3rd Jul 2010, 01:48

I also have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee - luckily, my husband is a mechanic (at this point he doesn't think it is lucky).

Recently, we had to replace the heater core - it has been leaking for quite some time. We got a Carfax on the car when we bought it and it showed nothing wrong. After tearing out the entire dash to get to the heater core, it was obvious someone had been in there before. We had never had any heat on the floor and very little on the defrosters. Evidently because when it was put back together, they jammed everything in without thought as to whether all the nuts/bolts/clips were there or not. There are such design flaws in the system, there are too many to count. But that is all beside the point. While he had everything out, he decided to see if the antifreeze had done any damage to the carpet - so he took it out. Lo and behold, on both the driver's side and the passenger side - the holes for the bolts which hold the seats in place to the frame of the car had totally rusted out. Reason for this? Because of a design flaw which creates a water trap against the frame. Of course the fact that the car has no undercoating doesn't help. The metal on the frame where the seats bolt down is probably less than 1/8 inch. (I do have pictures of the damage and repair). He cut out the bad spots and welded in new metal.

I contacted Jeep to find out about recalls for the problem and was told there were none. To me this would be a MAJOR safety hazard - any type of crash and the seats would pull/break loose. (But then how often is the carpet taken up during any routine repairs?)

The brakes and rotors, he researched and found stainless steel rotors, which did stop the pulsating brake problem.

The ABS is a total joke - we had the car less than a month - it snowed and both he and I went through a red light due to the road conditions - we were both going less than 15 mph at the time - the ABS was ineffective and useless.

The transmission has had the same problems as everyone else has related. He bought a fresh air kit - to try and alleviate some of the running problems, while trying to use the air conditioner or heater. What he found out while replacing the heater core is that a "relay" was missing.

And don't even ask him about the factory repair manual.

I guess my question is this - I paid (used) more for this vehicle than I did for my first three bedroom house with 1 acre of mountain land. I have put more into it than any other vehicle I have owned. I have tried to contact Jeep Consumer Affairs and only get lip service. Noting the amount of dissatisfied consumers who have added their comments on this site - is there no one out there we can contact who will actually listen to us? Many of these comments/problems are safety related. Is the answer, as some have put it, to make this the last American automobile we buy?

5th Jul 2010, 18:05

2001 Jeep GCL - I am so glad to see that I am not crazy! We purchased a used 2001 Jeep in 2009 with only about 76,000 miles on it. Thought we were getting a great deal as my husband can do just about all mechanic work. It needed a head gasket; no biggie for the hubby. It also needed the window regulators as well, which I can see is obviously quite normal after reading all the posts! That makes me feel better. Not too long after, we had all kinds of electrical issues. Turns out all it needed was a new battery. No biggie, but it sure caused some really weird issues like the back window not opening, interior lights not turning off, etc. Would have thought a wire issue, not a bad battery! We had the tail light issue too! Messed with them forever and finally got the contacts bent just right! Now they work! Replaced hatch and window struts myself although not cheap buggers. Hood is staying open for now.

We have driven it about 5000 miles. The blinkers did not want to work. Had to change the regulator. That was not easy to get out. At 80,000, the check engine light came on and $1950 later it has a rebuilt transmission. Transmissions are the one thing my hubby can't do, darn it! The tranny place says to my face that honestly... Chrysler is their job security!

About 5 days later, when shutting off the car, the radiator fan won't shut off. Probably the relay is stuck. Before it even goes back for the tranny 2 week check up, it is having trouble starting. Tranny place says the contact in the gear shift needs adjusted or a new switch ordered. After $2000, better be no big deal. The steering wheel is pulsing when braking so I am assuming we are in need of rotors, brake pads, and calipers from what I read.

The seat is still okay, but will keep that in mind if I feel it rocking. I do have an issue with the AC/heater. In the winter, the heater does get hot, but not that hot, and the vents do not blow evenly as if they are plugged or something. It makes for a hot car even though the AC is cold as it is not blowing forcefully through the vents. We looked for a clogged hepa filter but seems not to have a filter at all. Will change the thermostat first, and if it's not that, we will head for the heater core to see if it is clogged. Hoping not to have to take apart that dash, but will if we have to.

What's next? I think we have changed it all or are about to. I guess it sounds like it starts all over again. Do you get rid of it as fast as you can, or do you drive it straight into the ground as long as you know how to work on it?

We also own a 2000 Toyota Corolla new off the lot and it is the best little car we have ever owned. We have not changed a single thing but tires, brake pads and a single window motor while under warranty. Most problems with it are interior cosmetic problems. I'd rather that than mechanical issues!

It is a nice sized SUV, and fun to drive, but no more Jeeps for us! No matter how good the deal, unless it is to resell it to another unsuspecting individual like ourselves! They look nice, but they are a trap of unsuspecting repairs.