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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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Comments

  • strokeoluck2strokeoluck2 Member Posts: 91
    edited December 2012
    Wanted to share my thoughts on the Fortera as well, for the benefit of anyone considering a Jeep GC in the future (or, hopefully, for the benefit of Jeep/Chrysler corporate!). I now have 32k miles on my JGC Overland with 20" Forteras. I am just starting my second winter with the JGC. The Forteras have been absolutely HORRIBLE in snow and rain. And I mean downright scary, dangerous horrible. First time I had an issue was when the JGC was just a couple weeks old and we were hauling my boat up north. We were in a moderately heavy rainfall and hit a puddle on a state highway. The JGC pulled so hard to the right that I thought we were going to go off the side of the road. I had to fight like crazy to straighten her out. After that it was white knuckle driving anytime it rained out, as it happened several more times in the rain, and please don't tell me this is to be expected...I've been driving way too long in the upper Midwest to fall for that one.)

    And in winter, with just the slightest dusting of snow on the road, it feels like the JGC is on skates. During one 2"-3" snowfall I was so ticked off at my new JGC that when I got home I took my wife's Honda Pilot out around the block to compare handling. Her tires were normal all season tires and had more miles on them than the JGC did. The Pilot clearly handled much better in the snow than the JGC.

    The other day, during our first snowfall of the season, I was slipping and sliding again, and my entire family was in the JGC. Even though I had plenty of "tread" left on the Forteras, I took it right over to my local tire shop and dropped $1,000 on new Goodyear Wrangler TA (?) tires. It handles MUCH better.

    I understand why the dealer says the tires will be fine in snow, because they're just trying to make a sale. But why the heck is CORPORATE putting these tires on a JEEP?! Aren't Jeeps supposed to be known for their ability to get around in tough conditions? The Forteras really make this thing ride like a Lexus in normal conditions, which was nice. But in rain and snow, to not have confidence in a JEEP just doesn't make sense to me. Combine this tire issue with the other warranty issues I've had with the Jeep (6x in the shop for transmission, hydraulic lift, electric driver seat), and this will be my first and last Jeep. They lured me in with the JGC design, but now I see why they are consistently ranked in the bottom of JD Power quality rankings. I'm thinking they just don't care, that they are ok with their position in the marketplace, and they're counting on that "iconic" Jeep brand to always lure buyers in. In 12 combined years of Honda/Acura ownership we were in the shop ONCE for non-routine work. And their tires always worked just fine.

