Jeep Grand Cherokee

meredith

This topic is a continuation of Topic 2381....

Jeep Grand Cherokee - Topic Consolidation III.
Please continue these discussions here. Thanks!

Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host

jtanders50

I just bought a used '93 GC LTD and love it so far. It has had a pretty decent service record no major problems. However, the computer keeps saying "Rear Lamp Failure." I have checked every bulb I can find in the back and not one is burnt out. Are there any hidden bulbs, or any idea what else might be causing this?

livetodrive

You may be interested in reading the Mercedes E-Class Town Hall. They spend a good deal of time on how to properly wash and wax cars. It seems regular towels tend to scratch the clear coat, so only US-made all cotton towels are used. They suggest buying them from bhma.com (6 for $40).

A product called Zaino has been said to remove many of the swirl marks caused by rubbing. I haven't bought any yet, but am considering doing so.

By the way, I'm at 2,800 miles without any problems on my new 2001 JGC, V8 with Quadra-Trac. We love it.

jgcguy

I'm replacing the tires on my 1996 JGC Laredo. It currently has a set of POS 225/75/R15 that were put on by the used dealer who sold it to me. I believe this is the stock size for this vehicle, but my full size spare is a 245/70/R15 (that looks to never have been used).

What size should I replace it with? The 225/75 seems a little small and I'd like to go with the 245/70 if the vehicle can handle it...

What brand/style would anyone suggest?

I'd like a good all season tire (vehicle does not go off road) that has more of a street tire look and will hold up to this vehicle. From what I've seen of jeeps, the tires usually get eaten up rather quickly by the 4WD (my old ones did).

Any suggestions?

mark156

I went to my nephews 24th b-day party yesterday and out of 15 vehicles in the driveway/street, there were seven Jeeps. Four were regular Cherokees, 2 Grand Cherokee's and I Wrangler. (I have a '99 GCL QD). Looked like a Jeep showroom! One thing is for sure, people love their Jeeps! Mark

jim225

I was wondering what the experiences were of new 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners concerning QuadraDrive. Many earlier posts of 1999 and 2000 JGC's reflected problems and I would like to get a feel if these have been solved. I'm ready to purchase a 2001 JGC with SelectTrac or QuadraDrive and would appreciate any comments you may have.

Thanks folks!

george2kmax

My JGC got bought back by Chrysler because of all the drive train and stalling problems. If I had visited this site before I purchased my Grand Cherokee I would have run not walked away from buying any JGC. If you don't mind spending lots of time at your Chrysler service center then buy a jeep.

George

fastdriver

george2kmax-

Just curious- did Chrysler slap a GAG ORDER on you too as a result of the buyback?

fastdriver

lemonjeep2

When DC bought back or 99 JGC lemon 6 months ago, my fiance had to sign a waiver stating that she would not discuss the settlement. What a load of crap.

I, on the other hand, with no such restrictions on my first amendment rights, want to proudly announce that they refunded her down payment and all of her monthly payments. Full Refund!! And this was on a Jeep that they said was operating normally.

Good luck with your Lemons. We've got a Tundra now and it is flawless. (much quieter than the jeep too)

bosjeepguy

Hello everyone,

I'm pretty new here and from the sounds of what I have read so far, i'm not alone in my problems. What I'm lookin for is a LIST of what things people have had go terribly wrong on their 99's. I for one have the following

paint: very sensitive..birds are the enemy
front wheels: LOTS of brake squeel and dust
windows: had front motors done 2wice and one rear done once.

Other than that, no other big problems.. Like the 10disc changer where it is..no problem. No wind noise that I know of yet and no whine..although i'm going to check that on the way home from work tonight. Does someone have a compilation of the issues?

Thanks in advance and sorry for sounding like a newbie.


-jim

george2kmax

Bob, I did have to sign a waiver not to talk about my buy back settlement. I did post a small explanation here at this site. I was one of the most active members here at this conference over a year ago. My user name changed when I got my buy back and purchased my 2000 Maxima. I almost purchased a 2001 Pathfinder after my buy back but I went for the Max. The turning point to my getting my buy back considering that the district manager was such a waste of time was when I got the complete E-Mail Address book of all managers, the President and Chairmen of Daimler Chrysler. I started providing them with all previous letters that I sent to Chrysler and all my future plans of action that I was going to proceed with.

