2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING IN JAN . POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. IN MAY SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE EXITING I-91 ON RAMP. THE CAR IS PRESENTLY AT DEALERS NOW FOR , HOPEFULLY , A SOLUTION. *TR

AFTER DRIVING PROLONGED TIME ON XPRESSWAY AND SLOWING DOWN OR STOPPING, THE JEEP HESITATES, MISFIRES AND LETS OUT GIANT CLOUDS OF WHITE SMOKE OUT TAILPIPE AFTER ACCELERATING WITH PARTIAL OR FULL THROTTLE. ALMOST CAUSED MAJOR FREEWAY ACCIDENT MULTIPLE TIMES TRYING TO SWITCH LANES OR PULL ONTO FREEWAY ONRAMP. CAR BEEN INTO DEALERSHIP 3 OR MORE TIMES FOR SAME COMPLAINTS. SINCE CAR THROWS NO CODES AND DEALERSHIP CAN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON THEIR TEST DRIVES, DEALER JUST KEEPS HANDING THE JEEP BACK TO ME AND SAYING NO ISSUE WITH JEEP. MY JEEP HAS ALSO STALLED UNDER HARD BRAKING ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION. VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION(S) WITH NO SATISFACTION FROM DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. CHRYSLER ALSO CONTACTED AND OPENED CASE FILE. THEY WOULDN'T AUTHORIZE ANY WORK TO BE DONE TO THE JEEP EITHER. CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED PROPERLY, HAS 90K MILES CURRENTLY AND A LIFETIME WARRANTY FROM CHRYSLER WHICH SEEMS WORTHLESS AS CHRYSLER WON'T PICK UP A SCREWDRIVER TO LOOK FOR PROBLEM IF THE JEEP DOESN'T THROW A CODE. ABSOLUTELY NUTS. *TR

JEEP SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL UPON STARTUP AND ROLLED DOWNHILL IN PARK. (JAN. 2013) NOTE THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE CHRYSLER/JEEP "N23". I HAD NOT HAD THE RECALL SERVICE PERFORMED. I SCHEDULED THE RECALL SERVICE, WHICH WAS DONE AT BOSAK JEEP, MERRILLVILLE IN, IN FEBRUARY 2013. THE SERVICE IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO THE FINAL DRIVE CONTROL MODULE (FDCM). THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS TO STATE THAT THE SOFTWARE UPDATE PERFORMED ELIMINATES SPECIFIC FUNCTIONALITY FROM THE VEHICLE, NAMELY 4-WHEEL DRIVE LOW RANGE AND NEUTRAL MODES (JEEP BEING TOWED/TRANSFER CASE DISCONNECT). THE ELIMINATION OF THESE FUNCTIONALITIES IS CREATING A "BLACK MARKET" OF OWNERS WHO ARE SWAPPING OUT THE UPDATED FDCMS WITH PRE-UPDATED ONES; AND HAS INITIATED DISCUSSION OF PERSONS "HACKING" THE FDCM CODE TO REGAIN THE FUNCTIONALITIES. HTTP://WWW.JEEPFORUM.COM/FORUM/F67/N23-RECALL-ISSUE-NO-4-LOW-1561787/INDEX168.HTML MY VEHICLE, AFTER THE UPDATE, HAS THE "SERVICE 4WD SYSTEM" LIGHT UPON ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE 4WD LOW RANGE. SOFTWARE FIXES OF HARDWARE FAILURE IS SPECIOUS ENGINEERING. *TR

AFTER RECEIVING N23 SAFETY RECALL "FIX" LOST USE OF 4WD LOW RANGE (WHICH ALSO ALLEGEDLY COMPROMISES CLUTCH PACKS CONTROLLING HIGH-RANGE 4WD SYSTEM TORQUE/POWER DISTRIBUTION). JEEP DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR. "FIX" LASTED 1MO. RETURNED TO DEALER; TROUBLE CODES CLEARED. PROBLEM RETURNED IN LESS THAN 24H. THIS IS THE CORRESPONDENCE SENT TO JEEP: ...I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SOFTWARE ISSUE, AND MY REASONS ARE THIS: 1) THE ACTUATOR WORKS AS DESIGNED AFTER ALL CODES ARE RESET/CLEARED (THOUGH THE DURATION FOR WHICH THIS WORKS IS NOT CONSISTENT) 2) PULLING A FUSE FOR THE FDCM IS THE SAME AS "RESETTING/CLEARING" THE TROUBLE CODE - THIS DOES NOT POINT TO THE HARDWARE AS THE PROBLEM. 3) IF I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM CORRECTLY, LOSING FUNCTIONALITY OF THIS PORTION OF THE SYSTEM, WITH MY QUADRA-DRIVE II, CAUSES A SAFETY SIDE-EFFECT OF COMPROMISED TRACTION CONTROL SINCE THE CLUTCH PACKS IN THE TRANSFER CASE FOR AWD FUNCTION MALFUNCTION WHEN THE TROUBLE CODE IS LODGED. THIS VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY (ALBEIT WITH RISK OF A ROLL-AWAY WHEN REMOTE START IS USED WITHOUT THE PARKING BRAKE) PRIOR TO THE N23 RECALL. FOR IT TO ONLY EXHIBIT ISSUES AFTER THE RECALL, THEN CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT THEM AFTER REPLACING THE TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR MAKES THE SOFTWARE UPDATE HIGHLY SUSPECT AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, IF NOT A ROOT CAUSE. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE (IF IT IN FACT COMPROMISES THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM) IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, AND BELIEVE THAT IF FCA CANNOT FIND A SOLUTION QUICKLY, I WILL TAKE ACTION. I USE MY JEEP DAILY TO COMMUTE ON PUBLIC ROADS, AND CANNOT CONTINUE TO AFFORD TO HAVE IT OUT OF SERVICE OR AT RISK OF INCREASED SAFETY HAZARD. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE... THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. A RECALL SHOULDN'T REDUCE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE. PERIOD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER LOCKS, WINDOWS, AND INTERIOR LIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT A WIRE IN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,652. *TR

VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.7L HEMI ENGINE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, IDLE WAS VERY ROUGH, AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IMMEDIATELY, ESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCED NO FURTHER ISSUE, HOWEVER CEL STAYED ILLUMINATED. AFTER A COUPLE QUICK TRIPS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE CEL TURNED OFF AND THE VEHICLE RAN NORMAL. A COUPLE DAYS LATER WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE VEHICLE STALLED, AND THE CEL CAME BACK ON. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND IT RAN NORMAL THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY, CEL STAYED LIT FOR A WHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY TURNED OFF. APPROXIMATELY 4-5 DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. CEL CAME ON. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT HOME. I PULLED THE CODE FOR THE CEL USING MY ODB READER, AND IT WAS A P0129 (BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OUT OF RANGE). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, BY THE TIME I GOT THERE THE CEL WAS NO LONGER LIT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO FIND THE STORED CODE, BUT SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED THE MAP SENSOR, AND SAID IT WAS FINE, BUT REFUSED TO TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION SINCE IT WAS NOT EXHIBITING ANY ISSUES ASIDE FROM THE STORED CODE THEY FOUND. SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I'VE FOUND MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE ON THIS SERIES GRAND CHEROKEE, MANY, AS I, WHO ARE FRUSTRATED WITH NO RESOLUTION FROM THE MANUFACTURER. DEALER HAS ADVISED ME TO COME PICK UP MY VEHICLE, WITHOUT ANY FIX OR EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE VEHICLE CAN AND WILL STALL IN TRAFFIC CREATING A POTENTIAL FOR A TRAFFIC COLLISION OR LOSS OF CONTROL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4X4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V175000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. *TR

DEALER PERFORMED N23 RECALL IN AUGUST 2013, SINCE RECALL PERFORMED, JEEP HAS BEEN BACK TO SEVERAL DEALERS 10-11 TIMES. SINCE RECALL, CAN NOT PUT JEEP INTO FREEWHEEL OR 4 LOW. JEEP WAS PURCHASED SPECIFICALLY FOR TOWING BEHIND MOTORHOME. HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO RETURN TO DEALER AND MANY HOURS OF PERSONAL TIME. HAVE ALSO DRIVEN VEHICLE HUNDREDS OF MILES WHEN TOW MODE FAILED AFTER WE PULLED BEHIND MOTORHOME. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT OUR VEHICLE MAY SHIFT INTO GEAR WHILE TOWING AND JEOPARDIZE US OR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT OUR JEEP MAY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AT A TIME THAT WOULD RISK OUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. *TR

I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO MY DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL THAT I WAS SUGGESTED TO DO. THE RECALL # IS: N23. NOW, THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH LOW GEAR 4X4 AND NEUTRAL POSITION. I CANNOT USE THESE MODES. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, WE FOUND OUT THROUGH THE DEALER, THAT HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE BROUGHT IN MY VEHICLE FOR THE ORIGINAL( N23) RECALL. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY ADVISED ME TO GO BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP. I WENT BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY JUST SAID THEY CAN'T KEEP RESETTING THIS FAULT CODE. I TOLD THE BBB ABOUT THIS, AND THEY SUGGESTED I GO BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP, CHRYSLER TOLD THEM THAT, AND THEY CLOSED MY CASE. HOW DO I DRIVE MY VEHICLE SAFELY NOW. I CAN'T USE MY GEARS FOR WHICH I BOUGHT THIS SUV FOR. WHAT DO I DO NOW? PLEASE HELP ME. I SEEM TO BE GETTING THE RUN-AROUND. (APPARENTLY, SEARCHING N23 PROBLEMS ON "GOOGLE" WILL SHOW THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE). THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST FOR MAXIMUM VISIBILITY DURING NIGHT DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000. UPDATED 2/26/14*CN