Faults:
Warped front brake rotors, which causes steering wheel to shake when braking. Rotors replaced once, calipers replaced once, rotors and straightened twice, all under warranty. Note that this vehicle not used for towing, but was used in hilly urban areas most of the time, and thus brakes were used frequently. Dealer admitted this is a known problem, and did all work under warranty.
Note that this car has low mileage for its age and has been under extended warranty for its entire life.
General Comments:
This is perhaps the best looking SUV on the market and is well suited for many uses including hauling passengers and gear, yet also looks good for 'making a nice impression' in business or 'out on the town'. It is comfortable to drive and the 6 cylinder engine has adequate power.
Dealer service can be quite pricey, especially the routine warranty maintenance. I was able to get some of this routine service done at major national chain 'generic service' shops for about 1/2 the price.
The cloth seats in my model are very comfortable, and the car is easy to get in and out of.
The dash is quite simple and very easy to figure out how to operate the controls.
The ride is firm, but not truck like, and is pleasant in town or on the highway.
My Jeep has been essentially trouble- free, except for the front brakes.
I have had several Jeeps and have had good luck with them, but never kept them over 50,000 miles due to lease and warranty concerns. I have heard that these models can get expensive to maintain when they get old.
The car gets 16-17 mpg in town and 19-21 on the highway.
The residual value of these vehicles is not strong, and hence mine was leased.
26th May 2009, 19:25
I know what you're saying when it comes to those brakes & warped rotors. Mine were like that for along time until I finally got them fixed this past winter. Now my Jeep is a smooth ride. The brakes are great also.
I have 90,000 miles on my 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo & it still runs as smooth as when I got it at 53k. Good luck with your Jeep.