2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

RADIATOR COOLING FAN BLADES BROKE INTO SEVERAL PIECES WHILE I WAS DRIVING. NOT EASILY DETERMINED IF THE RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED. FAN IS INOPERABLE WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT UNLESS VEHICLE IS KEPT IN MOTION. HAVE NOT DONE A REPLACEMENT YET. CHRYSLER IS REFUSING TO EVEN CONSIDER COVERING THE REPAIR UNLESS I PAY TO HAVE THEIR TECH DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. CHRYSLER WILL NOT COMMIT TO PAY FOR ANY PERCENTAGE OF THE REPAIR UNTIL AFTER I PAY TO HAVE A TECH DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE HEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE JEEP IS BLOWING COLD AIR IN WINTER, EVEN WHEN IT IS SET TO MAXIMUM HEAT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE BLEND DOOR AND THEY WANT OVER $700 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. MY QUESTION IS IF THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH IT FROM DESIGN HOW COME THEY DON'T FIX IT FOR FREE AND WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR IT WHEN THEY KNEW THEY SOLD ME A BAD DESIGN. ALSO NOW THE AC IS BLOWING HOT AIR AND THEY ARE TELLING ME IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BLEND DOORS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE IN THE WINTER I CAN NOT DEFROST THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND HAVE TO PULL OVER TO CLEAN THE ICE AND FOG BUILD UP FROM INSIDE THE WINDOW. *TR

2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE RECALL FOR ELECTRIC RADIATOR FAN. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE HAD THESE PARTS REPLACED BEFORE THE RECALL WAS RECEIVED. HE ALSO STATES THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED AGAIN AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE REPAIR ORDER THE CONSUMER SUBMITTED DID NOT SHOW THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS INVOLVED IN THE RECALL. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THE REPAIRS WERE NECESSARY. *JB

COOLING FAN MOTOR BAD IN 2002 JEEP GRAND CHER. ALSO COOLING FAN BLADES ARE CRACKED. CALLED ABOUT A RECALL, BUT THEY SAID JEEP DID NOT FALL WITHIN THE CORRECT VIN # RANGE. *TR

HVAC UNIT IN MY JEEP WJ, 2002, BROKE. DETERMINED TO BE BLEND DOOR AND RECIRCULATION DOOR MALFUNCTION. COMMON PROBLEM WITH VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE VIBRATED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER IT HAD BEEN SHUT OFF. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, HE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE, LIFTED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED THAT THE FAN WAS DESTROYED. PIECES OF THE FAN WERE LODGED INTO THE RADIATOR. AAA TOWED THE VEHICLE TO HIS RESIDENCE. ON JUNE 23, 2008, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE FAN, BUT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RADIATOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 78,000.

FAILURE OF HEATER TO DELIVER WARMED AIR TO THE PASSENGER SIDE (THIS MODEL HAS A DUAL HEAT CONTROL). IN INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL, OFTEN OCCURRING AT 50-70000 MILES,FILLING MANY CHAT ROOM THREADS, AND EVEN LEADING TO AN INDEPENDENTLY MANUFACTURED FIX. (THE "HEATER TREATER"--EASILY FOUND BY GOOGLE OR EBAY). THE PROBLEM APPARENTLY IS DUE TO CHEAP PLASTIC BLEND DOOR MECHANISMS WHICH OFTEN BREAK AND REQUIRE TOTAL DASHBOARD REMOVAL TO FIX (~$1100-1500). IF YOU WANT TO SEE JUST ONE THREAD TO JUDGE THE FREQUENCY OF THIS PROBLEM,GO TO: WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/JEEP-GRAND-CHEROKEE/TSERAT48371ICOB68/P8. *TR

IN MARCH, 2005, WITH 59,000 MILES, MY 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OVERLAND, WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST 2002, NEEDED A NEW REAR DIFFERENTIAL. A REPLACEMENT WAS ALSO NEEDED AT 80,000 (JULY 2006), 86,000 (MARCH 2007), AND 98,000 (APRIL 2008). AS OF THIS WRITING, THE DEALER HAS HAD THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 3 WEEKS. IN REPLACING FIRST THE BEARINGS, THEN THE GEARS, AND THEN THE "ENTIRE REAR END", THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CHRYSLER HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. NO ONE AT THE 800 NUMBERS CAN OFFER ANY SOLUTIONS. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, SO THE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COVERED, MINUS MY $100 DEDUCTIBLE. BUT, I DON'T THINK THE NUMBER OF REPAIRS IS QUESTIONABLE. I'VE FOUND A NUMBER OF SITES WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS PARTICULAR BODY STYLE/MODEL. PERHAPS THERE IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM.. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT BURNED OUT AND MELTED THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HOLDER OF THE LIGHTS. IN 2005, HE REPLACED THE ENTIRE LENS AND PLASTIC COMPONENT AT THE COST OF APPROXIMATELY $115. MOST RECENTLY, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE, WHICH ALSO CAUSED A SHORT. THE REPAIR FOR THIS FAILURE ALSO COST $115. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TAIL LIGHT STRUCTURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 36,000. UPDATED 05/21/08 *BF UPDATED 05/20/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ALWAYS SWAYED BACK AND FORTH AS IF IT WERE OFF BALANCED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, SHE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE RADIATOR FAN CRACKED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE BELT, RADIATOR FAN, THERMOSTAT, AND WATER PUMP WERE REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $1,000. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HER OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V199000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: COOLING SYSTEM: FAN); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. THE MANUFACTURER ONLY COVERED THE EXPENSE OF THE FAN, WHICH WAS $265. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT IS STILL ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL AND THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.