1999 Jeep Laredo

ERRATIC, INTERMITTENT INSTRUMENTATION FAILURES OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS STARTING WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOING ON AND OFF, A MALFUNCTIONING ODOMETER AND CULMINATING IN THE RECENT FAILURE OF THE SPEEDOMETER. I SUSPECT THIS IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AS NOTED IN COMPANY SERVICE BULLETIN #081599. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN THIS INFO FROM EITHER CHRYSLER OR THE JEEP DEALERSHIP. CLEARLY THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY CHRYSLER AS IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. PLEASE REFER TO NHTSA COMPLAINTS # 10025741, 896900, 723322, 10026823... IN ADDITION, MY FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW CRASHED INSIDE THE DOOR WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS DUE TO THE PLASTIC CLIP BREAKING IN THE WINDOW REGULATOR THAT HAS SINCE BEEN REDESIGNED. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AT THE COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS ABOUT A YEAR AGO FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. CLEARLY THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND IS NOT DUE TO "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY CHRYSLER AS IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. IN ADDITION, MY INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF MY WINDSHIELD INTO MY LAP WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY IN 2000. WAS TOLD THE GLUE LOST ADHESION DUE TO EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT. IT WAS FIXED BY DEALER AFTER I PURCHASED A "MIRROR REPAIR KIT". CLEARLY THIS IS BAD DESIGN AND AN ENORMOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I AM PRESENTLY DRIVING MY JEEP IN A DOWNTOWN METRO AREA WITH THREE WINDOWS AND A NON- WORKING SPEEDOMETER UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO GET PROBLEMS REPAIRED. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, A FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT EVIDENCED BY SMOKE AND FLAMES, STOPPED CAR, OPENED HOOD AND TWO FOOT HIGH FLAMES BURST OUT OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CALLED ST CHARLES IL FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO EXTINGUISHED FLAMES, HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER DETERMINED CAUSE OF FIRE WAS POWER STEERING HOSE BURST SPRAYING FLUID ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND WAS IGNITED. DEALER REPAIRED BY REPLACING HOSE AT A COST OF $348 THAT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE JEEP EXTENDED WARRANTY. *JB

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY INDICATING MALFUNCTION IN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM. TOOK TO DEALER WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE "CLOCK SPRING" IN THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSING THE AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. (NOTE THAT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY "CLOCK" BUT WAS TOLD THIS IS THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DRIVERS AIRBAG AND THE STEERING COLUMN WIRING HARNESS). THE PART WAS REPLACED FOR $350 BY DEALER BUT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM JEEP THAT WE HAD PURCHASED. CALLED JEEP EXTENDED WARRANTY NUMBER AND WAS TOLD TOUGH LUCK, PART NOT COVERED.

SIMILAR TO MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE NHTSA - WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND VEHICLE STARTED TO PULL TO RIGHT INTO THE OTHER LANE. THIS CAUSED CALIPERS TO LOCK UP. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER , AGAIN FOR THE FOURTH TIME FOR THIS PROBLEM & HAD IT REPAIRED. AFTER EACH REPAIR PROBLEM WOULD REAPPEAR. WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY THE DEALER AND THE JEEP CALIPERS WERE NOT MADE WELL. DEALER SAID (AFTER ALREADY SPENDING $2,000 IN BRKAE ISSUES) THAT THE ONLY FIX WOULD BE TO SPEND ANOTHER $600 TO PUT ALL NEW ROTORS AND CALIPERS ON - THAT JEEP HAD REDESGINED. NO RECALL NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO COVER THIS COST - ALTHOUGH I AM TOLD JEEP HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLITEN ON THIS. WHAT RECOURSE DOES THE CONSUMER HAVE TO THIS VERY COMMON AND EXPENSIVE JEEP ISSUE WITHOUT A RECALL NOTICE!!!*AK

BOUGHT JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE USED FROM A DEALER WITH 34.600 MILES ON IT - BRAKES SEEMED FINE THEN. SOON AFTER BRAKES STARTED SQUEALING AND THEN VIBRATING - THE LATTER BECAME REALLY VIOLENT BY THE TIME I HAD 52,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I REPLACED THE FRONT PADS AND THE ROTORS WITH USED ONES THAT WERE TURNED. THE VIBRATION STOPPED BUT THE REARS WERE SQUEALING BY THEN. I TURNED THE ROTORS AND REPLACED THE REAR PADS AT 58.000 MILES. AT 60,000 MILES IT IS BEGINNING TO VIBRATE AGAIN AND THE SQUEAL IS VERY PRONOUNCED AGAIN. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL...TO THE POINT WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED LONG AGO. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE: I ALMOST LOST CONTROL AT 55 MPH WHEN I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES SOMEWHAT FORCEFULLY. THE DEALER TOLD ME A FIX WILL COST $800.00 JUST FOR THE FRONTS TO SOLVE THE WARPING BRAKE ROTOR PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO BACKING PLATE ON THIS VEHICLE SO THAT WHEN IT RAINS COLD WATER SPLASHES DIRECTLY ON THE HOT COMPONENTS. IT CERTAINLY APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN ISSUE, SO I WONDER WHERE THE NTSB HAS BEEN ON THIS ONE...? CHRYSLER IS JUST WAITING IT OUT SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT - ESPECIALLY A 4-5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE NOW.