2002 Jeep Laredo

DT: 04-29-04 WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT,PRIOR TO THAT HAD BEEN TO A FLOWER NURSEY WHERE A LOT OF DIRT AND GRAVEL WERE ON GROUND AND THEN TO A SHOPPING CENTER. DRIVING A SLOW SPEED APPROACHING STOP SIGN, REGULAR WEIGHT IN VEHICLE. APPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE WHICH SEEMED TO GRIP AND THEN STARTED TO SLOW AND THEN LOST FUNCTION ON BRAKES. APPLIED STEADY PRESSURE TO TRY TO STOP BEFORE THE INTERSECTION, APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET FROM THE INTERESECTION TOOK FOOT OFF BRAKE WHICH WAS PRESSED TO FLOOR WHICH SEEMED AS IF THEY WERE RESPONDING BUT ONLY FOR A FEW SECONDS WHICH CEASED TO WORK DESPITE CONTINOUS PRESSURE. NO BRAKES WHATSOEVER. REMOVED FOOT IMMEDIATELY AND THEN PUSHED DOWN HARD TO ENGAGE ABS. FELT OR HEARD NOTHING. AT THAT POINT, STEERING WAS UNDER CONTROL BUT CAR WAS NOT STOPING. WAS IN STRAIGHTWAY STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS SPEEDING THROUGH. HIT THE SIDE OF THE PASSENGER PART OF THE OTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR, TOTALED SUV WITH FULL FRONTAL IMPACT. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN A SOFT MANNER. FEELS AS THOUGH SENSORS ALONG WITH OTHER SYSTEMS WERE NOT OPERATING NORMALLY. SUFFERED HEAD AND CHEST INJURIES. SELT BAGS DID NOT LOCK ALONG WITH BRAKES. AGAIN AIR BAGS WERE SOFT, DRIVER WENT THROUGH AIR BAG STRIKING THE STEERING WHEEL WITH HEAD AND CHEST. *AK

BRAKES/ ROTOR/CALIPER REPLACED @ 6257 MILES DUE TO VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT ANY SPEED. BRAKE LIGHT ON @ 16992 MILES DUE TO LOW BRAKE, CAUSE OF THIS WAS RIGHT FRONT CALIPER BAJO BOLT LOOSE. @ 19353 MILES AFTER OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION BRAKES BEGAN TO SURGE WHEN APPLIED, FOUND LUGNUTS TORQUED DOWN TO TIGHT. INSTEAD OF REPLACE DAMAGED ROTORS THEY TURNED ROTORS. @ 40405 MILES BRAKES AGAIN STRATED TO VIBRATES AND SURGE WHEN APLLYING BRAKES AT ANY SPEED. WARRENTY HAS SINCE EXPIRED ON THE BRAKES. *AK

I'VE HAD TWO INCIDENTS WHERE I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS ON THIS CAR. 1ST INCIDENT WAS 8/02 AT 8,700 MILE & NOW 11/04 AT 17,242 MILES. EACH TIME AS DRIVING I WOULD APPLY THE BRAKE A STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND EACH TIME THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH ROTORS BEING A DEFECTIVE, BUT THEY WARPED DUE TO MY DRIVING HABITS. HOW WOULD THEY KNOW MY DRIVING HABITS. I'VE HAD SEVERAL CARS IN MY LIFETIME AND NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS. I ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL INJECTION. IT WAS ALSO REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL. CLAIMS THAT IT'S NOT A DEFECT AND HE SAID THAT THE ROTORS CAN WARP AFTER JUST ONE TRIP. I REALLY DOUBT THAT. HE WAS EXTREMELY RUDE. I GUESS WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE IT'S GOING TO BE CUSTOMARY TO HAVE THESE REPAIRS DONE AFTER 8,700 MILES.*AK

SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES HAVE NOT BEEN "RIGHT". I TOOK IT IN A FEW TIMES TO BE TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. I WAS IN 2 ACCIDENTS, WHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, AND REAR ENDED EACH VEHICLE. WHEN I BRAKED AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MPH, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE SHOOK. IN AUG. 04, I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN TO COMPLAIN, AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKES ARE NOT UNDER WARRANTY (2002 GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO - 26000 MI) I FINALLY TOOK IT TO MY PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REPLACED NUMEROUS BRAKES ON THIS MODEL - THEY SEEM TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT FROM THE START. MY INSURANCE COMPANY DROPPED ME - TOO MANY OF THE SAME ACCIDENTS IN THE LAST 2 YEARS, AND AM NOW PAYING HIGH RATES, AS A RESULT. *JB

THE FRONT BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURELY AT 13,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND TO THIS DATE THE COMPLAINT HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. AN INDEPENDENT SHOP INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A VERY FREQUENT PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FIXED. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD WARPED ROTORS. THE SITUATION DETERIORATED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME TO THE POINT WHERE THE BRAKES WOULD CONSTANTLY VIBRATE AND SHAKE AT ANY SPEED. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED THERE WAS SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. ALSO, THIS PROBLEM WAS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE, TO THE POINT WERE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE IN CONSUMER'S HANDS. DEALER FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE BRAKE ROTORS. *AK