1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee LARADO 4.0 from North America
Summary:
High maintenance for the average woman
Faults:
The typical things have gone wrong with the car, in my case all at once. The rotors are warped after driving on them for 10,000 miles.
The driver side and passenger side windows have quit working. No, it's not the window motors either, it's the high tech controllers. No simple toggle switches in the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The car has began overheating occasionally when parked and left running for over 10 minutes. I've changed the thermostat, but come to find out, it is the fan relay.
Finally, the car would not shift out of 1st gear when driving. I had to fix this first, so when the check engine light came on, I took it to Autozone to get the code read, they were right on, the speed sensor was out. It's hard finding one of these, but I found one at CarQuest auto parts for only $19.99, I was not about to have the dealer charge me $300.00. It's located right above the cross brace (that bar that runs from side to side under the doors) on the transmission. Even a woman, no offense, can change it, all you need to do is disconnect the wire and unscrew it. Put the other one in quickly so you don't get soaked with transmission fluid. The old one had the fine metal shavings magnetized to the tip, like the ones on your transmission pan magnet. So, you may just have to wipe the tip of the old sensor off and put it right back in. You know that's all the dealership does. Keep your transmission fluid changed.
General Comments:
It's not a bad SUV, but there are a lot of servicing points on the car that can take you to the bank, if you do not know how to do them yourself.
Looks great, and handles snow with awe.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 2nd June, 2003
6th Oct 2009, 16:27
I have a 1999 4x4 GC Laredo with straight-6, 4.0L engine. Recently, I upgraded my front brake calipers from Teves (1999-2002 model yr) to Akebono (2003-2005 model yr). Either caliper will fit 99-05 WJ (Grand Cherokee), but the Akebono caliper is the one that fixes the warped rotor issue. Jeep upgraded the 2003 GC to the Akebono calipers (front) because of problems with Teves.
I bought the Akebono's from NAPA, which sells them for $75 each (net, after core exchange). New, they are $250-$300 ea. I also bought new rotors ($38/ea for front), and new premium pads from NAPA ($80).
ALso, I replaced the brake hose assembly on each side, as older hoses can also cause brake issues.
The problem with Teves is that they tend not to release completely when you take your foot off the brake. The constant rubbing of the brake pads on the brake rotor heats the rotors and eventually they will warp under the abuse, which leads to a shaky steering wheel and/or vehicle when the brake is applied. I went through 3 rotor sets on the front in the last 7 years, which is very annoying, and at times unsafe.
The Akebonos are visibly stronger, and braking action is powerful. They release completely when the foot is off the brake pedal (as they should).
Also, I replaced the steering damper, which after 10 years was not doing its job as evidenced by the slight tendency to be jostled by uneven pavement or groves in the road surface. Now, the vehicle is rock solid on road or off, very stable, easier to drive, and the brakes are awesome.
Go to this link for more info:
17th Oct 2014, 00:01
Wow, you saved me money, heartache and stress with your spot on post. I replaced that ol' speed sensor and the Jeep shifts like normal now. I didn't even have to jack it up. I just sorta reached in there with a crescent wrench and broke her loose (I had the connector disconnected) and spun it out by hand. I only lost about a tablespoon worth of fluid before I had the new one in. All good. Now I'll have to address all of these other common to '99 Grand Cherokee issues one by one. I already have the warped front rotors and non-working RR passenger window... Oh well at least I can drive it now!
29th Jun 2004, 13:48
THANK YOU!!! I have the same problem... my Jeep Grand Cherokee won't shift out of 1st gear and I didn't want to pay "an arm-and-a-leg" at the dealership. Your information has helped me tremendously and probably saved me $280!