12th Mar 2006, 07:20
On the liftgate lock actuator part that you replace for the duck noise (not sure if that is the same part in the doors): My dealer shows "about 400 per week" sold by Chrysler. Subtract out some for collision repairs and you get how many fail because of quality. Thus its something less than 21,000 per year.
Would be interesting to check it again in a year (March 2007) to see how rapidly the quantity grows.
15th Mar 2006, 11:23
I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and have the same problem with all of my doors except for the back door and drivers side. This is a joke, I went online to see if anyone else had a problem and there are 1,000's of people who do. I don't understand why this isn't recalled. I also have the "bumper to bumper" warranty from jeep up to 80k miles and it covers everything in the door EXCEPT the actuator and door look. So they figure out what the problems are and then specifically take them out of the warranty? I am going to try and fix this myself as I am getting a quote of $200 per door from the dealer. Please send me any info that you have to fix this problem. Shohola979@yahoo.com.
Thanks.
24th Mar 2006, 03:35
Well I finally managed to fix the drivers door power lock. Besides that horrible noise, it started not to close. Initially I solved this by taking out the mechanism, opening and lubricating it. There were some problems with the springs inside, but it was only a matter of putting them in the right position. As for the noise and with the help of an electrician friend of mine, we opened the box where the motor is, and saw that the problem was not in the motor as I thought. He then put power into it and it worked just fine. So it had to be the plastic gears or the dirt in the several metal parts that make contact with each other. I lubricated those and cleaned these. When I installed it, Bye-Bye noise. Most importantly, I did not give Jeep any money. I'm not buying another American car in my life!
24th Mar 2006, 11:37
I don't quite understand this. You found a fairly easy fix for a relatively minor problem. But instead of being proud of yourself and glad to have something that is so easily fixable, you're madder than hell and will not be "buying another American car in your life!" I just don't get what you're so mad about. I have a feeling that no car will ever be perfect enough for you, and that you'll always find something to complain about.
25th Mar 2006, 11:34
About the ignition problem, Don't go to the dealer for repairs. You do have to buy the ignition from them, but get the cheaper 96.00 one, take it to a locksmith with the older not working one and pay him 21.00 to swap them out and you save yourself 350.00-400.00. You can keep the same key's when the locksmith changes them out. Jeep will tell you you have to have everything recoded etc. etc. etc. I also have had the tail light problems, speakers, door locks, and wheel cylinder leaks, I also had to replace the water pump, I did it myself and bought the water pump new at O'Reily's for only 69.00. I don't understand why there has been no recall on the whole vehicle.
4th Apr 2006, 22:02
I had the tail light's intermittent working problem on my 2000 Jeep GC. The tail light fix I found is to buy 2 of part no. 4676589 ($7.35 + tax at my dealer) - this is the small gray plastic taillight socket that holds the bulb. Throw out your old ones! Carefully clean off the terminals inside the tail light assembly using a small piece of very fine grit sandpaper (gently) and slightly bend the ground contact upward using a small screwdriver. Do all this very carefully! If you break the contact, you're spending $60 to $160, depending on where you buy the lens assembly. I didn't put anything under the contact as some of the other postings have suggested. So far, it's working great - I spent $16 when the dealer wanted to charge me over $400!!! Do it yourself - save yourself big bucks!
16th Apr 2006, 12:05
I own a 1999 Grand Cherokee Laredo. I realize that I have been fortunate with it after reading all of the comments.
The only serious problem has been the rotors. Two mechanics told me that the problem was torque that causes the warping. Unlike most vehicles, the lbs of torque should not be over 90lbs. Most places that sell and/or repair tires torque at around 125lbs.
My advice is to get yourself a torque wrench and torque the wheels yourself. I have had more than one dealer tell me that they would be torqued at 90lbs and when I check them, they are torqued much more than that.
17th Apr 2006, 10:50
Amen to the last responder. I truly feel that brake problems today are the result of poor driving habits, or repair facility employees acting like they are on a NASCAR pit crew. Gone are the days when repair/tire change employees would use manual lug wrenches, and actually use the criss-cross method for torquing lug nuts. now they simply use the air tool and go clockwise around the wheel. Additionally, most people on the road today drive full throttle, stop light to stop light, locking up the brakes at each light to get the vehicle stopped in time.
4th Mar 2006, 12:24
Here is a recap of common Jeep Grand Cherokee problems listed by this group. As a owner of a 2000 GCL I have had them too.
GCL 1. Electric Door Lock Noise. Most often the tailgate/liftgate. Noise referred to as a Duck, Aflac or Burrraappp. Happens in or out of warranty (implies < 36,000 miles), for me was at 51,000 miles and it's still not fixed. Happens to thousands of owners, maybe hundreds of thousands? Conspiracy theorists note that this problem is NOT in the Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) at wjjeeps.com www.wjjeeps.com/tsb_list.htm
1a- Fix by dealer for free - LOL, just kidding.
1b- Fix by dealer around $200.
1c- Buy part at dealer for $77, fix yourself.
1d- Buy one size fits all actuator for $15, drill new holes, re-wire, to fix yourself.
GCL 2. Various taillight issues. Some or all: Left/right/brake/indicator lights burn out or intermittent. Usually a bad socket/circuit board rather than the bulb. My case happened around 40k miles, fixed it myself. NOT listed in TSBs.
2a- Fix by Dealer, cost varies.
2b- Buy part at dealer, fix yourself.
2c- Buy part online, fix yourself.
2d- Fix yourself by bending contacts, foil, etc.
GCL 3. Dashboard speakers fail. The Infinity sound system tweeters blow. Guess what? NOT listed in TSBs.
3a- Fix by Dealer, around $64 per speaker plus $xx labor.
3b- Buy part at dealer, fix yourself, around $64.
3c- Buy part (actually it's a whole kit with tools) online, fix yourself around $50.
Perhaps a 4th problem is warping rotors. I had mine replaced as part of what I consider normal brake service at 50k miles.
Hope this helps someone...
Mr. Clark.