2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

I HAVE A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WHICH HAD AN EXCESSIVE PULL TO THE RIGHT. I TOOK IT TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP TO HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT AN ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE DONE AS PER TECH. BULLETIN #02-006-04. THAT SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE A DRIFT TO THE RIGHT AND CAN ONLY BE CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE MANUFACTURES FRONT UPPER BALL JOINTS WITH OFF-SET BALL JOINTS. I WAS ALSO TOLD SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT, IT WOULD COST ME APPROX. $1200.00 TO REPLACE THEIR MISTAKE. IF THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT, IT TO ME IS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH SHOULD BE A RECALL. *JJB

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I LOST HEAT ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE IN MY 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED 4X4 SPORT UTILITY 4DR. I HAD BEEN TRYING TO SAVE UP SOME MONEY TO GO HAVE THIS FIXED,AND HAD BEEN SEARCHING ALL OVER THE INTERNET LOOKING ON JEEP' WEBSITES EVEN, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY JEEP. THEN ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2006, THE DRIVER SIDE HEAT QUIT WORKING DURING A SNOW STORM. I LEFT WORK ABOUT 5:00 PM AND IT WAS SNOWING AND STARTING TO FREEZE. THE WINDOWS WERENT GETTING FOGGY OR ANYTHING THEY WHERE JUST ICING UP IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD ONLY SEE OUT OF A LITTLE SPOT RIGHT WHERE THE FAN BLEW ON THE WINDOW. I WENT 35 MPH ON A 65 MPH SPEED ZONE BECAUSE ONCOMING TRAFFIC WOULD TEMPORARILY BLIND ME. I DON'T LIVE IN FLORIDA, I LIVE IN MONTANA. WHAT ARE PEOPLE AROUND HERE SUPPOSE TO DO WHEN THIS HAPPENS TO THEM. STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SCRAPE THE ICE OF THEIR WINDOWS, AS ANOTHER VEHICLE PLOWS OVER THEM, DUE TO THE ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. IN MONTANA WE HAVE LONG COMMUTES, SOME PEOPLE DRIVE FROM RED LODGE ALL THE WAY TO BILLINGS. IT TAKES AN HOUR AND TO 2 HOURS DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER. WE DON'T HAVE TAXIS. THIS PROBLEM CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. THIS MAY NOT BE A PROBLEM TO PEOPLE IN A WARMER CLIMATE, BUT IT IS TO PEOPLE UP NORTH. A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN 1999-2004 MODEL GRAND CHEROKEES HAS BEEN WEAK BLEND AND RECIRCULATION DOORS IN THE HVAC SYSTEMS. IN JANUARY OF 2004 JEEP ISSUED AN INFORMATIONAL TSB (#24-001-04) WHICH INTRODUCED NEWLY DESIGNED SUB ASSEMBLIES. WWW.WJJEEPS.COM I HAVE FOUND THE ITEMS, THE REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS AND THE TSB # ON THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.WJJEEPS.COM/HVAC_SUB_ASSEMBLY.HTM AND THERE IS STILL NO RECALL ON IT. THIS IS A THREATENING PROBLEM TO JEEPS CONSUMERS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES IN COLDER CLIMATES. I CAN'T AFFORD JEEPS MISTAKES, WHETHER IT'S FINANCIALLY FOR PHYSICAL. *NM

I AM CONTACTING THE NHTSA DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE HVAC SYSTEM OF OF 1999 - 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IS THE EXACT SAME ONE THAT COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION. WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM DUE TO THE WEAK BLEND AND RECIRCULATION DOORS IN THE HVAC SYSTEMS. THE DOORS ARE TURNED BY A MOTOR ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR AT THE END OF A HINGE SHAFT. THE MOTOR STOPS TURNING WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH PHYSICAL RESISTANCE FROM THE DOOR STOPPING AGAINST ITS HOUSING. THIS PUTS STRESS ON THE SHAFT/DOOR JUNCTION AND OVER TIME STRIPS THE SHAFT SO THAT IT SPINS ALMOST INDEPENDENTLY OF THE DOOR. TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, DAIMLER-CHRYSLER RELEASED TSB 2400104 - NEW HVAC SUB-ASSEMBLY REPLACES BLEND OR RECIRC DOOR COMPONENTS. THESE NEW PARTS COST LESS THAN $200 ACCORDING TO THE BULLETIN, BUT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT DAIMLER-CHRYSLER EXPECTS THEIR CUSTOMERS TO PICK UP THE TAB ON A DESIGN FLAW. ESPECIALLY A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS SO LABOR INTENSIVE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE PARTS ARE LESS THAN $200, THE FINAL BILL WILL BE IN THE $1,000 AREA. BECAUSE IT IS NO RECALL FOR THIS, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS FALLS TO THE CONSUMER, DESPITE THIS BEING A VERY OBVIOUS CASE OF BAD DESIGN. THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS FAILURE OTHER THAN DAIMLER CHRYSLER SELLING A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT TO THE PUBLIC. A DEFECT THAT EFFECTS A VERY BASIC NECESSITY - HEAT. THIS FAILURE RESULTS IN NOT ONLY AN UNACCEPTABLE COMFORT FACTOR, BUT ALSO EFFECTS VISIBILITY WHEN HOT AIR NEEDS TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD THE FRONT WIND SHIELD TO ELIMINATE FOGGING. AS OF THIS TIME, I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE TO THIS ISSUE BEFORE I CONSIDER SPENDING OVER $1,000 ON A DESIGN FLAW. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON THREE OCCASIONS, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR A SHORT DISTANCE THEN TURNED OFF, AND THEN TURNED ON 15 MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY AFTER BEING PUT INTO DRIVE. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE COMPUTER FOUND NO CODES AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. UPDATED 12/12/2006 - THE JEEP IS PRESENTLY PARKED IN THE CONSUMER'S GARAGED BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR CONDITIONING FAN FAILED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE AIR CONDITIONING FAN.

2002 GRAND CHEROKEE LOST HEAT ON BOTH ZONES OF THE DUAL CLIMATE CONTROL. *TS THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD FIX THE SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. *NM

ON 10-30-06 THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW OF MY 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE FAILED. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A REGULATOR AND THE COST WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $550.00. THE JEEP HAS 33,000 MILE ON IT AND HAS A 7 YEAR 70,000 MILE WARRANTY, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I HAD IT REPLACED AT SUPERIOR WINDOW GLASS, THE PART AND LABOR COSTS WERE $343.00. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORPORATION. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ALL THE TIRES WERE LOSING AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE RIMS WERE CUTTING INTO THE BEAD OF THE TIRES AND CAUSING THE TIRES TO LOSE AIR. THE RIMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

2002 GRAND CHEROKEE OVERHEATED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO MECHANIC. FAN BLADE SEPARATED FROM THE FAN, WHICH PUT A HOLE IN THE RADIATOR. *TS THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON AUGUST 24, 2006. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE FAILURE STEMS FROM A RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED ON AUGUST 30, 2006 BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER. THE DEALER THAT SERVICED THE VEHICLE INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE THE FAILURE OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE RECALL BEING RECEIVED. AFTER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FAN RELAY SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE THERMOSTAT. WHILE REPAIRING THAT PROBLEM THE TECHNICIAN FOUND OUT THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE DEALER DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO REPLACE IT. THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION CABLE BROKE WHILE THE DEALER WAS TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL REPAIRS. *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR ELECTRIC RADIATOR FAN ON 2002 GRAND CHEROKEE. *TS THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN 65 MPH. THE FAN BROKE IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RADIATOR WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. *NM