Faults:

Mostly wear and tear items (ie. rubber door lining coming loose).

Apparently the original pistons for the hood and lift gate are known to fail, and I've had to replace them.

The windshield washer pump quit working, and also needed to be replaced.

The air conditioning fans have started to make a loud, rapid clicking sound for a minute or so when turned on.

General Comments:

While a Grand Cherokee is a lower grade SUV, some cheaply-built components that wear out or fail weren't entirely unexpected (even if it's still disappointing). On the other hand, I think this vehicle has been engineered to be rock solid where it really counts: engine components, drive train, etc. I'd much rather fork over a little bit of money every once in a while to deal with minor issues than drop thousands on a major mechanical defect, and so far that's been the case with mine.

Overall, my Jeep has turned out to be pretty darn reliable; I've gotten 100,000 miles out of it with no major mechanical failure, and mostly only needed service on a number of items that fall under scheduled service/maintenance - like new shocks, brakes, transmission oil change, radiator flush, etc. As far as that goes, the only real beef I have with the Grand Cherokee is that tires are unusually expensive. I've bought new sets a couple of times, and every tire dealer tells me that price is "due to its 'odd' tire size"... getting quoted around $1000 for a set of four isn't uncommon, so it definitely pays to shop around.

It's been really good for anything I need it for: The daily commute, long road trips, hauling things around or pulling a trailer. Better gas mileage would always be nice, but this is of course an SUV. I get around 18 MPG on average so I don't have any real complaints.

I've owned five vehicles (so far) in my lifetime, and only two have made it past 150,000 miles... the last one that did so had a Toyota engine. With that comparison in mind, I can't think of a better testament to Jeep's reputation for ruggedness and reliability! As I'm writing this, I just realized that I've also owned my Jeep longer than any other car I've had, and by turn I think it's also the best-value vehicle that I've ever owned (even if it's yet to acquire the mileage of my old Geo Prizm).

Faults:

Trans shifter registers PRND sometimes, and throws a TCM code.

Heater fan speed selector is a hit/miss; mostly a miss.

Radio antenna/reception drops out.

Expensive repair parts.

2005 model has underside, exterior spare tire mount.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This SUV is very versatile, FAST, great off road and well crafted.

European engineered refinements are evident in the trim and interior.

No repairs have been necessary as this thing is superbly built and appointed.

This truck will impress your valet or the guys at the hunting club.

The only downside to ownership is that Jeep and Exxon really teamed up when this was built. Expect 13 to 18 MPG. I average 14. Drive it once, and you won't care about the gas mileage.