2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

IN FEBRUARY 2004 I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AT SPEED MOTORS (AUTHORIZED JEEP DEALER) IN BROOKLYN NEW YORK. AT 7000 MILES THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE BREAKS BECAUSE THE DISKS HAD WARPED. WHEN I OPERATED THE JEEP AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND APPLIED THE BREAKS THE FRONT END WOULD VIOLENTLY SHAKE. AT ABOUT 14,000 MILES I RETURNED THE JEEP TO THE SAME DEALER WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE FRONT END. HE AGAIN REPLACED THE BRAKES IN THE FRONT. I HAVE SINCE TAKEN THE JEEP BACK TO SPEED MOTORS AT LEAST FIVE TIMES WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT SPEED MOTORS LOST IT'S BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH JEEP/CHRYSLER AND CAN NO LONGER SERVICE MY JEEP. I AGAIN ENCOUNTER THE VIOLENT SHAKING WITH THE FRONT END AND TOOK THE CAR TO BAYRIDGE JEEP IN BROOKLYN NEW YORK. I DROPPED THE JEEP OFF AND LATER THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLS ME AT HOME TO EXPLAIN THAT THE FRONT AND REAR BREAKS AND DISKS MUST BE REPLACED. THE SERVICES MANAGER THAN EXPLAINS TO ME THAT THIS WILL COST AROUND $875.00. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. HE EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS AT AN AUTHORIZED JEEP DEALER TO AVOID ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE WARRANTY AND TO MAKE A RECORD OF THE BREAK PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I CALL THE CUSTOMER SERVICES TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR CHRYSLER AND SPOKE TO A FEMALE OPERATOR WHO THAN PAST ME ON TO HER MALE SUPERVISOR. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE MALE OPERATOR ABOUT HOW AND WHY AN AUTHORIZED JEEP DEALER COULD PUT A NEW YORK STATE INSPECTION STRIKER ON MY CAR WITH A CLEAR MIND KNOWING THAT THERE ARE MAJOR BREAK PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE HE BLEW ME OFF AGAIN. I WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS SAYING THAT THERE ARE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. THE DATE BELOW OF 1-23 -06 IS THE DATE I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BAYRIDGE JEEP. THE DATE OF INCIDENT IS THE PERIOD FROM TIME OF PURCHASE TO 1-23-06. I FULLY EXPECT THIS CURRENT BREAK REPLACEMENT TO ONLY LAST A FEW THOUSAND MILES. *NM

THE STEERING ON 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE BECOMES HARD AT TIMES WHEN I AM DRIVING OR ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A PARKING SPACE. YOUR WEB SITE LISTS THIS PROBLEM AS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM CHRYSLER JEEP ,SO I CALLED 1-24-06 AND WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER THAT THE RECALLS WERE VIN NUMBER SPECIFIC AND MY JEEP WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. CHRYSLER IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION AT THIS TIME TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE FOR ME. *AK

HAD A SQUEAKY POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE RIGHT FROM THE FIRST DAY OF PURCHASE. JEEP REFUSED TO CORRECT THE SQUEAK, SAYING THAT THIS WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS MODEL.*AK

(1) SEVERE BRAKE PEDAL PULSATION AND ASSOCIATED SHAKING AND SEVERE VIBRATION TO STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN. (2) PREMATURE WARPING OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ANNUALLY - TWICE IN 30K MILES SINCE NEW. (3) ORIGINAL ROTORS MACHINED IN PLACE @ 16K MILES; ROTORS AND PADS REPLACED @ 30K MILES. REQUESTED DEALER MEASURE NEW ROTORS WITH MICROMETER TO ENSURE INITIAL VARIATION IN THICKNESS WITHIN DAIMLER CHRYSLER SPECS. RUN OUT MEASUREMENTS ALSO REQUESTED, MADE AND RECORDED PRIOR TO AND AFTER INSTALLATION. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED AT A STOP THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE PARKING BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AFTER THIS WAS DONE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT IN USE WHEN THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK UPDATED 01/25/06. *JB

I AM REPORTING THE SECOND INSTANCE OF FRONT BRAKE ROTOR WARPING ON MY 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WHICH HAS ~27,000 MILES. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS AT ABOUT 15,000 MILES. ON BRAKING AT SPEEDS OF >35 MPH (EVEN NORMAL BRAKING - NOT EMERGENCY BRAKING), THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE FRONT END SHIMMY AND CHATTER THAT SEEMS DANGEROUS. IT SEEMED VERY UNUSUAL THAT THE FRONT ROTORS HAD WARPED AT 15,000 MILES, BUT THE DEALER SAID THAT BRAKES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE JEEP WARRANTY SO WE PAID FOR TURNING THEM. NOW THE FRONT ROTORS ARE WARPED AGAIN AND WILL REQUIRE SERVICE. THE DEALER AGAIN SAYS THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY SO I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR TURNING THEM AGAIN OR REPLACING THEM. WE DO NOT PULL ANYTHING WITH THE VEHICLE AND RARELY USE THE BRAKES FOR ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE STOPPING, SO THE ROTORS SHOULD NOT WARP SO FREQUENTLY. CLEARLY THERE ARE DESIGN PROBLEMS WITH THIS THAT COULD CREATE AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHEN BRAKING IF I WERE NOT TO HAVE THE ROTORS FIXED SO FREQUENTLY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE STEERING WHEEL WERE NOT GRIPPED TIGHTLY DURING BRAKING THE VEHICLE COULD EASILY GO OUT OF CONTROL. *JB

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (AROUND 60 MPH) WHEN APPLYING BRAKES STEERING WHEEL SHAKES (VIBRATES), REPLACED FRONT ROTORS, FRONT PADS, CONTACT DEALER, ALL THAT STARTING AT 15,000 MILES ON A NEW CAR. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS PULSATING. THERE WAS 15,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND CUT THE ROTORS. AT 20,600 MILES THE PULSATION RETURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL DID NOT WORK THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FUSE MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT IT FAILED IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE IDLE CONTROL MOTOR, BUT VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED SHE CONTINUED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED. WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND NEEDED TO MAKE A PANIC STOP THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN CORRECTED TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON MAY 7, 2004 AT 9,175 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THEY RESURFACED THE ROTORS. THE SECOND TIME WAS ON 3-15-05 AT 17,664 MILES WHEN THEY REPLACED THE ROTORS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE THEY WILL NOT STAND BEHIND IT. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE CORRECTED THE VEHICLE TWICE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE. IF THE BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED AGAIN IT WILL BE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 24,700 MILES ON IT. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WITHIN 5000 MILES OF EACH FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE 2003 MODELS AND THE MANUFACTURER CORRECTED THEM. *AK