2006 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

MY VEHICLE STARTED ORIGINALLY SLOWING DOWN LIKE IT SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION BUT WHEN I REPLACED IT I STILL HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE STAYING IN LIMP MODE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, RPM RUNNING HIGH AND NOT GOING INTO OVERDRIVE. THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY AFTER SPENDING OVER $1500.00 ON IT. FROM MY RESEARCH I HAVE ARRIVED AT THE ESM TO BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE NOT INDICATING WHAT GEAR FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT INTO. I HAVE CALLED THE JEEP CORPORATE OFFICE AND EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED A REPAIR WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT WITH 17,000 MILES ON IT THEY STILL DID NOT FEEL THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TO ME THAT ARE JUST AVOIDING THE FACT THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURE ISSUE WITH EITHER POOR DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION OR QUALITY OF PARTS. I HAD A 1994 AMIGO THAT I PUT 280,000 MILES ON AND I NEVER ONCE HAD ANY TYPE OF TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THIS IS A 2006 VEHICLE THIS IS THE POOREST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD WITH A VEHICLE. *TR

PASSENGER REAR DOOR INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE HAS BROKEN. THERE WAS NO ABUSE, THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE WAS OPENED BY AN ADULT AND THEN WHILE OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE, THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE DUE TO JUST OPENING THE DOOR. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON MANY BLOGS AND MANY OTHER JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE AREA IS TOO WEAK TO HANDLE THE STRESS OF CASUAL OPENINGS. *TR

EXHAUST MANIFOLDS LEAK, POTENTIALLY INTRODUCING EXHAUST GASES, INCLUDING CARBON MONOXIDE, INTO THE PASSENGER AREA. I INITIALLY TOOK MY VEHICLE TO LITHIA DODGE IN SANTA FE, NM TO REPORT AN EXHAUST LEAK THAT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WAS TO BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY ONLY REPAIRED THE PASSENGER SIDE WITHOUT APPARENTLY PERFORMING A LEAK CHECK. THE FIX FOR THIS IS TO REPLACE THE OEM GASKET WITH ONE THAT INCORPORATES METAL TO APPARENTLY COMPENSATE FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE DISSIMILAR METALS OF THE HEAD/EXHAUST MANIFOLD. SINCE THERE IS A DEFECT, THE GASKETS LEAK, AND THE UNEVEN EXPANSION CAUSES THE BOLTS/STUDS TO BREAK, EXACERBATING THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE REPAIR THE SOUND SEEMED SIMILAR BUT I ASSUMED IT MUST BE INJECTOR OR VALVE/LIFTER NOISE. RECENTLY I HAD MY TRANSMISSION SERVICED BY A LOCAL SHOP AND THEY NOTED THAT I HAD AN EXHAUST LEAK. AGAIN I LISTENED AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM PASSENGER SIDE. THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE MECHANIC PERFORMED AN INSPECTION AND FOUND THE DRIVER'S SIDE TO BE LEAKING. AGAIN HE ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE THE OEM GASKET WITH THE UPGRADED GASKET, BUT IN THE PROCESS BROKE A STUD OFF IN THE HEAD AND WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR WITHOUT EXCESS EXPENSE, NOW NOT UNDER WARRANTY, OF COURSE. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE OTHER SIDE WAS LEAKING AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR IT, BUT THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT LEAKING. IT'S OBVIOUS THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS THERE IS A DEFECT, SINCE THEY ISSUED AN UPGRADED GASKET. THESE VEHICLES WITH THE 4.7L V8 SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE PROPER GASKET INSTALLED. I HAVE READ ON VARIOUS FORUMS ONLINE THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE 4.7L V8 IN CHRYSLER PRODUCTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE AND WHEN TRYING TO USE THE TURN SIGNALS, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE INSTEAD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. THE LIGHTING IN BOTH IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS THE EXTERIOR FLASHES AND SOMETIMES GOES OUT COMPLETELY. MULTIPLE DEALERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. IT HAS CAUSED NEAR CRASHES BEFORE WITH THE DISTRACTION OF DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE CRUISE CONTROL ALSO ACCELERATES WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE THIS OCCURS AND THE CRUISE MUST BE RESET BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. THIS TOO HAS CAUSED SOME NEAR CRASHES AS THE CAR ACCELERATES DUE TO THE FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL. *TT

INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN DOOR. THE DEALER TELLS ME THE WHOLE DOOR PANEL HAS TO BE REPLACED. COST IS $700 JUST FOR THE PANEL. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO HAPPEN TO A LOT OF JEEP OWNERS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER STALLING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SPORADICALLY WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. UPDATED 02/0812 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, HE LOST THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 03/21/12

I HAD MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSED AND FOUND TO BE THE ESM SHIFTER, AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT CONNECTS THE GEAR SHIFTER TO THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS SAID TO ME THAT THIS HELPS REGULATE THAT THE TRANSMISSION STAYS IN THE CORRECT GEAR WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION STICKS IN A CERTAIN GEAR EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT THE CORRECT GEAR I AM DRIVING IN. I HAVE FOUND THAT I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER, PUT THE VEHICLE AND PARK SO THAT IT CLEARS BEFORE GOING BACK IN GEAR. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THAT PROCESS DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK, WHEN THAT HAS NOT WORKED, I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON FOR IT TO SHIFT PROPERLY. I ALSO HAD AN INCIDENT THAT WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL I WAS GOING UP A HILL SO THE CRUISE CONTROL KICKED IN TO GIVE THE EXTRA BOOST BUT IT DID NOT SHIFT BACK DOWN. I WAS QUICKLY ACCELERATING (ALMOST TO 90 IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS) AND BEING CLOSE TO REACHING 5RPMS I HAD TO TURN OFF CRUISE CONTROL AND SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL FOR IT TO STOP ACCELERATING. DUE TO THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED IT WAS NOT COVERED. I HAVE TALKED TO A FEW MECHANICS AND THEY ALL HAVE SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED MULTIPLE RECENTLY. WHEN TALKING TO JEEP HEADQUARTERS, THEY STATED THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED AS A DEFECTIVE ITEM. I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT NHTSA TO REPORT THIS IN HOPES THAT OTHER HAVE DONE SO SO THAT JEEP IS REQUIRED TO MAKE THIS A RECALL ITEM. FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD, IT HAS BEEN A FAIRLY COMMON ITEM THAT NEEDS REPLACING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE TRANSMISSION'S ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED WHEN THE PART BECAME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS FLICKER WHEN ON. THEY WILL USUALLY REMAIN ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES BEFORE THEY START TO FLICKER. AT THAT POINT THE HEADLIGHTS AND DASHLIGHTS WILL FLASH OFF AND ON RAPIDLY CAUSING ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE TO PANIC. THE FLICKER OCCURS EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AN THE LIGHT CONTROL SWITCH IS LEFT IN THE ON POSITION. I HAVE NOT NOTICED THE FLICKER OCCURRING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THE LIGHT CONTROL SWITCH IS IN THE OFF POSITION. THIS CONDITION COULD POTENTIALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS DEPENDING UPON THE TIMING OF THE OCCURRENCE. I HAVE CONDUCTED INTERNET RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC AND FOUND THAT MANY 2005-2008 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. EVEN MORE 2005 - 2008 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OWNERS HAVE HAD ELECTRONIC PROBLEMS IN GENERAL. MY PARTICULAR HEADLIGHT PROBLEM HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO AN ELECTRONICAL CONTROL MODULE WHICH WOULD COST CLOSE TO $1,000 TO REPAIR OR REPLACE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE FAULTY WORKMANSHIP OR THE USE OF A FAULTY PRODUCT BY JEEP. THE FAILURE OF AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODEL IS NOT THE RESULT OF WEAR AND TEAR. THEREFORE, I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD EITHER BE ADMITTED AND REPLACED BY JEEP OR MADE A SAFETY RECALL. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.