George

fastdriver

george2kmax-

I've been following this topic and the other one that was here for a long time. It seems that every buy-back that Chrysler has made includes a GAG ORDER!! No wonder these two JEEP topics got so quiet! I knew something was up. Everyone is gagged!

I wonder if this is normal procedure for ALL car company buy-backs? I know just the person to ask, IF he'll tell me. I'll let you know what I find out.

fastdriver

george2kmax

Bob,

Of course I know that you have been following this topic for a long time, we corresponded many times. In fact if I recall, when I wrote that I got my buy back you were one of the first to congratulate me. By the way I did run my Jeep vin # 2 months after my buy back and it did come back as a lemon buy back. You should be getting ready to turn in your almost lemon 300M. Did you decide what you will repace it with. I know it will not be a Chrysler product.

BTW Thanks for all the great Zaino advice. My Maxima looks great after using Zaino.

George

fastdriver

george2kmax-

What was your old screename- if you can divulge it without violating the "gag order"! LOL....

There are some really interesting articles on some hearings that the FTC held several years ago RE" buybacks/lemons. A lot of it is doubletalk from the manufacturers. None the less- interesting. Check it out when you have time- http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/lemon/index.htm

Since your Jeep was a BUYBACK VS being labeled a LEMON, you wouldn't find anything by checking the VIN. They just shipped it to another state, put it in an auction, and sold it to the next unsuspecting chump! ;-))

Glad things turned out okay for you. As for my next car- I think I'm going to get a Buick Regal GS with the supercharged engine like I had on my 96 Riv- the car I had before Christine. The owners in the Regal forum seem pretty happy with their cars. At least it reads nothing like most of the Chrysler topics!

Ah Zaino- isn't it great! The other day, I FINALLY took my car to the car wash- non-touch. Came out, wiped it off and it looked like I just Zainoed it! I haven't applied anything since the weather turned frigid here in CT. My car always looks great. BTW- what color MAX did you get?

fastdriver

redjeeper

This topic was very helpful to me as I was selecting a new car...I picked up my '01 jgc laredo 4x4 v8 last week and have 300 miles on it.

I hope I do not have the horror story experience of several of the above members, so I intend to occasionally post updates on how this jeep performs. Hopefully this will provide another viewpoint for folks still making their decisions on which vehicle to purchase.

thus far this is my experience, I absolutely love it (but of course it is brand-new so why wouldn't I!). For those of you who have complained that it drives like a truck- take it from someone who has driven a Dodge ram 4x4 club cab for the last 5 yrs that it doesn't! The ride is very smooth but it is of course still a 4x4...you cannot expect to have everything in one vehicle. I had no problems w/ the dodge so I had no fears about buying another chrysler product. I have noticed a very slight whine when accelerating through 40mph but it only lasts about a second- and I probably would never have noticed it if I hadn't been reading the above posts.

So far so good but I am only at 300 miles. I will try to post updates occasionally but in this case no news can be considered good news- believe me, if this jeep starts to become a lemon the whole world will know it! thanks again to the jeep lovers and haters above for the great information

dsackman

I am the guy who started the "Class Action Suit" topic here. The agreement when Chrysler bought back my JGC was that I will not discuss the DETAILS of the settlement. Which is fine with me. I may discuss the problems I have experienced. These are anyway well documented over numerous posts in this and other topics.
For prospective buyers: Be aware of the potential problems you may be getting yourself into. They do not seem to have been resolved entirely.
I am very happy with my Subaru. It takes me everywhere I want to be at a fraction of the gas costs, with more comfort and safer.

Daniel

mark156

Hi Guys, I'm approaching 25,000 miles on my Jeep and I'm very pleased with it. At first, as I have mentioned before, I had the drivetrain replaced twice. The third one is working fine.

I know there have been folks, as Dsackman, who had a bad one. Every few days while reading the paper, I can rarely find a '99 Jeep Ltd. for sale. I know the Mercedes place down the street where I bought my '00 E430 sport has one. And they have had if for a while. It looks just like mine---Platinum--Agate leather. I found out they are asking $30,000 for it with 17,000 miles. That really seems high so that's why it's still there I'm sure. But the point I was making is, is that Jeeps are not being dumped on the market. Apparently, there are some happy Jeep owners such as me. If I start having trouble, I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune. By the way, this is my second Jeep. (previous '96 JGC ltd. 2x4 six) Happy Jeeping!

fastdriver

dsackman-

WHY do you think Chrysler places a GAG ORDER on the DETAILS of the buyback? Do you think it's because EVERY buyback is different and if the sucker, I mean customer, doesn't know about all the things they can be reimbursed for, then Chrysler won't have to shell out more then they have to? I still find this VERY difficult to fathom. WHAT can they do to you IF you UNGAG yourself after all is said and done? Sue you?

