1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVE IN AN ACCIDENT. THE JEEP WAS HIT ON THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL. THE SHOULDER HARNESS OF THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE PASSENGER IN WHICH SHE WAS THROWN FORWARD HITTING HER HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD.*AK *JB *NM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK IN THE CRASH. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DID LOCK AND THE DRIVER HAD WITNESS MARKS AND BRUISING FROM THE BELT WEBBING. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS THROWN FORWARD AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT RESULTING IN AN INJURY TO THE BACK OF HER HEAD WHEN HITTING WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER HAS NECK SPASMS AND SUSTAINED BRUISING ON EXTREMITIES. THE VEHICLE IS TOTALED. THE AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY IN THE EVENT. THE SEAT WAS IN THE FULL REARWARD POSITION AND WAS SEATED NORMALLY. THE PASSENGER CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE NOT OUT OF POSITION. CW CONSUMER CALLED BACK STATING THAT THEY INSPECTED THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT BELT AS PER A REQUEST BY ODI. THE WEBBING WAS TUGGED NUMEROUS TIME BUT WOULD SELDOM LOCK UP AS A RESULT OF THE QUICK JERKS ON THE WEBBING. ALSO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER HIT HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT TO BREAK. CW

VEHICLE STEERING LOCKED UP ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY THE STEERING LOCKED UP WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CHECKED THE BELTS AND POWER STEERING FLUID, WHICH WERE ALRIGHT. THE DRIVER RESUMED DRIVING BUT WHEN HE MADE ANOTHER LEFT TURN THE STEERING LOCKED UP AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR BOX FAILED. THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT EXPIRED, THEREFORE THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE GEAR BOX HIMSELF. THE CONSUMER HAS THE ORIGINAL GEAR BOX IN HIS POSSESSION. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM DUE TO CHEST INJURIES. *AK

CONSUMER WAS HAVING AIR BAG PROBLEMS. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT CONTROL MODULE WAS BAD. SHE THEN CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS RECALL 00V10500 CONCERNING AIR BAGS; HOWEVER, NHTSA DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. *AK

THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED COMING ON IN MY 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE JEEP.THEY TOLD ME THAT THE AIRBAG MODULE HAS GONE BAD . HOW CAN THAT BE WHEN I NEVER HAD TO USE IT? TO GET THAT FIX IT COST $500. I BEGAN LOOKING UP ON THE INTERNET TO SEE THE COST OF IT.I LOOKED AT AUTOZONE WEBSITE TO SEE HOW MUCH THE PART COST UPON THAT I CAME ACROSS A RECALL FOR MY JEEP. IT'S FOR THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON/ACCIDENTAL DEPLOYMENT. I CALLED DAIMLERCHRYSLER AS STATED ON THE RECALL .THEY HAVE GIVEN ME THE RUN AROUND ABOUT THE RECALL. I HOPE SOMEONE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT LOOK INTO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THIS IS NOT VERY SAFE. I KNOW IM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT IN THIS TYPE OF JEEP. PLEASE HELP US BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT OR DIE. WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE AIRBAG TO REALLY WORK IT PROBABLY WANT. SO BEFORE IT HAPPEN PLEASE HELP EVERYBODY OUT WHO IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM THANK YOU LMORGAN. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING, THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. OWNER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

AIRBAG DASH INDICATOR LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED AFTER START. DEALER SERVICE THINKS THIS IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE AIRBAG SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE. THE COST TO REPLACE IS $600 BUT THEY CAN'T BE SURE IF IT IS NOT FIXED WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND FOUND REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK

1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, COMPLAINT #1 FILED IN MAY, 2003 FOR SAME DEFECTIVE FAILURE PART-POWER TRAIN: DRIVELINE: CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT. AUGUST 22, 2003 SAME BRAND NEW $700.00 DRIVE SHAFT CRACKED AND BROKE FOR SECOND TIME, 2 DAYS SHORT OF 3 MONTHS SAME (NEW) PART HAS BROKEN AGAIN. THIS JEEP WAS PURCHASED ON 5/7/03 AND HAS NOW BECOME A SERIOUS MATTER. A BRAND NEW DRIVE SHAFT INSTALLED NOT EVEN 3 MONTHS OLD HAD GONE OUT AGAIN. WE HAVE OWNED THIS JEEP SINCE 5/7/03 AND HAVE REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS, FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE ROTOR, 2 OIL CHANGES, SPARK PLUGS, LUBE, REAR & FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FLUID AND CHANGED OIL IN THE TRANSER CASE, ON TOP OF ORDERING A BRAND NEW DRIVE SHAFT THAT BROKE THE FIRST TIME 2 WEEKS AFTER DRIVING IT OFF THE USED CAR LOT. NOW, 8/22/03 THE NEW DRIVE SHAFT HAS BROKEN AGAIN, PROBLEMS WITH THE CV BOOT. THE JEEP HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN OFF ROAD. IT IS DRIVEN TO AND FROM WORK, APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MILES PER WEEK. LESS THAN 3,000 MILES SINCE THE NEW DRIVE SHAFT WAS INSTALLED, IT HAS BROKEN ONCE AGAIN. APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON, YET THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO RECALL THE DEFECT. IT IS NOT IN OUR INTEREST OR FINANCIAL STABILITY TO KEEP THIS AUTOMOBILE, YET WE HATE TO SEE THE NEXT BUYER TO ENDURE SUCH HARDSHIP AND COSTS OBTAINED WITH THE OWNERSHIP OF IT EITHER. WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TRADE IT IN ONCE THE PART IS REPLACED A SECOND TIME, THIS HAS BEEN A NUISANCE AND A VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN REGARDING OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE. IT'S A CRIME THAT A DEALER CAN SELL SUCH AN ITEM TO UNKNOWING CONSUMERS. WE'VE LEARNED THAT IT IS BEST TO BUY NEW AND IT A DEAL SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE. IN THIS FACT, IT TRULY WAS.

I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THE VISCOUS COUPLER IN MY 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE NEEDS REPLACING. THIS PART WHEN DEFECTIVE DOES NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MAKE SAFE TURNS. THE TURNING RADIUS AT SLOWER SPEEDS IS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES WHILE TRYING TO MANUVER THE VEHICLE THAT SUDDENLY DRIVES AS IF IT WE IN 4WD LOW GEAR. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FROM OTHERS WHO OWN JEEPS AND POSTINGS ON THE WEB. I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE TIGHT TURNING RADIUS FOR QUITE A WHILE BUT WAS NOT AWARE ANYTHING WAS WRONG. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR TUNE UPS AND OIL CHANGES AND NOTHING HAS BEEN MENTIONED TO ME UNTIL JUST NOW.