1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

ON OCTOBER 30, 2000, WHEN DRIVING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WITH '96 GRAND CHEROKEE JEEP, I STOPPED AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO RETRIEVE AN OBJECT ON THE GROUND. WHEN I LEFT THE VEHICLE I NOTICED IT STARTED TO ROLL BACK, INSTANTLY I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP BACK INTO THE JEEP AND SECURE IT. I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN MY ATTEMPT AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO ROLL BACKWARDS, CRASHING INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO HOUSE, GARAGE AND PARKED VEHICLES. I WAS ALSO INJURED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE RUNAWAY VEHICLE, SUSTAINING A FRACTURED ANKLE AND SHOULDER INJURY. A LOCAL POLICE REPORT WAS FILED IN THE TOWN OF SHREWSBURY, MASSACHUSETTS AND A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT WAS FILED WITH MY AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY. I ASSUMED THAT I MAY NOT HAVE PUT THE CAR IN "PARK" SINCE I NEVER SUSPECTED A DEFECT WITH THE GRAND CHEROKEE. AFTER READING THE ARTICLE YESTERDAY IN THE NEWS, I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT WAS SO SIMILAR TO MY EXPERIENCE. IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL ME. I WILL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE VEHICLE ID NUMBER, MY DAUGHTER HAS THE CAR OUT OF STATE, BUT WHEN SHE RETURNS I WILL OBTAIN THE NUMBER AND SEND IT TO YOU.*AK

I PULLED MY JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE INTO MY BANK PARKING LOT, PUT IT IN PARK AND SPENT A FEW MOMENTS GETTING OUT MY BANK CARD. THEN, I GOT OUT OF MY CAR AND LEFT THE DRIVER DOOR OPEN. WENT TO THE TELLER MACHINE, INSERTED MY CARD, I.D. INFO, ETC. THEN TURNED TO SEE MY CAR JUST STARTING TO BACK AWAY. BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE WHEELS WERE TURNED, IT BASICALLY BACKED IN A CIRCULAR MOTION AND PROCEED TO GO RIGHT THROUGH A SMALL SHOPPING MALL AND THE PLATE GLASS WINDOW OF A SHOP. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE SHOP, MALL AND MY CAR. GEICO PAID FOR THE DAMAGES TO THE SHOP AND MALL BUT I NEVER CASHED THEIR CHECK FOR MY CAR BECAUSE IT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO GET REPAIRS AT THREE DIFFERENT SHOPS AND I WAS WAITING UNTIL I COULD ROUND UP THE EXTRA DOLLARS I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE REPAIRS MADE.MADE.*AK

CAR WENT INTO REVERSE WHEN PARKED "PARK" REVERSED INTO A TREE DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE REAR END. THEN, TWO MONTHS LATER, I WAS PARKED IN PARK IN FRONT OF OUR FARM GATE, MOTOR RUNNING, WHEN I HOPPED OUT TO GET THE MAIL FROM THE BOX ACROSS THE LANE. AS I STARTED TO LEAVE THE OPEN DOOR, THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE FROM THE STOPPED POSITION IN REVERSE. I RAN ALONGSIDE AND JUMPED BACK IT AND STOMPED ON THE BRAKE. IT WAS THIS TIME THAT I LOOKED AT THE GEAR SHIFT AND NOTED THAT IT HAD MOVED FROM THE PARK POSITION TO A PLACE JUST ABOVE THE R FOR REVERSE BUT INDEED WAS IN REVERSE! MY BODY SHOP PERSON HAD INFORMED ME OF ANOTHER JEEP OWNER WHO WAS PINNED AGAINST HIS GARAGE DOOR WHEN HIS JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WENT FROM PARK INTO REVERSE. I CAN GET HIM TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THIS ORGANIZATION. THE DEALERS RESPONSE TO ME WAS "I PROPBABLY DID NOT HAVE IT IN GEAR PROPERLY AND DID I HAVE THE PARKING BRAKE ON?" BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY.....I SURE PUT IT ON NOW AND CHECK IT DOUBLE BUT SURE DON'T TRUST IT ENOUGH TO IDLE IN PARK......ALTHOUGH AFTER DRIVING FOR 35 YEARS I HAVE NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM WITH OTHER CARS OR TRUCKS! THE FUEL PUMP HAD EVIDENTLY BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THEM AS THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL FAILURES "BUT NO RECALL" THE PUMP HAS TO BE REPLACED BY FACTORY PART AT $500 PLUS DOLLARS WITH AN ADDITIONAL $700.00 FOR LABOR TO INSTALL "AND EVEN THEN, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE IT BUT FOR 6 MONTHS! THANKS TO THE LA TIMES FOR THE ARTICLE ON THE JEEP REVERSE PROBLEM AND I WILL BET YOU THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN A "SMALL' NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE.*AK

THE FUEL GAGE DOES NOT PROPERLY INDICATE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTS FREQUENTLY, LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOORS, OPENING AND SHUTTING WINDOWS BY ITSELF. THE ALARM SYSTEM ALSO SHORTS FREQUENTLY, DOING THE SAME THING.

