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Comments
Survey question:
If you were in the market for a new jeep soon, would you wait for the 2005 redesign or go ahead and get a 2004 ??
What do you think the potential for the 1st year production of the new grand cherokee to have problems like the 99 model did ???
So does anyone have the discs? Email me offline? alan_gonzalez@iname.com
Database version #2:
July 2003:
P/N 56038624AF
September 2003:
P/N 56038624AG
The only difference i'm told between these two is the 10mph change.
I don't currently own an RB1, but depending on how this goes, I will be.
The Jeep has the DUAL ZONE INFRARED CLIMATE Control.
I am having a problem with the units AC turning ON by itself when in the 'manual' mode. I'll be driving along, heating at 78 degrees, fan at a medium speed, when all of a sudden I notice the air comming out of the vents is cold, and see that the AC light is ON, and the AC is running. It turned on by itself! I turn it off, and all is well untill I restart the car, drive for awhile, and sometimes it turns back on again!
The dealer replaced the HVAC head unit, checked vacuum, as well as Freon charge. All checked out OK. There were no ODBCII codes.
The problem keeps happening even with the new HVAC control.
Any ideas?
- Slotcar99 ...
which engine/trasnfer case and what are the model numbers on the front and rear differentials ???
1. that vehicle could simply have a bad front differential
2. some have thought that the gerotor pumps have a hard time picking up the oil to pump in to inrease the pressure on the clutch plates when the vehicle is at a sharp angle, i.e. when 3 wheels are jacked up.
3. the pressure in the diff would typically already be primed had you been driving the vehicle around on the trail, after just sitting in the garage the gerotor pumps are not primed
4. this non-real world scenario may not be as good of an indicication as you might think of a quadradrive failure.
5. the clutch plates just simply may not be engaging as well b/c the vehicle is so new, they may need a little break in time as well.
The last post about "not a real test" sounds like nonsense. I have seen real Jeeps get out of a hole with only one wheel on the ground. If you have a problem with the quadradrive take it back into your dealer with a written report like you posted here and write "see attached notes" on the service writeup. I found too much get's lost with the service advisor's writeups. I don't believe a real Jeep can have the 4wd problem you wrote up, I don't believe the wimpy answers, and I would like to hear about the service departments report. Don't take the answer "they are all like that" as a reasonable reply when you go in for service. Just trying to be of some encouragement here. Jeeps are NOT the wanna be's.
Problems? Nothing to really post about. Sure, the brakes and rotors went early. We simply bought aftermarket slotted rotors to improve braking distances and longevity (of the rotors, too) and severe duty after market pads. No problms since then. Tires lasted 40k plus miles, put new shocks in at 50K (I drive fast and want good tires/suspension), A/C units needed some expensive work at 80K and we gave up fixing them at 110K, a radiator or two needed recoring at 90K, we replaced the rear door struts several times and there was the odd suspension control arm and maybe the CV joint boots on one that needed replacing, but nothing beyond that as far as repairs. No exhaust systems, no fuel systems, etc.
Both cars are still running well in the passing lane and looking great (uncracked leather, good body trim) at 115K and I wouldn't take the 5K or 6K that they are "worth" to replace them with what? At this point though they are no longer are primary vehicles but are used on weekends and at the beach.
Maintenance followed: Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 oil filter every 3K , Red Line ATF in tranny, oil cooler for tranny (standard on the tow package--which we have never used but wanted it for the tranny coolers), fresh antifreeze every other winter, premium (i .e, better than OEM) tires, premium shocks, detailed every 3 months (clean, waxed cars get traded LESS often). In short, just good common sense treatment of a capital asset that you want to use regularly and not turn into a disposable consumer good. (How often do you really want to buy a car in your life?)
Yes, we all know about Consumer Reports and don't need to have "reliability statistics" re-posted every week, especially slanted inaccurately against the Jeep. The past few years ratings in CS for the GC show almost all 1/2 red dots or full dots. I won't go in to all that as it has been discussed extensively before. Get over the problems that you, as one owner, had, and perhaps find another vehicle out there to trash upon, there are plenty that are far more unreliable than the GC.
Overall Ratings
MIDSIZED & LARGE SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLES
Make and Model Overall score
Audi Allroad
Lexus RX330
BMW X5 4.4i
Honda Pilot EX
Nissan Murano SL
Toyota Highlander Limited (V6)
Subaru Outback H6 VDC
Acura MDX Touring
Volvo XC70
Infiniti FX35
BMW X5 3.0i
Toyota Land Cruiser
Mitsubishi Endeavor XLS
Toyota 4Runner SR5
Chrysler Pacifica
Volvo XC90 T6
Mercedes-Benz ML500
Toyota Sequoia Limited
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 LT
GMC Yukon XL 1500 SLT
Volkswagen Touareg (V6)
Ford Explorer XLT (V6)
Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer
Nissan Pathfinder LE
Buick Rendezvous CXL
Chevrolet Tahoe LT
GMC Yukon SLT
Mitsubishi Montero Limited
Chevrolet TrailBlazer LS
GMC Envoy SLE
Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT LT
GMC Envoy XL SLT
Dodge Durango SLT Plus
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo (6-cyl.)
