1995 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

UNCONTROLLABLE VIBRATION WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHES 65 MPH AND RUNS OVER A SLIGHT BUMP. VEHICLE TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING APPEARED TO BE WRONG. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK

I WAS DRIVING MY JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 3 WEEKS AGO, AT ABOUT 65 MPH, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO CRASH. I SLOWED DOWN USING THE BRAKE, AND IT CONTINUE TO SHAKE TREMENDOUSLY UNTIL I HAD SLOWED TO APPRX. 30 MPH. THIS HAPPENED ON INTERSTATE I-75, WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC. HAD THERE BEEN MAJOR TRAFFIC, I WOULD HAVE HAD A HARD TIME NOT WREAKING INTO SOMEONE, BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO SHAKE BACK AND FORTH, RATHER THAN UP AND DOWN. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD BLOWN A TIRE. UPON INSPECTION, NO APPARENT TIRE PROBLEMS. I WAS ROUGHLY 100 MILES FROM HOME AT THE TIME, SO I CONTINUED ON. THE VERY SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, HOWEVER, I WAS BETTER PREPARED FOR IT, AND ALTHOUGH I AM NOT QUITE SURE, IT SEEM TO BE THAT MY HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD CAUSED IT TO BEGIN THE VIOLENT SHAKING FROM SIDE-TO-SIDE. I PROCEDED AT A MUCH SLOWER PACE, AND DID NOT HAVE A REOCCURRANCE THAT DAY. THE NEXT DAY, MY MECHANIC LOOKED IT OVER, AND COULD NOT FIND ANY APPARENT PROBLEM, AND SAID IT APPEARED TO BE "PRETTY SOLID". HE SAID THAT IT WOULD LIKELY TAKE A MUCH MORE THOROUGH DIS-ASSEMBLY TO FIND THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT A CHRYSLER DEALER MECHANIC, BUT A CERTIFIED INDEPENDANT, I TRUST HIM IN HIS JUDGEMENT. I WAS DRIVING YESTERDAY, MAY 27, AND AGAIN IT HAPPENED. AT 65 MPH, I HIT A BUMP (NOT A MAJOR BUMP, BUT A ROUTINE BUMP ON INTERSTATE), AND IT BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY SIDE-TO-SIDE. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO AROUND 55 MPH IN ORDER FOR IT NOT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. WHAT AM I TO DO? I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANOTHER JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, AND THAT IT COULD BE RELATED TO A ROTOR RECALL?. *AK

HAD RECALL REPAIRS DONE ON FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS. HOWEVER, REAR ROTORS ARE RUSTING & DISINTERGRATING. ALSO, BRAKE DRUMS DISINTEGRATE WHEN TOUCHED OR WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *AK

FRONT DRIVESHAFT BROKE IN HALF WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS THE 4TH DRIVESHAFT THAT DEALER PUT IN VEHICLE. *AK

WE HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT. WE PULLED OVER & CHANGED THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE WITH (UNUSED FACTORY SUPPLIED SPARE). TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE TO FACTORY SPEC. THEN DROVE A TOTAL OF APROXIMATELY 25-28 MILES. OWNERS MANUAL SAID DRIVE 50 MILES AN HOUR AND LESS THAN 50 MILES DISTANCE. APPROX 10 MILES FROM THE FLAT, THERE WAS A STRANGE SMELL AND THE JEEP STARTED SURGING. WE PULLED OVER AT ABOUT TEN AND TWENTY MILE DISTANCES TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING WASN'T LEAKING OR RUBBING UNDER THE VEHICLE. FINDING NOTHING WE PROCEDED TO DRIVE HOME. WHEN WE GOT HOME THERE WAS A OIL/GREASE LOOKING MATERIAL RUNNING OUT FROM THE FRONT DRIVERSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP THE NEXT DAY. THE SHOP OWNER SAID THE TRANSFER CASE HAD OVERHEATED AND BLOWN THE GREASE OUT INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE THEN CALLED THE NEAREST JEEP DEALER APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES. THEIR SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT SOME OF THE JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES HAD BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE THE SPARE TIRE WAS NOT TO BE USED. I CALLED THE JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER 7077341, AND TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TOW THE JEEP TO THE DEALER ON A FLAT BED (TO NOT FURTHER DAMAGE THE VEHICLE) FOR THEM TO INSPECT IT BEFORE THEY WOULD DECIDE TO PAY ANYTHING ON IT. AFTER I DELIVERED IT TO THE RADCLIFF DEALER ON A FLAT TRAILER THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT IT WAS DAMAGED AND THAT THE WOULD SUBMIT THE CLAIM TO CHRYSLER. WE WERE TOLD ON THE 28TH BY THE JEEP DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER THAT JEEP WOULD NOT PAY ANYTHING BECAUSE WE WERE THE THIRD OWNER. THE VEHICLE HAD NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE BEFORE AND WERE HAPPY WITH IT. NO WHERE IN THE OWNERS MANUAL DID IT STATE THAT YOU WILL DAMAGE YOUR VEHICLE IF YOU USE THE SPARE TIRE SUPPLIED BY THE FACTORY. WE DON'T SEE HOW WE COULD BE AT FAULT FOR USING THE EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY JEEP IN THE MANNER TOLD. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS WELL KNOWN BY JEEP, BUT THEY WILL NOT GIVE ANY HELP ON THE REPAIRS. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING HEARD VEHICLE MAKING NOISE. DEALER STATED THAT EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

DOOR WIRES WHICH OPERATE DOORS/WINDOWS HAD A SHORT CIRCUIT AND BECAME INOPERATIVE. TOOK VEHICLE TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS AND EACH SAID A DIFFERENT PART NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. *AK *ML

VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD WHEN STARTED OR AT A LIGHT BEFORE TAKING OFF. ALSO, TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING. CONSUMER WILL ALLOW DEALER TO LOOK AT VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE WILL LURCH FORWARD WHEN STOPPING AND TRANSMISSION IS IN DRIVE. A/C WONT HOLD CHARGE. *AK

THE REAR END/DIFFERENTIAL OF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING. REVIEW BY DEALERSHIP WHERE TOWED TO SO FAR INDICATES NO APPARENT PARTS FAILURE IN THE REAR END, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE SOMETHING WRONG IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND/OR TRANSFER CASE, AND BECASUE FULL-TIME 4WD, MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED. REGARDLESS, DEALERSHIP IN FAIRFAX, VA, WHERE BOUGHT, DID NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM WHEN TAKEN FOR SERVICE TWICE IN PROCEEDING TWO-THREEE MONTHS W/COMPLAINTS REGADING THE FRONT END "BINDING" DURING TURNS. FIRE WAS COOKING THE GAS TANK, HAPPILY, A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS AVAILABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE THE CAR BURNED UP. FIRE DEPT (GETTYSBURG, PA) DID FOLLOW-UP EXTINUISHING, ETC. POLICE ON THE SCENE. REPORTED HERE BECAUSE I'VE HEARD DIFFERIANTIAL FAILURE NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE, AND THE FIRE UNDER THE GAS TANK WAS CERTAINLY IS A MAJOR HAZARD. (I HAD THREE KIDS IN THE CAR, ONE IN CHILD SEAT). JEEP SUPPOSEDLY INITIATING A "THIRD - PARTY INVESTIGATION." *AK