1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TS ***NO ANS REQUIRED*** THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A BIG RIG. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS. *NM

1997 CHRYSLER GRAND CHEROKEE REAR OF VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONCLUDED, THE FIRE WAS STARTED BY AN OVERHEATED WHEEL BEARING. *JB

I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE FROM LANSDALE CHRYSLER JEEP IN OCTOBER OF 2002. WITHIN 1 WEEK, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE ABS UNIT HAD FAILED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $1,000 DOLLARS. I SUBMITTED A HAND WRITTEN COMPLAINT TO THEM THAT THE CAR WAS "CERTIFIED" AND NOTHING SHOULD FAIL WITHIN A WEEK. THE ABS WAS REPLACED WITHOUT CHARGE TO ME. THREE YEARS LATER THE ABS UNIT HAS FAILED AGAIN! ESTIMATE CHARGE FOR REPAIR IS $1,200 DOLLARS. MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FROM 1993-1998 GRAND CHEROKEE'S. THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: AUTOS.MSN.COM CITES THIS AS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE ABS UNIT TO FAIL. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE ABS UNIT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. HOW DOES A $1,000 PART FAIL TWICE?!? *JB

1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 97V194000) RECALL FOR FUEL SENDING UNIT. DEALER TELLS ME THAT THE UNIT WAS REPLACED IN 2002, YET TODAY THE REPLACED PART IS FAILING JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL AND THE DEALER EXPECTS ME TO PAY FOR IT EVEN THOUGH THIS PART WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FIX FOR THE ORIGINAL RECALL..*JB

MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR AND BEGAN TO BACK OUT OF HER PARKING SPACE. SHE SUDDENLY FOUND THAT SHE COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD STARTED TO GO ON. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SHE MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED. WHEN I CHECKED, I FOUND THAT THE CAST ALUMINUM BRACKET HOLDING THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD BROKEN IN 3 PLACES, ALLOWING THE SERPENTINE BELT TO FALL OFF. EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURES SHOWED THAT ONE WAS MUCH OLDER THAN THE OTHERS, SUGGESTING THAT THE BRACKET HAD BROKEN IN ONE PLACE MUCH EARLIER AND THAT THE FIRST BREAK HAD INCREASED THE STRAIN ON OTHER PARTS OF THE BRACKET, RESULTING IN THE EVENTUAL TOTAL FAILURE. WHEN I REPLACED THE BRACKET, I NOTED THAT MANUFACTURER HAD INCREASED THE THICKNESS OF THE REINFORCING RIBS IN THE CASTING AND ADDED A NEW RIB IN THE AREA WHERE THE OLDER FRACTURE HAD OCCURRED. THE DEALER PARTS CLERK ALSO ANTICIPATED WHICH ENGINE OPTION I HAD IN THE VEHICLE WHEN I TOLD HIM THE MODEL AND THE PART I NEEDED, AND INDICATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD AROUND 30 PIECES OF THE REPLACEMENT PART IN STOCK. SINCE THE MANUFACTURER CLEARLY KNOWS THAT THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE AND SINCE THE FAILURE OF THE PART HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT, THIS REALLY SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MAJOR CRASHES HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS FAILURE WITHOUT BEING ATTRIBUTED TO IT SINCE A FRONTAL IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO BE LIKELY TO BREAK THIS BRACKET, OBSCURING THE FACT THAT THE BRACKET BROKE PRIOR TO IMPACT. OTHER MODEL YEARS WITH THIS ENGINE AND OTHER ENGINE OPTIONS IN THIS MODEL YEAR HAVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP BOLTED DIRECTLY TO THE ENGINE BLOCK (NO BRACKET REQUIRED). THE PURPOSE OF THIS BRACKET APPEARS TO BE TO ALLOW THE USE OF THE SAME POWER STEERING PUMP ON TWO DIFFERENT ENGINE OPTIONS (REDUCING COST). *JB

CONSUMER NOTICED A CHIRPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT WHEELS THAT DISAPPEARED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. *TS THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THE CONSUMER WAS REFERRING TO. THE CONSUMER HAD A LIST OF PROBLEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED ON THE VEHICLE AND THEY WERE: ROTORS AND PADS FRONT AND REAR, EMERGENCY BRAKE SHOES, WIPER BLADES, MUFFLER AND TAIL PIPE, OIL DIP DIP STICK, RIGHT AXLE BOOT,EMERGENCY BRAKE PIVOT, THE BACK GLASS NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED, THE FUEL PUMP MODULE WAS REPLACED, THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY CUSTOMER SERVICE THERE WERE 2 OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM SHE WAS DESCRIBING SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WAS RELATED TO ONE OF THE RECALLS. *JB

DT: THE FUEL GAUGE'S READING WAS INACCURATE. RECAL 97V194000L WAS ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM. . WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD HIM THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM ON SEPTEMBER 3,2005. THE INACCURACY OF THE FUEL GAUGE CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO RUN OUT OF FUEL. *AK *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT TWICE THE DRIVER'S DOOR HAD TO BE PUT BACK ON. IT HAD A DEFECT IN THE BODY FRAME. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN 4-04, THE SECOND TIME IT WAS IN 4-05. CURRENTLY, ABS BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. A MONTH AGO, ALL OF THE PADS ON FRONT AND REAR WERE REPLACED. THREE DAYS AGO, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE A SERVICE DEALER, AND THEY TOLD HIM THE CONTROL UNIT MODULE AND THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2,300.00. *AK

FAILURE OF DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LATCH, THE FASTENERS HAVE RIPPED THROUGH THE METAL OF THE DOOR CAUSING AN UNEXPECTED DOOR OPENING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS...THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM FOR GRAND CHEROKEE'S, THERE ARE VERY FEW DRIVER'S DOOR THAT HAVE NOT FAILED...MY OPTIONS FOR REPAIR OF A POORLY DESIGNED COMPONENT ARE QUITE FEW AND NO ONE IS SHARING ANY INFORMATION...WITHOUT METAL TO SECURE THE LATCH TO THE DOOR I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO USE A BUNGIE CORD (NOT OSHA RATED...AT ALL) UNTIL THE DOOR CAN BE WELDED SHUT...THEN I HAVE A THREE DOOR TRUCK WITHOUT A WAY TO EASILY EXIT THE VEHICLE... THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER.

FUEL GAUGE READS AS FULL WHEN EMPTY. THIS WAS ALREADY INVOLVED IN A RECALL OF MY MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE, BUT APPARENTLY NOT OF MY VIN NUMBER. I'D LIKE TO GET THE RECALL EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM. *JB