Ford Excursion XLT
Another question is for those who posts messages about how terrible JGCs are. My question is do you even drive one? If so how many and how long have you driven it? Alright, say you had one and it was horrible. Tell me, how was it? It just broke down while you were driving on the road before even putting on 30K? If that's the case, either your car's a defect and you deserve another new one or your money back from DC OR you really didn't really took good care of your car.
I had one '93 JGC and now have a new one. They are fine. Maybe your V6 Laredo should be upgraded to a V8 Limited.
Circle Education:
Percentage of owners reporting problems
red donut = 2.0% or less
half red circle = 2.0% to 5.0%
hollow black circle = 5.0% to 9.3%
half black circle = 9.3% to 14.8%
Solid black circle = More than 14.8%
They have to have at least 100 responses for each model year of each vehicle to even give it a grade.
Take away the now-solved brake problem and you have NO BLACK DOTS for the last THREE YEARS LISTED. ZERO.
Out of the 45 possibilities for 2000, 2001 and 2002 there are ONLY TWO BLACK DOTS (Brakes). There are seven dots for "average" and THIRTY SIX RED DOTS.
THIRTY SIX RED DOTS out of 45. TWO BLACK DOTS out of 45. And that makes the GC a piece of unreliable garbage? I don't understand the purpose or intent of the continuous posting of how "poor" the Grand Cherokee is "rated", by ONE magazine, for reliability. This forum is for helping people solve problems. What good does it do to add negative reliability rating posts to discussions amoung those of owners asking for help solving issues? No mention is ever made of the GC's high amount of "red dots", their highest rating for the past three model years. No, instead I read about 10-year old Jeeps having a bunch of black dots!
What isn't ever stated is that the figures in CR represent only a SIX PERCENT response. That's right, the statistical response rate is estimated at a mere 6% of the population!
John Greenstreet: "the CR survey may over/understate the reliability of certain cars because the people that own them are not homogeneous. ... many people will have a subconscious need to justify their purchase of a Japanese auto over of a domestic one, and they could do this by believing superior reliability is the reason they bought it. Because of cognitive dissonance, they would tend to overlook or downplay anything that would attack this mind-set. We do see many people who vehemently defend Japan's cars' reliability and smear that of others." (hmm, I know someone like that...)
However, as you stated, there are 14 ratings per year. So, how did you get a possible 45 out of 3 years? There are 42 possible in 3 years. 33 of those were red for the JGC. But you failed to distinguish a difference between a red donut and a half red circle as I pointed out. You also called the hollow black circle "average" as if that's what most vehicles rate. That is not quite accurate. Only 18 of the 42 possible rated with the best rating. Conversely, the leader in the SUV market over the same time period got 36 out of 42 red donuts (the best rating they have). The other 6 were half red circles with no black or hollow black at all.
What you see as a good rating, I and CR as well as most consumers see as a poor rating for an SUV.
Again, 34th on a list of 35 SUVs.
That means that on average about 2-5% or less of the owners of Grand Cherokee are reporting problems. THAT makes the GC a "piece of garbage"? Are you kidding? And key components like the engine, transmission and electrical are all in the 2% or less category!!
Another flaw in the CR ratings is that the SEVERITY of different problems is not figured into the statistics. This really skews the results as one has no way of knowing if problems were serious or not.
But I would still like to know why it is necessary to post skewed statistics against the GC in this forum? I thought that we were supposed to be helping people that are reporting problems, not telling them that their vehicles are unreliable according to what one magazine says.
So, according to the statistics, NINETY-FIVE or less out of ONE HUNDRED owners will NOT have problems with their Grand Cherokees. I'll take those chances any day, I love my Grand Cherokee.
Remember now that there are 14 categories and that and that each one has 2-5% people reporting problems. If each of those problems were from a different person, then they are additive. Therefore, in the case of MY 2000, using the max in each category, you would have 98% of people reporting problems. In contrast, you would have only 37% of owners reporting problems for the RX for the same MY.
Realistically, its impossible to tell how many multiple problem vehicles were in these reports. I also will agree taking into account the severity of problems would be a good thing. It is, however, the best review of reliatbilty available. Until you can identify a better reviewer or start your own review, then you have to respect the only information that is available.
miles. Last week I backed out of my driveway and started down the street. I
noticed it had a loss of power and didnt seem to upshift until I got up to
around 45mph. It had started out in third gear! I went maybe half a mile and
turned around and came back home. I turned it off and restarted when I did
the check engine light came on however this time when I started back down
the road it acted normally. I drove to the dealer and they got it in and
found that the "pressure transducer" was the culprit and they replaced it.
Every since then I have noticed now when it is in drive and I'm sitting at a
stoplight etc. there is a fair amount of loud engine resonance now. I didn't
notice it before the problem and only after they replaced that part in the
transmission. At idle it is fairly quiet just when it is in drive with my
foot on the brake I notice this. I have noticed now that the idle is now
dipping sometimes to the point where I think it may cut off but it only does
this for a sec or so then comes back to normal and usually only right after
a highway ride as Im sitting at a light.