I'm glad I never went this route with my Christine because I would find it VERY difficult to keep my mouth shut! At least now I can say what I want, when I want, where I want, without being gagged. I know many in the 300 topic wish I was gagged and MAYBE even bound! LOL....... C'est la vie. Take the good with the bad. Christine will be history soon!!

fastdriver

redjeeper

cant imagine why chrysler would want to make the best deal for themselves during a buyback...maybe because they are in business? If this is wrong of them to do, then their stockholders would probably disagree. Is "christine" your car? My jeep has a name too...it is "jeep" or sometimes "the jeep"

mtalk

Is there anyone who has some experience with shifting problems with the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicle has problems shifting into 3rd gear while the car in cold. This problem doesn't show itself during the summer or after the car has been driven for awhile. I would be interested in hearing from anyone before asking the dealer or a transmission specialist to look at it.

butterfi

I have a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee and have never had any problems, even when it is cold.

mtalk

butterfi

I have a 1996 JGC Limited and the needs service counter was at zero miles so I brought it in for service but the counter is still at zero. Does anyone know how to reset the counter?

Thanks.

jam1000

This happened to me once. It turned out to be the light on the liftgate itself.

mark156

My '96 Jeep Grand had 3 lights in the high mounted tailgate light. It's hard to tell one is out when your close to it. I would recommend changing all three while you have it open. Mark

taysdad

I have recently discovered this forum and I am shocked to see how many others have also had numerous problems with their 1999 GC. I am curious if anyone can comment on the level of problems needed to begin to pursue a "buyback" from Jeep. I would like nothing better than to get rid of this very bad investment, but I have no idea in how to best make this is a reality. I understand that many people are under a "gag order" and may/may not be able to give me advice, but I would truly appreciate any help you could give (even if it is via private e-mail as oppposed to a posting). I am reluctant to take on a big corporation even with all the problems I am having, but if others have do so successfully, perhaps I could learn from their experience. Also, one other thing......I am stil having very HARSH shifting with the V8 engine at low speeds. The dealer has told me this is just part of the normal break-in, but after 24,500 miles, I find that very hard to believe. What do others think/know about this? Thanks in advance.

badjeep

As a owner of my third Jeep Grand Cherokee (prior were '93 and '97)I can definitely say this will be my last. All I can say is "ditto" to everything which has been posted about the JGC's transmission woes. Shame on me for sticking with Jeep but this '99 acts like a bucking bronco when it comes to transmission performance. My vehicle is currently at the dealership for diagnosis, but I already know the response I will receive. The familiar, "its normal or we couldn't duplicate the problem" While I certainly intend on pursuing this, I know I will probably just become impatient and dump the vehicle. Thanks Acura, you may be an option!

cgriffith

Thanks for all the great information. If I had visited this site before buying a JGC I would not be posting a message now. I have had a 1999 JGC for 16 months now. All the problems, whine, rotors 5 times, leaks, windows inoperative. I have had a "final" repair on the brakes after 5 previous repairs. Same repair made and same results, warped rotors again after 3000 miles. Now I am ready to go to Arbitration under the State of Florida Lemon Law. Questions are: I have put 30,000 miles on the vehicle, is there anyway not to pay the usage charge to DC. I will have no down payment for another vehicle if I do. Will Arbitration prevent going to court if I win but don't get what I want, which is all my money back? DC is knows the 99 is a lemon and I bet all 99 are having rotor problems. Their only hope is that most people will continue to let a warranty make the repairs or just want bother with going after a buy back. Of course a buy back after receiving .21 per mile is a good deal for DC if you are a high mileage user.

soleman

I'm am interested in purchasing a used '99 GC. Is there any way to know conclusively which factory options are present on the vehicle, short of just looking. For example, how would I know if the vehicle has rear locking differential? I checked the glove compartment but there is no options list stuck inside there.