    Again, hopefully Chrysler corporate is listening. For any of you readers who are considering a Jeep, and live in snow country, try like heck to ask the dealership to swap out the tires. Or just plan on investing $1000 right upfront on new aggressive tires. Or...consider a vehicle made by a company that isn't consistently ranked in the bottom of quality rankings, and that chooses appropriate tires that match their brand promise.
  • marsha75marsha75 Member Posts: 3
    Hi! My check engine light came on this morning as well. I am wondering, did your light ever go out? and what is a cold start indicator.
  • iwant12iwant12 Member Posts: 269
    Mine came on a few months ago. Then I remembered to check the gas cap to make sure it was properly sealed. Turned it until it clicked 3 times, and the engine light went out at once. Knock on wood, I haven't had one problem otherwise with 22K on the clock. Still loving it.
  • iwant12iwant12 Member Posts: 269
    Do you have 4 X 4 or AWD? I have Forteras (17s) on my '11 JGC. It says 4 X 4 on the back but is essentially AWD. I'm in Texas and we don't get too much of the nasty stuff. Didn't have any snow or ice last winter but the one before that we got socked in for a solid week. I had an 07 4Runner RWD with new Michelins and it was a tank, never sliding. Hopefully my Forteras will handle anything Mother Nature swings our way. They've got 22K on them and I'm not ready to buy a new set. But if I find that they suck, I'll switch them out. Let me know how your new Wranglers work out for you, and good luck.
  • strokeoluck2strokeoluck2 Member Posts: 91
    My Overland is AWD. The new Goodyear's are terrific, this is clearly what Jeep should have started with, instead of making me cough up the $1k.
  • kkfoster54kkfoster54 Member Posts: 1
    I am having a serious problem with the Key Not Detected function not working properly. I thought it may be the car key battery, so I got the spare key and it's doing the same thing. I have to try anything and everything to get that car to recognized the key is in the car and to get the car to crank. My fear is that I'm going to get stranded somewhere, and the car wont crank at all , I don't feel good about that, this is a new car. I had so many problems with my 2006 Jeep, I traded it in for the 2011 and not all the "features" that made me buy this car works properly. Being that I don't need the key to crank the car I usually lay my key in the console or have it in my purse on the passenger seat. I have gotten locked out of my car 3 times. Sometimes it works, it beeps 3 times, each time I was far away from home and accidently closed the door without grabbing my keys, and needed the feature to work I got locked out. I was showing this car off one day and telling someone about this feature and purposely laid the keys in the seat and locked and closed the door, I got locked out. These were some of the features that made me buy the car it would be great if the manufacturer would get these problems fixed. Why offer these features when the don't work right.
  • frankmostekfrankmostek Member Posts: 5
    My remote key worked fine until about 3 months ago - and then I started experiencing some of the same symptoms you describe. I replaced the batteries in the key and all is well - try that.
    I have suggested that the Jeeps have a combo on the door like my old Ford Explorer had - that would be a nice feature. Maybe Ford has a patent on that?
  • cdjjdjcdjjdj Member Posts: 2
    My problems started several months ago and was with the doors not opening until 3 or 4 try and dash saying key not detected or remote battery low. All these were so spread apart and not very often that I just thought they were flukes, not real issues. Then on March 17th 2012 I was visiting a friend and when I went to leave the car would not start. It had 24,000 miles on it. It was towed to the nearest Jeep dealership and the next day (18th) John called me during lunch and told me to come get it. When I asked what the problem was and John said there was nothing wrong with my Jeep and to come get it. I said there has to be a problem because it would not start. He told me to come get it and that I would not get stranded because there was nothing wrong with it. I got back to my home town and stopped to get gas and it would not start, so once again it would not start and it had to be towed (they say they replace the fuel module). I got it back on Wed. 20th I believe and again on the following Monday 25th when trying to leave for work it would not start again. Once again it had to be towed. This time they said they had to replace the remote module and order 1 new key to come back at my convience for once the key came in to get it the key programed. When dropping off people after a wedding on Friday both couples with me got out of the car and said good by to each other the doors where open and the key in the console next to me and the ding ding started going off and wouldn't stop even after the 1 couple got back in and shut the doors and the dash said the key was not detected. On the following Monday. I took the Jeep back to get the new key programmed and to leave the Jeep with them once again because of what had happened that Friday night. Then once again I picked it up a few days later and they said that they had to replace the win module. The next time I had a problem they said they had to reprogram the win module and the new key. All along they kept saying that they could not duplicate the problem. Once the Jeep would cool down over night after being towed in, it would start for them. I am so disappointed in my jeep and really do not want it anymore. I told them that I had concerns that it would be hard for me to get the value of the jeep if I tried to resale it because if people found out about all the problems I had with it they would either not buy it or not give the price I was asking and Stephanie with the Chrysler solution team told me that this was not there problem if it showed up on car fax, they had no control over that and that if anyone called the dealership to check on it that the dealership was not supposed to give any of this information on these problems out to anyone. I am a widow and I sold my Pontiac Grand Prix GTP 2001 that my husband had bought me brand new because it was almost 11 years old and bought this 2011 Jeep brand new in hopes of having a dependable car for the next 10 to 15 years like my Pontiac was. Sick at my stomach and unsure of what to do now!
  • cdjjdjcdjjdj Member Posts: 2
    See msg. #480 My Jeep still leaves me stranded and will not start. Every time it is towed in to a dealer ship the next day when they go to start it then it starts and they call me to come pick it up because they cannot duplicate the problem. So frustrated and scared to go to much in it for fear of getting stranded in the wrong place. They have told me a couple times that there is nothing wrong with my Jeep. Well I don't know what kind of crazy would have their car towed 6 or 7 times due to it not cranking and have to wait 30 minutes to an hour on the tow truck, especially in the pouring down rain with groceries in the car getting hot. Not me. Mar car will not start sometime and I have had plenty witnesses to the fact and that doesn't seem to matter. I am a widow with one teen and I have to work to make a living and am paying for a Jeep that is not reliable and it feels like no one in the world cares.
  • jeleazerjeleazer Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know of problems related to the rear hatch back on the Jeep Grand Cherokee (2011)? I have had the same issues 2 times now in the last 4 months. The lift gate button is pushed and the gate opens but the spoiler on the top pushes into the top of the car so forcefully that it puts a huge indention and bust the rear window costing around 3000 dollars for repairs at the auto body shop. This cannot be the only time this has ever happened. The first time we were in snow and even though the car had been on for 15 minutes so there was no snow on the vehicle the jeep dealership thought it was a fluke or something was caught in the lift gate when it was opened. Please let me know if anyone is aware of this happening before.
  • skandak9skandak9 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem. The spoiler is out of position and binding with the roof when the liftgate or glass is opened. All looks fine from the limited view I have. Anyone...?
  • las8las8 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with my 2010 Jeep grand Cherokee I had it towed more times then I can count and not 1 code shows up when they hook it up to the computer. I then had a problem with the sunroof leaking so I took it to get it fixed and it made it worse it was like I had my own personal waterfall inside my vehicle. Did you ever contact Chrysler about the problem? because when I did they said that there were no reported calls regarding this issue
  • skou1298skou1298 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2012 JGC Overland Summit which has had 3 pairs of rear shock absorbers fail on it. Bought the vehicle new in Nov. 2011 and it currently only has 16,700 of mostly city miles on the odometer. The last two pair of shocks failed (after being installed) before the vehicle even left the dealership. Seal breaks (?) inside the shock and leaks hydraulic fluid.

    Originally requested the vehicle be examined for a bad clunking sound heard in the suspension during low speed parking lot maneuvers. Jeep examined the vehicle and discovered the original shocks had leaked hydraulic fluid. Shock body clanking against itself was the reported sound source. New shocks ordered. Returned to the dealership, shocks installed, vehicle road tested by mechanics, new shocks found leaking. Repeated this process one more. Fourth set of shocks now on order.

    I can't seem to find anyone reporting a similar problem in the late model JGC forums here, but has anyone dealt with this issue? It's a very subtle problem. The sound is annoying but not overwhelming. Only really heard at low speed maneuvers. (Sound drove me crazy though knowing I paid $45K+ for this vehicle.) The original shocks performed OK. I never noticed a leak. But I have to say shock pair #2 had the vehicle very unstable, particularly during highway speed maneuvers. Must have lost all their fluid. (Judging by the size of the puddle at the dealership that might have been the case.) They really got my attention.

    Dealership has been very cooperative. Jeep claiming this is not a pervasive problem. Making the dealership follow warranty protocol with the replacements. But I've had it. I don't have time to have new shocks installed on my vehicle every 2 weeks, among other issues. Calling Jeep customer service tomorrow. Laying the groundwork for shock pair #4 to fail.
  • tromeneskotromenesko Member Posts: 5
    This is clearly a recurring problem on the new Jeeps. I had the same issue, the dealer diagnosed it within seconds on the test drive but didn't want to do it as a no charge repair. I called Jeep and they took care of most of it.
  • arhouarhou Member Posts: 8
    I had the same clunking issue with my 2011 GC Overland with trailer package. I traded it for a 2012 w/o trailer package and no more rear shock noise.

    None of the 2011 or 2012 GC's I drove w/o trailer package had the noise issue.

    Jeep tried many fixes but nothing worked.
  • iwant12iwant12 Member Posts: 269
    My left rear turn signal bulb went out last night (got a message on the dash) so I thought I'd be trick and bought a pair of Pilot LED 3057s. Though they fit fine, they didn't work. Has anyone else encountered this? I'd really like to change out all the lamps for LEDs.

    Got 30 K on the clock on the 2011 GC, it's been a great 4x4, no problems whatsoever.
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