSSES THE STREET, RUNS THROUGH NEIGHBORS BACK YARD, THROUGH TREES, OVER RETAINING WALL AND HIGH CENTERS ON LARGE LOG. ALL PASSENGERS WERE OKAY BUY DID OVER $3000.00 IN DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE COMPUTER SHOWED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION JERKED WHILE IN MOTION AND CHANGING GEARS. HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN, BUT THE REPLACEMENT STARTED SMOKING. THE DEALER REPLACED AN OIL SEAL AND THE SMOKING CONTINUED. AFTER THE TRANSMISSIONS WERE REPLACED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO STAY ILLUMINATED. *AK

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 72 MPH THE VEHICLES BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY "THE DEATH WOBBLE". WHAT HAD HAPPENED IS I HIT A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD CAUSING THE VIBRATION. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO FINISH PASSING THE SEMI AND PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER AND STOP( WITH OUT GETTING KILLED OR KILLING ANYONE ELSE.) THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR. THE FIRST TIME I WAS TOLD IT WAS MY TIRES. I CHANGED THEM WITH GOODYEAR (LIKE THE FACTORY HAD). THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE SWAY BAR. THIS STILL DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ON THE THIRD TIME THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MY CONTROL ARMS. THE CONTROL ARMS WERE REPLACED AND I STILL NOTICE A SMALL VIBRATION BUT IT HAS NOT HAD THE ("DEATH WOBBLE YET"). I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT TO OFFICIALLY INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THIS PROBLEM. I WANT TO ENSURE THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THANKS *JB

PURCHASED A 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT IN NOVEMBER, 2004. IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS, I EXPERIENCED A SEVERE SHAKING OF THE VEHICLE; MOST OFTEN AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. KEPT HAPPENING, AT SPEEDS OF 35-45 MPH. DIAGNOSED AT BELLE TIRE AS A BAD TRACK BAR.TOOK IIT TO ANOTHER JEEP DEALERSHIP; TRACK BAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS REPLACED. SAID PROBLEM WAS FIXED BUT 2 DAYS LATER, WHILE ON FREEWAY (65 MPH) IN RIGHT-HAND LANE, EXTREMELY VIOLENT SHAKING OCCURRED. I BARELY GOT THE CAR TO THE SIDE, BECAUSE THE STEERING WASS UNCONTROLLABLE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT HAD I BEEN IN ANY BUT THE RIGHT HAND LANE, I WOULD HAVE HIT ANOTHER CAR. I WAS ABLE TO RE-ENTER THE RIGHT HAND LANE BUT KEPT MY SPEED AT 35 MPH AND EXITED IMMEDIATELY. CAR WENT BACK TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. THEY SAID IT COULD BE CAUSED BY 10-15 DIFFERENT THINGS AND THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT WOULD BE TO REPLACE EVERYTHING, STARTING WITH STEERING DAMPNER (NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY) BUT HAD NO IDEA IF THAT WOULD FIX IT. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR 6 MONTHS AND HAVE ALREADY SPENT ALMOST $1,000 ON TRYING TO HAVE IT FIXED (INCLUDING NEW TIRES AND A WHEEL ALIGNMENT). THE DEALER WAS COMPLETELY INDIFFERENT TO THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DIRECTOR SAID IT WOULD COST ME A LOT OF MONEY TO HAVE EVERYTHING REPLACED, AND EVEN THEN, COULD NOT GUARANTEE THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THESE EXPERIENCES, ESPECIALLY THE ONE ON THE FREEWAY, WHICH I WOULD RATE A 10 ON A SCALE OF 1-10 (THE OTHERS RANGING FROM 1-4), HAVE SHAKEN ME TO THE VERY CORE; I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I CAN NEVER AGAIN DRIVE THAT CAR AND FEEL SAFE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE DEALER HAS NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR HOW TO FIX IT. I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND FOUND 38,000 WEBSITES DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM; PREVALENT IN JEEPS. THE PROBLEM IS APTLY DUBBED "DEATH WOBBLE".

2001 JEEP CHEROKEE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS CORRODED. *MR THE ROTORS ALSO FLAKED CREATING A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THIS PRIOR TO THE END OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD, BUT DID NOT CORRECT THIS DEFECT. THE CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED STANDING WATER IN THE FOOT WELLS, A/C FAILURE, FAN FAILURE AND THE DOORS NOT BEING ALIGNED PROPERLY. THERE IS A BRAKE RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE, BUT THE RECALL NUMBER WAS NOT GIVEN. *SC *JB

I OWN A 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES SUCH AS BRAKES/ROTORS THAT I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF WITHOUT COMPLAINT. HOWEVER MY JEEP WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH A FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE AND NEEDS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL. MY CAR HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE HAD THE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS SERVICED TWICE EACH ACCORDING TO THE SPECS IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY PRIVATE MECANICS AS WELL AS JEEP TECHNICIANS THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURED. CHRYSLER TOLD ME AFTER I HAD IT DIAGNOSED BY MY PERSONAL MECHANIC TO HAVE IT CHECKED BY MY DEALERSHIP. IF THE DEALERSHIP CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION I WAS ASSURED THAT MY WARRANTY WOULD BE EXTENDED TO COVER THE REPAIR. NOW CHRYSLER IS REFUSING THE REPAIR AND WILL NOT RETURN MY CALLS. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AT LEAST FALSE INFORMATION AND HAVE MOST LIKELY BEEN LIED TO. I'VE ALREADY PAID ALMOST $200 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS AND NOW AM BEING QUOTED ANOTHER $925 FOR THE REPAIR BY THE DEALER. I STILL HAVE OVER A YEAR LEFT ON THE NOTE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND AM APPALLED THAT I AM ALREADY PAYING TO HAVE A MAJOR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT REBUILT. CHRYSLER HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS. *AK

CONSUMER CONCERN ABOUT BRAKES ON 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE LAREDO. *BF WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TOT HE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR REPAIR BUT THE PROBLEM ALWAYS RESURFACES. *NM

ON FREEWAY, OIL PUMP OF MY 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE FAILED, DRIVE SHAFT TO OIL PUMP STRIPPED, AT ONLY 45,000 MILES. ALL PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $1000.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. I HAVE HAD A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH MY BRAKES SINCE I BROUGHT IT. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED AT 9012 MILES. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT CALIPERS AND ROTORS. THEN AT 18811 MILES DEALERSHIP RESURFACED THE FRONT AND REAR ROTORS BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED. AT 24,806 MILES THE FAILURE RECURRED. DEALERSHIP REPLACED ALL 4 BRAKE ROTORS. CURRENTLY, AT 32,000 MILES THE FAILURE RECURRED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER, DEALERSHIP, AND OTHER JEEP OWNERS INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT OCCURRED IN THE EARLIER AND SOME LATER MODEL JEEPS, BUT HAS BEEN MODIFIED IN 2005 MODEL.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR THREE TIMES WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON FOR ONE WEEK. THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED (COLD) AND GOES OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS WARM. *TC

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ENGINE STALLED. WHILE SERVICING THE VEHICLE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT STALLING WAS DUE TO FLOODING OF THE ENGINE.*AK