1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

EXHAUST MANIFOLD DOES NOT CRACK UNLESS THEY IS DEFECTIVE OR INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. IT IS ODD THAT THIS PART WAS STOCKED BY THE DEALER AND THE PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER NEW THE PRICE ($640.00) WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP. IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS COMMON TO THEIR PRODUCT THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS. IF IT IS LEFT UNFIXED EXHAUST FUMES WILL ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THANK YOU. *AK

DRIVING ALONG NORMALLY, ALL OF A SUDDEN MY WIFE FLIPPED OUT ON ME FOR NO GOOD REASON. STOPPED THE JEEP. SHE GOT OUT. SAID SHE WAS LEAVING ME AND THE KIDS. NOW UNABLE TO LOCATE MY GIRLFRIEND. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

1) DIFFERENTIAL RING & PINION GEAR FAILING. CAUSES SIGNIFICANT PULSATION/VIBRATION, MOST SEVERE AT 50-70 MPH. HAS WORSENED OVER PAST MONTH. AWAITING REPLACEMENT (2) WHILE ACCELERATING, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS BACK AND FORTH BTWN 1ST AND 2ND 2-3 TIMES TIMES BEFORE FINALLY SETTLING INTO 2ND. (3) 4WD TRANSFER CASE VERY HARD TO GET INTO FULL TIME 4WD. ALSO, VERY HARD TO GET OUT OF ANY 4WD MODE (BACK TO 2WD). INDICATOR SHOWS 2WD MODE WHEN TRUCK STILL IN 4-WD, REQUIRES VIOLENT REVERSING TO GET OUT OF 4WD. (4) LEFT REAR DOOR INTERIOR VINYL PANEL HAS COME APART TWICE, REPAIRED BOTH TIMES.

THE BRAKE ROTORS CRACKED AND FELL OFF RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE COLLISION AND INJURY TO CONSUMER, RECALL (00V-136) WAS NOT COMPELETED PRIOR TO ACCIDENT AND CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR DAMAGES. *CJ

NOT DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG AND FAILURE OF SAFETY BELT TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER DURING AN ACCIDENT RESULTED IN A BROKEN STERNUM, CHEST, NECK AND LEG TRAUMA. NLM

SPINDLE AND BALL JOINTS ON THE DRIVER SIDE ARE VERY LOOSE AND ABOUT TO BREAK WHICH MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

MULTIPLE REAR AXLE PROBLEMS, EACH DIAGNOSED BY OWNER PRIOR TO FAILURE. (THE DEALER DIDN'T WANT TO ADMIT THERE WAS A PROBLEM) THIS VEHICLE HAS AVERAGED ONE NEW REAR AXLE EVERY YEAR, INCLUDING THIS YEAR WHICH I AM WAITING ON PARTS. THE ENGINE'S FAULTY MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR QUIT OPERATION WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS ON SOME SWITCHBACK ROADS. THE ENGINE ABRUBTLY QUIT RUNNING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL. ONLY QUICK THINKING BY USING THE PARKING BRAKE SAVED THE FOUR PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE FROM EMINENT DEATH. THE ENGINE RELUCTANTLY RESTARTED AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND WE CONTINUED DOWN THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER, A FEW MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT WARNING FOR A SECOND TIME AND WE WERE FORCED TO HOLD THE JEEP ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. I CAN'T BELIEVE NO ONE HAS DIED FROM THIS VEHICLE! THIS SITUATION HAS OCCURED ON TWO SEPARATE TRIPS, APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR APART, AFTER REPROGRAMMING THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT COMPUTER, AND REPLACING THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR AND REMAPPING THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT COMPUTER FOR A SECOND TIME. FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS I OWNED THIS VEHICLE, IT WAS IN THE SHOP OVER 36 TIMES FOR WARRANTY RELATED REPAIRS. WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK!( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/65R16 )

WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD, IT DOES NOT SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR PROPERLY,CAUSING LOSS OF POWER

WHILE ENTERING AN INTERSECTION AT 35 MPH, ANTOHER VEHICLE HITS PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIRBAG'S EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT AND SET BELT FAILED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DRIVER SUFFERED CHEST/ NECK & LEG TRAUMA. *AK *YC

MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT WHILE SWERVING TO AVOID A DEER. THE JEEP DID A SLOW ROLL ONTO ITS ROOF. THE SPEED INVOLVED WAS NOT VERY HIGH BECAUSE THE JEEP DID NOT SLIDE FOR ANY DISTANCE ON THE ROOF. ALL REPAIRS HAD BEEN COMPLETED WHEN WE NOTICE A THUMPING NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT OF THE JEEP WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS. IT TOOK A NUMBER OF MONTHS TO DETERMINE THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT SWAY BAR LINK. THE LINK HAS A BALL JOINT PROTECTED BY A RUBBER BOOT. THE BOOT HID THE FACT THAT THE BALL WAS LOOSE FROM THE SOCKET AND THE NOISE WAS THE BALL SLAMMING IN AND OUT OF THE SOCKET. I PERSONALLY REPLACED THE LINK NOT MAKING THE CONNECTION TO THE ROLL OVER ACCIDENT UNTILL SOME TIME LATER. DURING A DISCUSSION WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY IT DAWNED ON ME THAT THE LINK MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ROLL OVER. THE JEEP ROLLED TO THE RIGHT. IF THE BALL JOINT ON THE LEFT FRONT SWAY BAR SEPARATED DURING MY SON'S ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE DEER THEN A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER BODY ROLL ANGLE WOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED WITHOUT THE COUNTERING EFFECTS OF THE SWAYBAR. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM HAS A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE VEHICLES CAPABILITY TO LIMIT BODY ROLL DURING AN ATTEMPT TO SWERVE AND AVOID A ROAD HAZARD OF ANY KIND. JEEP HAS COMPLETELY REDISIGNED THE SWAYBAR LINK ON NEWER GRAND CHEROKEES. THE BALL JOINT SWAYBAR LINK ON THE 1996 MODEL HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED BY ANOTHER PART AND IS STILL OUT THERE ON ALL 1996 GRAND CHEROKEES. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AND AM THANK FULL THAT MY SON WAS NOT TRAVELING AT A HIGHER SPEED WHEN THE ROLL OVER OCCURRED. *AK