I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR, TURNED AROUND AND GLANCED AT THE CAR, AND SAW THAT IT WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS DOWN THE STREET. I RAN TO JUMP INTO THE CAR, LANDED CHEST FIRST ON THE DRIVER SEAT, WITH MY LEGS DANGLING OUT THE DOOR. I SAW THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, RATHER THAN PARK, AS I HAD LEFT IT. I THREW THE CAR INTO PARK. IT KEPT ROLLING, PICKING UP SPEED AND FORCING MY BODY TO BEGIN SLIPPING OUT THE DOOR. I REACHED FOR THE FOOT BRAKE, COULDN'T REACH IT, AND FELL OUT THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE'S WHEELS ROLLED 12 INCHES FROM MY HEAD. I JUMPED UP AND WATCHED THE VEHICLE CRASH INTO A NEIGHBOR'S GARAGE AND STOP. I DON'T KNOW THE DOLLAR COST DAMAGE TO THE GARAGE. *AK

SINCE PURCHASING VEHICLE BRAKE ROTORS HAVE BEEN TURNED TWICE, AND FRONT ROTORS ARE CURRENTLY BEING REPLACED FOR VIBRATION OCCURRING DURING NORMAL BRAKING AT ANY SPEED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE'S HISTORY SHOWS PREVIOUS SERVICE FOR ROTOR PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND IN THE 1996 JEEP (A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT VEHICLE) ON A MULTIPLE LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY (POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH) AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT AN INTERSECTION FOR A RED LIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS THE FIRST NORTHBOUND CAR TO STOP AT THE INTERSECTION. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHILE STOPPED HERE. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, AN INATTENTIVE DRIVER IN A PICKUP TRUCK COLLIDED INTO THE LEFT-REAR PORTION OF MY VEHICLE AT A WITNESS-ESTIMATED SPEED OF ABOUT 30 MPH. FOLLOWING THE IMPACT, THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM DID NOT RESTRAIN MY UPPER BODY. AS A CONSEQUENCE, MY HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH SUFFICENT FORCE TO CAUSE MULTIPLE HEAD AND NECK TRAUMA INCLUDING CONTUSIONS, LACERATIONS, MUSCLE STRAIN, A FRACTURED NASAL BONE AND SEPTUM, A SEVERE HEADACHE, LINGERING PAIN, AND DELAYED VERTIGO. MY INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SEVERE HAD I BEEN WEARING MY EYEGLASSES OR SUNGLASSES. THE JEEP WAS PROPELLED THROUGH THE CONTROLLED INTERSECTION AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP IN THE SOUTHBOUND LEFT-HAND TURN LANE; IT DID NOT COLLIDE WITH ANY OTHER OBJECTS. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS TO DAIMLER-CHRYSLER OFFICIALS ABOUT THE "APPARENT" FAILURE OF THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM TO PREVENT MY INJURIES AND THEY LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION. THEIR FINDINGS WERE THAT "THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS NOT DESIGNED TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER IN A REAR END COLLISION". IF THIS IS THE CASE AND IF THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT MECHANISM IN THIS JEEP IS THE CURRENT AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY STANDARD IN THE U.S., THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND FEDERAL REGULATIONS REQUIRING VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TO: (1)DESIGN AN IMPROVED INDUSTRY-WIDE SHOULDER RESTAINT SYSTEM(S) TO BETTER PROTECT MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATORS AND PASSENGERS FROM SUSTAINING TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURIES IN REAR-END COLLISIONS; (2)INSTALL SUCH AN IMPROVED RESTRAINT SYSTEM IN ALL NEW AUTOS AND TRUCKS; AND (3)PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO INSTALL THESE IMPROVED RESTRAINTS IN VEHICLES MADE EARLIER. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00V136000 CONCERNING FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. UPON EXAMINATION BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, REAR BRAKE ROTORS WERE IN SAME CONDITION AS FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, EXCESSIVELY WORN/WARPED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

FUEL PUMP FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING . FUEL PUMP AND TANK HAVE BEEN REPLACED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIC E 00V136000. WHEN SHE CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP, SERVICE WAS REFUSED BECAUSE HER VEHICLE WAS CLASSIFIED AS SALVAGED. *AK