2001 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

ROTORS HAD TO BE RESURFACED BECAUSE CAR WOULD SHAKE READY BAD WHEN BRAKING AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL WOULD ALSO SHAKE REALLY BAD DURING BRAKING. *AK

I PURCHASED/ LEASED A JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 3/24/01. THE DAY AFTER I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT, I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION, WHEN DOWN-SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR SHIFTED VERY, VERY HARD- SO HARD THAT THERE WAS A LOUD THUMPING/BANGING NOISE THAT WAS QUITE AUDIBLE AND DISTRACTING, AND ALSO THIS ABNORMAL SHIFTING CAUSED THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN OVER A NEW VEHICLE WITH SUCH A ROUGH TRANSMISSION. I WAS ASSURED BY THE SERVICE DEPT. THAT ALL THE NEW ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSIONS STARTED OFF ROUGH THE 1ST THOUSAND MILES, AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BREAK IN. I GAVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, ALTHOUGH I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL; NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVING EXPERIENCED SUCH A HORRIBLY ROUGH TRANSMISSION- ESP. ON A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. AFTER 1000 MILES, THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT, AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO BE EVALUATED. I WAS ASSURED BY THE MECHANIC THAT ALL THE GRAND CHEROKEES TRANSMISSIONS ARE LIKE THIS- IT'S A BUILD UP OF THE HYDROLIC FLUIDS OR SOMETHING. I ONCE AGAIN BELIEVED THEM (NOT REALLY) AND WENT ON MY WAY. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DO THIS, THE SOUND GETTING VERY LOUD AND QUITE STARTLING AT TIMES WHILE IN TRAFFIC. IT ALSO IS QUITE EMBARASSING WITH PASSENGERS IN THE CAR WHO ALSO HAVE BECOME QUITE STARTLED BY THE LOUDNESS AND SHEER FORCE OF THE LURCHING. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN A SECOND TIME FOR EVALUATION ONLY TO BE TOLD, NOTHING WAS WRONG. IT IS MY FEELING THAT THIS IS A SEVERE DEFECT OF SOME SORT. IN ALL MY YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH PROBLEMS- EXCEPT MAYBE FROM A MANUAL TRANSMISSION THAT BUCKED. I AM PLANNING TO TAKE MY CAR IN YET A THIRD TIME AND DEMAND THE PROBLEM BE RESOLVED, OR I WILL BE INVOKING MY RIGHTS UNDER THE LEMON LAWS. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT PROBLEMS WITH GRAND CHEROKEES, AND THEIR SHIFTING INTO GEAR WHILE IDLING, I CANNOT SAY THAT I AM SURPRISED. MY VEHICLE ALSO WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, SOMETIMES MAKES A VERY LOUD CLUNKING, ROUGH SHIFT. PLEASE ADVISE.*AK

THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME IN 30 DAYS I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR REPAIR ON THE TRANSMISSION. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE OUTSIDE TEMP. GAUGE SAYS IT'S 125 DEGREES OUTSIDE WHEN IT IS 84 DEGREES. I PRESS MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL AND IT HESITATES AND SLOWLY DRIVES UNTIL THE GEAR KICKS IN AND THEN JUMPS FORWARD. FIRST THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION COLNOID, THEN THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE MODULE UNIT NOW THEY SAY IT'S ELECTRICAL. WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE, I FEEL A CLICKING ON MY FOOT THAT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY THEN GOES AWAY. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT'S BEING SERVICED IS NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND IT'S TAKING A VERY LONG TIME TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. I AM A PREVIOUS GRAND CHEROKEE OWNER AND HAD CONSISTANT PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS AND THAT ONE. I AM NOW UNSURE OF MY SAFETY AND THE RELIABILITY OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE ALREADY CONSULTED AN ATTORNEY AND CAN ONLY HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T NEED TO COME TO THAT. WHAT CAN I DO TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION ?*AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OPEN WHEN IT JUMPED OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE, RESULTING IN VEHICLE RUNNING INTO BIKE AND WORK BENCH ATTACHED TO THE REAR OF THE GARAGE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK THE DOOR SUSTAINED DAMAGE WHEN IT HIT THE CENTER SUPPORT POST IN DOUBLE GARAGE AND THE GARAGE FOUNDATION WAS CRACKED IN SEVERAL SPOTS. NLM

AT APPROX. 50 MPH A "WHINING" SOUND STARTS IN REAR OF AUTO. AS SPEED INCREASES, THE SOUND INTENSIFIES. TAKE FOOT TOTALLY OFF ACCELERATOR AND IT STOPS.....PICKS UP AGAIN WHEN ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. DEALER SAYS IT IS COMMON IN NEW ALL-TIME 4WD TRANSMISSION. VERY LOUD. *AK

