2000 Jeep Cherokee Suspension Problems

I HAVE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO TRANSAMERICAN AUTO PARTS IN REGARDS TO RECALL 18E-072 AND AFTER BEING ON HOLD FOR HOURS AND MULTIPLE EMAILS, I AM NOT ABLE TO CONTACT THEM.

MONROE SHOCK ABSORBER, MODEL 550017; UNIT CODE P154H1 AFTER TWO YEARS OF LIGHT SERVICE IN CALIFORNIA THE UNIT WAS REMOVED TO INSTALL A LOAD SUPPORTING MODEL 58914. UNIT 550017 WAS FUNCTIONING WELL WITH NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF DAMAGE / MALFUNCTION. THIS SHOCK ABSORBER EXPLODED UPON REMOVAL FROM THE LOWER MOUNT.. THE LOWER SECTION WAS DRIVEN TO THE FLOOR BEING PROPELLED BY COMPRESSED GAS AND OIL. THE UPPER SECTION FELL HARMLESSLY TO FLOOR. THERE ARE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGES ASSOCIATED BUT THAT IS A MATTER OF FORTUNE, NOT DESIGN. THE RETENTION MECHANISM HAS NO SAFETY DESIGN FEATURE TO PREVENT THIS. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE WITH GAS CHARGED SHOCKS. INFORMATION SUPPLIED WITH THE UNITS MAKE NO MENTION OF THIS POSSIBLE FAILURE.

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 50MPH AND 60MPH, FRONT END OF VEHICLE AND STEELING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY. HAVE CHANGED TIRES, BRAKES, HAD TIRES BALANCED, AND FRONT END ALIGNED. THE CAUSE IS THOUGHT TO SUSPENSION OR BEARING ACCORDING TO ALL MECHANICS THAT LOOK AND DRIVE IT. NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE, ONLY THAT THE MECHANICS SAY THAT THIS YEAR CHEROKEE, IS KNOWN FOR THIS, AND THEY HAVE ALL SAID THERE IS NO KNOWN INVESTIGATION ABOUT THIS DANGER IN PROGRESS. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ AT THIS SITE ALONE, I AM CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE IS NO INVESTIGATION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END...

JEEP DRIFTS FROM SIDE-TO-SIDE WITH NO EFFORT BY DRIVER, TOLD THE BALL JOINTS ARE DEFECTIVE, BUT WONT REPLACE.*AK

WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS STEERING WHEEL BECOME VERY STIFF. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT WRONG FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS INSTALLED, AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH THE CORRECT CONTROL ARM. *AK

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM HOOD. THIS WAS DUE TO THE WIRING UNDER THE HOOD CATCHING ON FIRE. DEALER STATED WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK THE FIRE HAD CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND THE CONSUMERS INSURANCE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. AFTER A WEEK THE VEHICLE HAD A LOOSE BEARING AND WAS REPLACED. *YH

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, IF VEHICLE HITS THE SLIGTEST BUMP IN THE ROAD , A MASSIVE VIBRATION IS FELT IN THE FRONT END, ENOUGH TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE,VIBRATION IS WORST AT SPEEDS ABOVE 55MPH.CONTACTED DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. NLM

WHENEVER VEHICLE GOES OVER A BUMP IT SHIMMIES AND IS VERY HARD TO STEER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHILCE AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 50 MPH STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT AND PROCEEDS TO SHAKES UNTIL YOU ARE BELOW 50 MPH AND HAVE REMOVED YOUR FOOT FROM BRAKES. SOMETIMES IT IS SO BAD YOU HAVE TO GRIP THE STEERING WHEEL EXMTREMELY TIGHT TO TRY AND AVOID LOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK

JEEP ACELERATED ON ITS OWN CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO STAND ON THE BRAKES(THINKING I HAD ABS) BRAKES DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY, CAUSING ME TO HIT THE BACK OF A 4X4 TRUCK AT THE SPEED OF ABOUT 15 MPH ALL BUMPER PARTS HAD TO BE REPLACED AS DID MANY OTHER PARTS AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. TODAY I TOOK THE JEEP BACK TO DEALER FOR THE 4TH TIME TO TRY TO GET THING TAKEN CARE OF .ON THE 1ST TRIP I WAS TOLD THAT MY ABS BREAKS WERE WORKING FINE AND THAT THE MECHANIC FELT THEM KICK IN. TOOK IT BACK A WEEK LATER BECAUSE BREAK PEDDLE DROPPED TO THE FLOOR, AGAIN I WAS TOLD THAT ALL BREAKS WERE FINE AND THAT THE ABS WERE WORKING. ON 5/29/01 MY HUSBAND TOOK JEEP IN AND TEST DROVE IT W/ SERVICE MANAGER AND THEY DECIDED THE ABS WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. AND THEN WE WERE TOLD THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ABS ( SALESMEN TOLD US THE JEEP HAD ABS). THE FRONT END NOW SHAKES AT ABOUT 45-55 WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES AND SOMETIMES WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOWER SPEED. WHEN JCHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED THEY TRIED TO BLAME EVERYTHING ON ME. IT WAS MY FAULT THAT I DIDN'T CHECK TO SEE IF THE JEEP HAD ABS( WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULDN'T HAVE THEM AND WE DID ASK TO MAKE SURE AND WE WERE TOLD YES IT HAD THEM) AND IT WAS ALSO MY FAULT THAT AN INSPECTOR DID NOT COME OUT TO INSPECT THE JEEP AFTER THE CRASH BECAUSE I DID NOT REQUEST ONE TO ALTHOUGH NO ONE TOLD ME THAT ONE COULD COME OUT I AM SUPOSE TO BE ABLE TO FIND THIS INFORMATION OUT ON MY OWN. AS OF TODAY THE JEEP IS IN FOR SERVICE AGAIN 3RD TIME FOR BRAKE SERVICE 2ND TIME FOR FRONT END VIBRATIONS AND 2ND TIME TO HAVE THEM FIX ALL THE THINGS THEY DIDN'T DO RIGHT THE 1ST TIME. *AK

WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH VEHICLE SHAKES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *AK

REPEATED PASSENGER BALLJOINT FAILURE ON 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE SOURCES INCLUDING OWNERS AND JEEP DEALER REPAIR STAFF, THIS IS A REGULAR AND REPEATED PROBLEM IN 1999 AND 2000 MODEL YEAR CHEROKEES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.0L ENGINE AND PART TIME 4 WHEEL DRIVE. BALLJOINT ORIGINALLY REPLACED AT 10,950 MILES UNDER WARRANTY (REPLACING DEALER IRA JEEP, NO COST.). BALLJOINT HAS FAILED AGAIN. HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET A WEEKEND APPOINTMENT AT DEALER. SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE COINCIDE WITH REPORTS ON FILE WITH THE NHTSA - STEERING WHEEL AND/OR FRONT END 'SHIMMY' OR VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, PULLING OR PUSHING LEFT OR RIGHT UNDER ACCELERATION, DIFFICULTY IN MAKING LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS (LACK OF FEEDBACK FROM WHEELS, CAR ATTEMPTS TO PULL OPPOSITE DIRECTION). I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST ON THE BEHALF OF ALL JEEP OWNERS (THIS IS A 4 HOUR REPAIR, REQUIRING THE VEHICLE TO TYPICALLY REMAIN AT THE DEALER FOR ONE FULL DAY) THAT THE NHTSA FURTHER INVESTIGATE THESE FAILURES, AS I SUSPECT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THESE FAILURES ARE, IN MY OPINION, DANGEROUS AND CAN BECOME LIFE THREATENING SHOULD THE BALLJOINT(S) CATASTROPHICALLY FAIL. DAIMLER-CHRYSLER/JEEP HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT IN REGUARDS TO REPAIRING THESE PROBLEMS, BUT THESE ARE PROBLEMS THAT LEAVE CUSTOMERS WITHOUT THEIR CAR FOR A MINIMUM OF SEVERAL HOURS, AND ARE EASY TO IGNORE FOR MOST CONSUMERS. THANK YOU.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH STEERING WHEEL WILL START VIBRATING. COULD FEEL IT ON PASSENGER SIDE, AND IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. *AK

AT 50-55 MPH VEHICLE SHIMMIES, WENT TO ARBITRATION, TIRES WERE EXCHANGED, NO CHANGE.*AK THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE FOR SHIMMING AND THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE SAFE TO DRIVE. *YH

FRONT END WOBBLES AT 50 MILES HOUR-STEERING WHEEL WOBBLE ALSO. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 40-45 MPH VEHICLE COMMENCED TO VIBRATE/SHOOK, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON, AND THEN VEHICLE LOST POWER. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED INTO SHOP. INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE HAD FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AT SPEEDS OF 50-55 MPH, THE VIBRATION COULD BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGT FOR SERVICE MORE THAN SIX TIMES AND EACH TIME SOMETHING ELSE WAS REPAIRD BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT THE VIBRATION IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO BE CORRECTED.*YD

CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF THE STEERING WHEEL HAVING A SLIGHT SHIMMY, GOODYEAR WRANGER RT/S TIRES (P225 75 R15) HAVE BEEN ROTATED AND BALANCED AND THE PROBLEMS STILL OCCURS, THE SHIMMY COULD BE DUE TO A SUSPENSION PROBLEM OR TIRE PROBLEM. *SLC

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED IT PULLED DANGEROUSLY TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS CHANGED TO A RIGHT HAND DRIVE BY CHRYSLER FOR POST OFFICE DELIVERY USE BEFORE DELIVERY TO THE OWNER. IT WAS DRIVEN 249 MILES BY ANB EMPLOYEE OF THE DEALER BEFORE DELIVERY. THE PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN APARENT TO THEM AT THAT TIME. THE DEALER HAS SNT THE VEHICLE OUT FOR ALIGNMENT THREE TIMES TO ATTEMPT ALIGNMENT. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IT PROPERLY ALIGNED. THE DEALER WILL TRY TO GET IT ALIGNED AGAIN, BUT THEY WILL NOT DO ANY WORK ON THE VEHICLE TO REALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER SENT THE OWNER OUT TO GET NEW TIRES, BUT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THEM. THE VEHICLE IS STILL OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND IT DOES NOT STEER PROPERLY. THE DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY MORE ACTION TO FIX IT. THE DAELER CLAIMS THAT CHRYSLER IS NONRESPONSIVE TO THE PROBLEM. *AK