1999 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

I HAD A PULSATION/ROUGHNESS WHEN BRAKING. THE FRONT ROTORS WERE FOUND TO HAVE TWO TO FOUR 1/2 TO 1 INCH CRACKS COMING FROM THE CENTER HUB HOLES. IF THESE CRACKS WENT UNDETECTED, IT WOULD OF CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP AND DAIMLERCHRYSLER ARE STATING THE REASON WHY I'M HAVING THE PROBLEMS IS BECAUSE OF MY FIRST BRAKE JOB, DONE ONLY ABOUT 10,000 MILES AGO. THEY SAID THAT NON-MOPAR PADS (WAGNER) WERE USED. MY MECHANIC CHECKED THE PADS, WHICH ARE STILL LIKE NEW, AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE HAD 5 CHEROKEES TO DATE AND MY MECHANIC HAS ALWAYS USED WAGNER AND HAS HAD NO PROBLEMS. IN DOING RESEARCH ON 1999 JGC ROTORS, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON THESE ROTORS. EVEN IN PASS YEARS THEY HAVE HAD RECALLS FOR ROTORS ON JGC. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR ROTORS ON 96-98 JGC, VEHICLES MADE 7/95-10/98. MY 1999 JGC WAS MANUFACTURED IN 11/98, WHICH IS ONLY ONE MONTH DIFFERENT FROM THE RECALL. COUID THESE BE THE SAME ROTORS? IT HAS BEEN EVEN NOTED ON TSB WITH 1999 JEEPS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN BRAKE/ROTOR PROBLEMS. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE ROTORS BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE AND THE MANY NOTED COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. I THINK THEY ARE USING INFERIOR METAL FOR THESE ROTORS. *AK

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED AT 11,000 26,000 33,000 AND 42,000. EACH OF THE FIRST THREE TIMES THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED ONLY TO FAIL AGAIN.THE LAST TIME THE ROTORS WERE CUT AND I HAVE LESS THAN 1,000 ON THE CUT ROTORS THUS FAR.EACH TIME THE DEALER AND MFG. REP BLAME IT ON DRIVING HABITS. IN DISCUSSING WITH OTHER JEEP OWNERS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND ALSO SVERAL SERVICE STATIONS IN THE AREA ARE SEEING THIS PROBLEM IN MANY JEEPS.4 ROTOR FAILURES IN 40,000 IS REDICULOUS AND AN EXPLANATION SUCH AS DRIVING HABITS IS AN INSULT TO ONES INTELEGENCE...THIS MAY BE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH JEEP OWNERS SINCE JEEP HAS PUT OUT TWO TECH SERVICE BULLITENS ON DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE VEHICLE HAS NOW HAD FOUR (4) REAR RING GEAR AND PINIONS, FOUR(4) SETS OF REAR BEARINGS, ONE REAR YOKE, TWO (2) SETS OF FRONT RING GEAR AND PINIONS, TWO(2) SETS OF BEARINGS, ONE FRONT YOKE, ONE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT REPLACED SINCE IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY. IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE OR DRIVEN OFF ROAD. IT HAS HAD ONE TIRE REPLACED DUE TO VIBRATION THAT WOULD NOT BALANCE (R.FRONT), THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED TWO (2) TIMES AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE IF THE VEHICLE SITS FOR 3 DAYS OR LONGER (HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED). THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT DOING ALL REPAIRS (CAN NOT DUPLICATE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM). WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE RING GEAR AND PINIONS AND ALL BEARINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND THE POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE REGARDING A POSSIBLE AXLE COMMING OUT WHILE DRIVING. ALSO NOT SURE IF THIS QUALIFIES FOR A "LEMON LAW".*AK