WAS TOWING A BOAT TRAILER. STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND PUT IN PARK. EXITED JEEP AND IT JUMPED FROM PARK TO REVERSE. VEHICLE BACKED DOWN STREET WITH BOAT ATTACHED. I CHASED AND TRIED TO JUMP IN, FELL, SCRAPING KNEE. FORTUNATELY THE TRAILER JACKNIFED AT THAT TIME JUST BEFORE THE CAR WOULD HAVE RUN OVER ME. MY BELIEF IS THAT THE FLEXIBLE PLASTIC COVER OVER THE BUTTON ONT HE SHIFT LEVER BECAME WEDGED IN THE BUTTON PREVENTING THE BUTTON FROM RELEASING AND ENABLING THE LEVER TO JUMP FROM PARK TO REVERSE.*AK

VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN PARK WHEN IT JUMPED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND INSTALLED A SAFETY LOCK ON GEAR SHIFTER. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM/ THE TRANSMISSION BANGS, AND I DO MEAN BANGS INTO GEAR. CHRYSLER SAID THIS IS NORMAL FOR AN ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, BUT IT DOES OCCUR AT ANY SPEED AND IN ANY GEAR EXCEPT 1ST. CHRYSLER DISTRICT REP SAID THIS IS THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION SEARCHING FOR THE NEXT GEAR, HE CALLED IT A BURP. I HAVE FELT WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT, I HAVE DRIVEN MANY OTHER VEHICLES WITH ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSIONS, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THIS SUV ACTUALLY BANGS OR KLUNKS INTO GEAR SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN I FIRST DRIVE IT FOR THE DAY, IT WILL SLAM, NOT BURP,INTO SECOND GEAR . ALSO IT SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN WHEN GOING INTO 4TH GEAR, WHEN MY SPEED IS IN THE 45 TO 50 MILES PER HOUR RANGE. THIS SUV HAS SLAMMED INTO GEAR WHILE UP SHIFTING AND DOWN SHIFTING. THERE IS NO WAY THIS SLAMMING / BANGING / KLUNKING INTO GEAR CAN BE CONSIDERED NORMAL. A/C PROBLEM - THE VEHICLE HAS A MISS IN IT WHEN A/C IS ON. MOST NOTICABLE WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY, OCCURS ABOUT EVERY 10 SECONDS. IT FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE HAS JUST GONE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD. I WAS TOLD THIS IS ALSO NORMAL . THIS IS THE A/C SYSTEM CYCLING. I HAVE DRIVEN WELL OVER A HUNDRED VEHICLES OR MORE, ALL OF THEM AUTOMATICS, ALL OF THEM HAD A/C , NO OTHER CAR ,TRUCK OR SUV I HAVE EVER DRIVEN HAS HAD A MISS OR LURCH EVERY 10 SECONDS WHEN THE A/C IS ON OR SLAMS INTO GEAR. CHRYSLER SAYS THIS IS COMPLETELY NORMAL, I HAVE GONE AND TEST DRIVEN 3 OTHER GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITEDS, I DID NOT NOTICE THESE PROBLEMS WITH THOSE VEHICLES.*AK

I WENT TO GRAYSON JEEP AND REPORTED THAT I HAD POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE AND SAID THAT I NEEDED AN APPOINTMENT TO BE SEEN. HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP HAS NO "BY APPOINTMENT ONLY" POLICY. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER CAME OUT (J.R. LAUDERMILK), I TOLD HIM THE SITUATION AND HE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO WORK ON MY VEHICLE SO I SHOULD LEAVE THE PROPERTY. I ASKED HIM ON WHAT GROUNDS HE REFUSED TO WORK ON MY VEHICLE AND HE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT THEY WERE AN INDEPENDANTLY OWNED DEALERSHIP AND HE DID NOT HAVE TO HONOR MY WARRANTY IF HE DIDN'T WANT TO. I REFUSED TO LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL I RECEIVED THE OWNERS NAME AND NUMBER. AFTER CALLING THE OWNER TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION WITH HIM HE HAS FAILED TO RETURN MY CALLS. THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR FAILING TO RESPOND TO A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE WITHOUT GROUNDS FOR DOING SO. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

AT 67 MPH WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, JEEP ACCELERATED AT MAX. SPEED. HAD TO APPLY BRAKE TO DISENGAGE CONTROL AT 80 MPH. SPEED CONTROL BUTTONS WOULD NOT WORK. HAD TO STOP AND PUT JEEP IN PARK TO TURN OFF SPEED CONTROL. SPEED CONTROL BUTTONS FAILED TO WORK WHEN RETURNED TO DRIVE. LATER THAT DAY, SPEED CONTROL WORKED NORMAL.*AK