Has anyone experienced any of this and if so how was it corrected? Most
importantly, does this sound like I have a lemon having problems already?
This may sound crazy but would using a Purolator Pure One Micron Oil Filter
have ANYTHING to do with causing these problems? I changed the oil for the
first time at 3k and used this type filter. ALL your replys would be
appreciated! THANKS!
But lately the dealers have been enjoying more then me. I have a 2000 Jeep Grand
Cherokee V8 4X4 with all the bells and whistles. Now it only has 47000 miles on it. I think
that is pretty good. But in the last 2 1/2 years I have had nothing but problems. Here is a
list. Brakes, 3 Fuel Pumps, 2 Window modulater/motors, 2 Seat replacements, Ignition/Steering
cylinder replacement(that extended warranty does not cover), a starter. To me all this is
inexcusable. Now I am looking for a new vehicle before my extended warrenty runs out. Sorry
I just had to vent, I wish the quality/reliablity of the vehicle was a lot better. Until then
I will not buy another Jeep/Chrysler product.
I went ahead and spent about $1300 on the following since we purchased the GC used with 50k miles.
trans service
diff service
brake upgrade
coolant service
rotors
calipers
and all of the scheduled maintenance required for 50k.
they said it looked good, no real issues. Hopefully, it will be a good vehicle for many years and now that all of the maintenance is caught up, I can keep it that way. Its a 2001 Grand Cherokee Limited 4wd, loaded with all the options and runs really strong. We'll see how it holds up. There are tons of these on the road and seems to be very popular.
Problems:
1) leak of engine coolant. This problem plagued me for awhile. I originally noticed the fluid was getting low about once a mo. Once it developed further I found there was a leak at the pump. When stopped after the engine was run hard, it would literally dump about 1/4 of the fluid on the ground. Since fixing the problems has not re-occured.
2) the rear windshield wiper stopped working and jammed in place on the other side of the window at about 70K miles.
3) the catalytic converter is about shot. I can hear the contents rattle sometimes when running.
4) the front differential will need to be replaced soon.
Overall, I've been happy with the performance of the Jeep. Its been reliable and has pulled people from ditches during snowstorms more than once. The problems I've had are part of owning an older model car/ regular maintenance and I took those in stride as they are part of owning an older vehicle.
Questions: 1) Can the catalytic converter be "cleaned out", basically I'm thinking about coring it and putting it back on, or will this make a check engine light come on b/c of the loss of back-pressure?
2) Has anyone experienced difficulty in tight slow turns, like when turning sharply into a parking space? It almost feel like I'm fighting the drive. The front differential does need to be replaced. Just wondering if this is common.
Overall thumbs up on the '95 and am looking forward to keeping it for years to come.
I think that would be a violation of federal law. Any lawyers here?
tidester, host
From what I've read about motorcycles, once you buy the vehicle, you can do whatever you want to the exhaust. Individual states and cities have their own laws you must follow, like emissions inspections. So if you live in an area where they do the emissions inspections, then coring the catalytic converter would cause you to fail the inspection.
Now, motorcycles don't come with catalytic converters to begin with, so I may be way off base here...
I'm pricing front differentials and catalytic converters right now. I may try it if I don't find a sensor upon inspection with the intention of just replacing the converter if it adversly affects operation. I will post the results later.
Thanks, any input is appreciated.
AC Evaporator core leak
Catalytic converter (replaced 40 miles before warranty expiration; whew!)
Crank position sensor
87,000 miles, owned since new. Have performed all scheduled service. Vehicle has been remarkably trouble free so far (knock wood!)
Any recommendations in RI for service on Jeeps?
After viewing this message board and many others, I am having second thoughts.
I see reviews of many people having problems.
What are the major problems to watch out for?
Are most repairs covered under warranty?
I can say that your mileage may not be what you expect (low city mpg) and the I-6 is rough at idle . Go with the 8 and you should be happy. Also, be sure to get the Limited slip rear diff. if you plan on off roading or deal with snowy winters.
Good Luck, DS
As far as reading about "people having problems" it is no different for Jeep than any other brand. Cruise through the message boards for ANY brand vehicle and you will find your share of problems, and yes, even from the so called "reliable" Japanese brands.
Steve
steve
~~Turk182~~
Steve
A lot of us are repeat jeep owners, so the problems of the average jeep can't be so bad. I just bought a new JGC after putting 100k on my 97 JGC. I had to spend $600 on the air conditioning at 81,000 miles, and the salt of upstate NY wasn't too kind to the brake roters, but I had no major other repairs. And I was impressed that the heavy salt up here had no effect on the jeep body after 7 winters (it destroyed the suburu I had before the 97 jeep).
I have about 2000 miles on my new jeep, and it runs just great. Gas mileage was low for the first few hundred miles, but now I am up to about 22 miles/gallon on the open road (6 cyl). And the 6 cyl has plenty of power on the hills.