I CONTACTED NHTSA LAST WEEK. UPDATE: I RECEIVED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLITIN #05-01-00 REV A DATED 14 APRIL 00. UNDER DISCUSSION THE BULLITIN STATES, " A NEW BRAKE PAD REPAIR KIT HAS BEEN RELEASED WHICH CONTAINS AN ADHESIVE BACKING. THIS WILL PROVIDE FOR A MORE POSITIVE RELEASE OF THE BRAKE PAD WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. THIS, IN TURN WILL MOVE THE PAD AWAY FROM THE ROTOR, RESULTING IN LESS FRICTION AND WEAR, WHICH RESULTED FROM THE PAD RESTING ON THE ROTOR WHEN BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED." THE BULLITIN GOES INTO THE REPAIR AND THEN GOES INTO THE POLICY. THE POLICY IS "REIMBURSABLE WITHIN THE PROVISIONS OF THE WARRANTY" REMEMBER, I HAD THE BRAKES AND ROTORS CHANGED IN JAN 2000. NINE MONTHS LATER I NEED TO REPAIR THEM AGAIN BUT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. READING THIS BULLETIN MAKES IT OBVIOUS THAT CHRYSELOR KNOWS THAT THEY ARE AT FAULT BUT ARE PLACING THE COST TO THE CUSTOMER. TOTALLY UNFAIR! THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU READ THE BULLETIN IT STATES THAT THE JEEP WILL VIBRATE AT THE STEERING WHEEL AND SEAT. THIS COULD CAUSE A PERSON TO PANIC AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. PLEASE PUT ME ON THE LIST OF COMLAINERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND LET ME KNOW WHAT CHRYSLERS POSITION IS WITH THIS PROBLEM. CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT TO GIVE ME ANY EXPLANATION EXCEPT "SORRY IF YOU FEEL THIS WAY". THANK YOU! SFC DUDZIK. *AK

THE DAY I TOOK DELIVERY OF VEHICLE I TOLD LITHIA JEEP THE BRAKES WERE SQUEELING & FELT AS IF THEY WERE DRAGGING AT SLOW SPEEDS. THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL DURING THE BREAK-IN PERIOD. THESE PROBLEMS DID NOT GET ANY BETTER SO AT EACH SERVICE (3,000 MILES) I ASKED THE SERVICE DEPT TO CHECK THE BRAKES FOR PROBLEMS & EACH TIME THEY SAID THE BRAKES WERE WITHIN SPECS SO THEY MADE NO REPAIRS. NOW SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK THE ABS & BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON. I HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE IN SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE SERVICE DEPT CAN'T FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS SO THIS BRAKE PROBLEM REMAINS UNCORRECTED AS OF TODAY. I AM VERY UNEASY BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE IS A BRAKE PROBLEM OR NOT SO I DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY MORE THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, AND WHEN I DO I DRIVE WITH ONE HAND ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER AT ALL TIMES.

I AM ON MY 3RD SET OF BRAKE ROTORS. I AM ANTICIPATING ANOTHER FAILURE WITH THIS SAME PART.

WHILE DRIVING COULD STEP ON BRAKE PEDAL AND BRAKES WILL START VIBRATING WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALSO, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. WHERE A TECHNICIAN AT DEALER SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY PADS THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED ON THIS MODEL. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AND UPON DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A GRADUAL STOP, CONSUMER NOTICE VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING POOR VEHICLE CONTROL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER NOTICED BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED REPLACING. *AK

WHEN STOPPING AT RED LIGHT AND IDLE WAS AT A NORMAL RATE VHEICLE WOULD STALL. DEALER HAD VEHICLE 4-5 TIMES, BUT CAUSE WAS STILL UNKNOWN. ALSO WHEN BRAKING AND COMING TO STOP, STEERING WOULD START TO PULSATE. DEALER HAS REWINDED DRUMS, BUT DEFECT KEPT OCCURRING AND CAUSE WAS UNKNOWN.*AK

ROTORS NEED REPLACED AGAIN. THEY SAY ITS MY DRIVING HABITS. ROTORS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT 12,000 MILE INCRIMENTS AT OWNERS EXPENSE. THERE HAS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT. I HAVE OWNED OTHER CARS AND NEVER REPLACED MY ROTORS. THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED IN JANUARY 2000 AT 12,500 MILE. THE DEALERSHIP IN MICHIGAN REPLACED AT NO COST TO ME. NOW THAT I AM IN OKLAHOMA, IT IS DOING THE SAME THING AND EDDIE CORDES DEALERSHIP SAID I AM THE CAUSE FOR THE NEED OF REPLACEMENT. I DO NOT THINK ROTORS SHOULD NEED REPLACEMENT IN ONLY NINE MONTHS FROM PREVIOUSE REPLACEMENT. CHRYSLER CORPORATION TOLD ME TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT AGAIN BUT MOST LIKLEY I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM BECAUSE BRAKE AND ROTOR WARRANTIES ARE ONLY GOOD FOR 12,000 MILE OR 1 YEAR FROM PURCHASE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE!