2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS OPERATING PROPERLY 3 MINUTES PRIOR TO ATTEMPTED STARTS. THE FIRST ATTEMPT, THE ENGINE FIRED UP AND REVVED UP BUT IMMEDIATELY DIED. SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS WERE SIMILAR. AFTER ABOUT 4 OR 5 ATTEMPTS, THERE WAS A LARGE RATTLING NOISE AND THE ENGINE BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO START. AFTER TOWING THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND HAVING THEM OPEN UP THE ENGINE, WE FOUND THAT THE VALVE SEAT HAD DROPPED OUT FROM THE CYLINDER HEADS AND MUST HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OPERATE INCORRECTLY. THE VALVE SEAT HAD SHATTERED INTO MANY TINY PIECES, WHICH MOST LIKELY CAUSED THE RATTLING NOISE. UPON INVESTIGATION I HAVE FOUND THAT THE VALVE SEAT DROPPING OUT IS A COMMON ISSUE ON THE 5.7L HEMI ENGINE IN MY JEEP AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY DODGE AND CHRYSLER. THIS IS UNSAFE AND SHOULD REQUIRE THE IMMEDIATE ACTION OF CHRYSLER TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR VALVE SEATS. *TT

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR INSIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN DOOR FROM THE INSIDE (MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE). UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC SURROUNDING THE HANDLES ON BOTH PASSENGER-SIDE DOORS ARE ALSO CRACKED IN THE SAME SPOT, THEY WILL SOON FAIL. CALLED DEALERSHIP (FARRISH, IN FAIRFAX VA), THEY SAID JEEP WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME AS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND ENTIRE DOOR PANELS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT $780 EACH (NOTE: NOT THE DEALERSHIP'S FAULT). GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND OTHER WEBSITES, IT IS CLEAR JEEP IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS DECIDED TO TO ADDRESS IT, DESPITE THE OBVIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. FURTHERMORE, THEY HAVE REFUSED TO OFFER THE HANDLE AS A SEPARATE PART - REPLACING A DOOR PANEL WITH ANOTHER ONE WITH A SIMILARLY DEFECTIVE PART IS NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE, AND DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A REAL SOLUTION AS THE NEW PART IS JUST AS LIKELY TO FAIL AS THE OLD ONE. A RECALL SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. THE PROBLEM IS SO WIDESPREAD THAT THERE IS NOW AN AFTERMARKET SOLUTION (DOOR HANDLE REPLACEMENT KITS) DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, BUT YOU CAN'T GET THEM INSTALLED BY THE DEALERSHIP. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HESITATED TO START AND THE IGNITION MADE A CLICKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE STARTER AND THE IGNITION SWITCH WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 121,200.

INTERMITTENTLY, ALL LIGHTS FLICKER OFF AND ON. AFFECTED LIGHTS INCLUDED EXTERNAL LIGHTS INCLUDING HEADLAMP, FRONT & REAR MARKER LIGHTS, LIC PLATE ILLUM; PLUS THE INTERNAL LIGHTING THAT INCLUDED GUAGES, DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTING, ETC. FLICKERING HEADLIGHTS WERE SERIOUS DISTRACTION TO MOTORISTS AHEAD OF ME AND APPROACHING, CAUSING ONE OTHER VEHICLE TO GO OFF THE ROAD. THIS JEEP ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 40K MILES. AFTER RESEARCHING SIMILAR INCIDENTS ONLINE, OWNER ORDERED AND REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ASSEMBLY (MF SWITCH), WHICH COST $89.99 FROM ADVANCED AUTO PARTS. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE MF SWITCH, AND REASSEMBLY OF THE STEERING COLUMN COVER OVER THE MF SWITCH, THEN RECONNECTING THE BATTERY AND A TEST DRIVE, THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE CORRECTED. AFTER OVER A MONTH OF DRIVING SUBSEQUENT TO REPAIR, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. CHRYSLER-JEEP OUGHT TO BE ALERTING CUSTOMERS OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM AND REPLACING THESE DEFECTIIVE MF SWITCHES TO PREVENT INCIDENTS. SINCE THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS, THE MANUFACTURER COULD BE CULPABLE AND LIABLE. OWNERS CAN DO THIS REPAIR THEMSELVES, BUT YOU NEED TO GET THE RIGHT PART FOR YOUR OPTIONS, AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF SPECIAL SCREWDRIVERS THAT HAVE THE STAR TYPE HEADS. *TR

AS I PULLED INTO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX AROUND 5:30AM ON 8/08/2013, I NOTICED A LOUD "THUD" SOUND AND MY JEEP BECAME STALLED IN THE DRIVEWAY. I PRESSED GENTLY ON THE GAS PEDAL TO MOVE MY VEHICLE OUT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, BUT THE JEEP WOULDN'T MOVE AND THEN FINALLY JOLTED INTO DRIVE WITHOUT ME PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A PARKING SPOT. THE SERVICE 4-WHEEL DRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH BEFORE I SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED APPROPRIATELY AND EFFICIENTLY OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I CALLED SHORE TIRE ON 8/9/2013 TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT FOR A MECHANIC TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE JEEP AT 10MPH A MILE DOWN THE ROAD ON 8/12/2013 TO THE SERVICE SHOP. I WAS INFORMED THE PARKING BRAKE AD DISLODGED ITSELF FROM THE SHAFT, DISMANTLING THE REAR BACKING PLATE SYSTEM, LEFT REAR ABS SENSOR, LEFT REAR AXLE/HUB AND DAMAGED THE REAR ROTORS. I HAD TO PAY $1,320.30 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. *TR

ON JUNE 11, 2013, I PULLED INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE PARKING LOT. I PUT MY (2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE) IN PARK & GOT OUT (THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING). AFTER A MOMENT OR SO, MY JEEP STARTED ROLLING FORWARD. IT ROLLED BETWEEN THE FUELING ISLANDS & IT WAS HEADED TOWARDS THE STREET. MY JEEP HIT A YELLOW POLE & THAT STOPPED IT FROM ROLLING INTO THE STREET. (THE YELLOW POLE IS A SAFETY POLE THAT PROTECTS THE FIRE HYDRANT). I AM 100% CONFIDENT THAT I PUT MY JEEP IN PARK BEFORE I GOT OUT OF IT. I WAS SHOCKED & SCARED WHEN I SAW IT ROLLING DOWN THE LOT. I FILED AN ACCIDENT CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DAMAGE WAS AROUND $6,000. MY DEDUCTIBLE WAS $500. TODAY, (AUGUST 13, 2013), I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM CHRYSLER. THE REASON FOR THE RECALL IS THE "FINAL DRIVE CONTROLLER MODULE SOFTWARE MAY UNINTENTIONALLY CAUSE THE TRANSFER CASE TO SHIFT INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE DRIVER. THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY INADVERTENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING." I WAS (AND I STILL AM) 100% CONFIDENT THAT I PUT MY VEHICLE IN PARK BEFORE I GOT OUT OF IT. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS AT THIS POINT? MY INSURANCE COMPANY PAID THE CLAIM & I PAID MY DEDUCTIBLE. NOW, MY INSURANCE RATES WILL GO UP. WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? HOW DO I PROCEED? *TR

ALL FOUR DOORS, THE DOOR UNLOCK/OPEN HANDLES ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND ARE DISINTEGRATING AND FALLING APART. THIS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OF VEHICLE. HANDLE IS MADE FROM CHEAP BRITTLE PLASTIC AND ALL ARE FALLING APART, EVEN THOSE ON DOORS THAT ARE NOT USED FREQUENTLY. JEEP HAS SAID THE ENTIRE DOOR PANEL HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $800.00 PER DOOR PANEL X 4 DOORS = $3200.00!!! THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE LEVER MECHANISM IS PLASTIC MADE INTO THE DOOR PANEL. JEEP NEEDS TO HAVE A FACTOR RECALL TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE DOOR UNLOCK/OPEN HANDLES. *TR