Also, is $20,800 a good price for a '99 Laredo with 21,260 miles, Selec-Trac, OWL tires, 6 cylinder, AM/FM/CD/Cassette, Infinity Sound, dual power seats, Sienna Pearl paint, heated mirrors, auto dimming rearview mirror, full size spare, and steering wheel radio controls? Just wondering...

bagley1

I HAVE A 1994 JGC 6 CYINDER W/52K MILES ON IT. HAD TRANS SERVICED RECENTLY AND WAS TOLD OF EXCESS METAL IN PAN AND WILL NEED A NEW $2000 TRANS. SOON. HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ANY SUGGESTIONS?

livetodrive

I have a '2001 Grand Cherokee with 3,600 miles on it and am also experiencing whining. It's "Dad, can I drive the Jeep", or from my wife: "Why can't I use the Jeep for a change?" I asked the service department manager if this problem could be solved, but he said it was just normal for Jeeps.

Seriously, after using the Jeep for the last three months, I haven't had any problems. We appreciate the heated seats and the big V8. On long trips, if I leave it on cruise control at 67 mph I can get 22 mpg. Otherwise, for commuting my 18 highway miles with traffic on either end, I am lucky to get 17 - 18 mpg. I am eagerly waiting for the next big snowfall!

tonychrys

Nice post .

I suspect that many of the '99 and '00 bugs have been finally worked out. I'm just about ready to buy a 2001 GCL. With all the incentives DC is offering, we can probably get it for at least $2000 below invoice!

tonychrys

If you have recently purchased a JGCL, I'd love to know what kind of deal you got.

Thanks!

suvarefun

I just purchased a JGCL on 12/15. I shopped around went to 5 dealers. I did my homework checked out all the dif resources for buying a new car including Edmunds and I was able to negotiate $2,830 off the sticker price. That wasn't below invoice. I don't see how you will get $2000 below invoice even with dealer incentive of $1,000 that was in effect when I made my deal. None of the dealers in my part of the country would come down any farther. If you can power to ya. I Have 705 miles on my JGCL and it runs great no problems at all, handles great. Enjoy your new JGCL.

tonychrys

What Zip code do you live in? Just curious because I'd like to research what the going price is in your area. Thanks.

dbindenver

Tony for what it's worth I got my JGC for $6000 under sticker. But at 800 miles it's in for a new transmission because of the whining

tonychrys

Thanks for the note.

Question: Is it a JGCL 2001 and what drive system do you have, i.e, V8 and qudra-drive, etc.

thathat

We just leased a 2001 JGC Larado and love it. As I look through our agreement papers I found some discrepancies in the numbers. They differ from what they told me they would be. We are paying $453.00 per month for 39 months. Does that sound outrageous? The adjusted Capitalized cost is $26,375.00. The invoice price on this jeep was $29,100.00. The lease for our last jeep (1998 Larado)was due and we loved it so much we decided to lease another jeep. I hope we were not taken to the cleaners with this deal. What do you think?

gcl98

I've got a 98 Laredo, I-6, auto, w/Selec-Trac transfer case and 34,500 miles.

There's no problem shifting the T/C to/from 2wd, 4wd f/t, 4wd p/t or *into* 4wd LO. But when I try to shift *from* 4wd LO back into 4wd f/t as per the owner's manual, the t/c gears grind, and I have to shut the car off to move the t/c lever back into *any* position.

Am I doing something wrong here or what? Seems to me that you shouldn't have to shut the car off to get out of 4wd LO. Any comments?

I have to say that I'm a little surprised at the amount of gripes here about Jeeps. I've had absolutely no problems with mine (other than this one) and am looking to buy a new 2001 Wrangler Sport.

suvarefun

I live in CT. My zip is 06473. I see that dbindenver got $6000 of sticker. By my best guess that would put him a few thousand under invoice. Maybe the dealers in the northeast aren't as nice as the rest. Remember they are in the business to make money and selling cars for $2000 or $3000 under invoice and they'll be out of business real soon.

tonychrys

I hate to tell you this, but they are not losing money. They are holding the truth from the public. Right now there is about $2500 worth of customer AND dealer incentives (the unpublished stuff) on JGCs right now.

Using your Zip code at carsdirect.com right now, you can get a JGCL loaded (28K package) as follows:

MSRP: 37,000
Invoice: 34,280
CD.com: 32,263

That's $2000 below invoice leaving $500 plus dear holdback profit for the dealer.

To quote Fox Mulder, "The truth is out there."

TC

stargazer0791

The Carsdirect Price of $32,263 for a JGCL with 28k package seems almost too good to pass up. Per my calc the dealer still makes $614 on the deal. No need to feel sorry for them. But, here is the big but, if you lease; CarsDirects has an indicated 47% residual value for a 36 month lease. This would make the JGCL more expensive to lease than a RX300 with a cap cost of a few thousands more??? What have people gotten on lease deals for residuals?

Thanks,
Jerry

tonychrys

You're right about the RX having a better residual value. I think DC recognizes this and that's why they are subsidizing the dealers with low financing cash incentives.

As for me, I do so many miles that leasing is out of the question. I plan on buying a vehicle and holding onto it for awhile.

hattrick2

What's the best way to find out the options that were included on a particular 1999 Jeep GCL? I am considering a purchase of the vehicle a friend of mine owned with only 12,000 miles. He passed away so I've got the option to purchase it from his estate for $19,500. It has all the power goodies,4.0 engine,computer, including sun roof and leather. He had no problems with it during this time as far as I can remember. It looks and runs as if new. If the VIN# helps it's 1J4G258S1XC799--- I left off the last three digits. Any suggestions. Also is this a good price as it seems to be? Thanks!!

tonychrys

Call 800-992-1997 for assistance. They should be able to help you.

donnafitz

Can someone please post the link for the technical service bulletins that refer to 99JGC rotors? I'm about to go to battle for the THIRD set in 23,000 miles and want to have all my info in order before heading to the dealer. Thanks very much.

tonychrys

Hope this helps:

Service Bulletin Number: 050398
Bulletin Sequence Number: 221
Date of Bulletin: 9808
NHTSA Item Number: SB602194
Make: JEEP
Model: GRAND CHEROKEE
Year: 1999
Component: BRAKES:HYDRAULIC:DISC:ROTOR:DISC HUB
Summary: EXHIBITING MINOR BRAKE PEDAL PULSTION WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY ROUGH DISC ROTORS. EXHIBITING MINOR BRAKE PEDAL PULSTION WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY ROUGH DISC ROTORS. EXHIBITING MINOR BRAKE PEDAL PULSTION WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY ROUGH DISC ROTORS. **AK *AK *AK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Service Bulletin Number: 050599
Bulletin Sequence Number: 616
Date of Bulletin: 9906
NHTSA Item Number: SB606162
Make: JEEP
Model: GRAND CHEROKEE
Year: 1999
Component: BRAKES:HYDRAULIC:DISC:ROTOR:DISC HUB
Summary: INFORMATION REGARDING MATCH MOUNTING OF BRAKE ROTORS. *TT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This search returned 2 records.

suvarefun

I hate to tell you, but the $32,263 is the invoice price with dealer hold back. I don't know why you think thats $2,000 below invoice but you are misinformed.

"the truth is now out there!"

tonychrys

I fully loaded JGCL, data from Edmunds site:

Option Description Invoice MSRP.
28K Quick Order Package 28K (Limited 4WD) $1,326 $1,560
DGQ Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic $64 $75
VA Engine: 4.7L Power Etch V8 (Limited) $315 $370

Invoice MSRP. TMV
Base Price $31,975 $35,095 $32,476
Optionas $1,705 $2,005 $1,751
Dest Charge $600 $600 $600

Total $34,280 $37,700 $34,827

Dealer holdback is never buried in a car price, it is a courtesy that the manufacturer pays the dealer to keep the car on the lot. It usually covers the dealers interest payment, "floor management", etc.

The truth is out there, some people like to distort it!

coastie4

Just got back from the Jeep dealer.....looking for pre-owned JGC's. Found a dealer in San Francisco that is sitting on a lot of 2000's (program cars and early lease turn-ins.)

He wants $24,350 (originally $28,988, but talked down a little) for it:
-2000 JGC Limited
-6 cyl, 4x4, 28,000 miles
-LTHR, Power Package, Sunroof, Full size
spare, CD, and Cruise.

Is this a fair Price????????? Coastie4

krabe

I currently own a '93 JGC and I'm considering buying a '98 JCC 5.9L Limited. Does anyone out there currently have and would mind sharing some feedback? What kind of gas mileage do you get? Also, why did DC offer the 5.9L as an option only in 1998? Is this a bad sign? I may even consider a '98 JGC V8 without the 5.9L

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I love my '93 and look forward to getting a newer one. Thanks.