2001 Jeep Cherokee Powertrain & Transmission Problems

2001 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT, WIFE PARKS VEHICLE AT TOP OF STEEP DRIVEWAY ON FAIRLY LEVEL GROUND. PUTS TRANSMISSION IN "PARK", SETS EMERGENCY BRAKE AND EXITS CAR, LEAVING CAR RUNNING FOR NIECE AND 2YR OLD SON TO HAVE AC. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 MIN, NIECE DECIDES TO EXIT VEHICLE, OPENS PASSENGER DOOR, REACHES OVER TO TURN OFF IGNITION. AS SOON AS IGNITION IS TURNED OFF, CAR LURCHES BACKWARD, RUNS DOWN HILL, CROSSES THE STREET, RUNS THROUGH NEIGHBORS BACK YARD, THROUGH TREES, OVER RETAINING WALL AND HIGH CENTERS ON LARGE LOG. ALL PASSENGERS WERE OKAY BUY DID OVER $3000.00 IN DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE COMPUTER SHOWED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION JERKED WHILE IN MOTION AND CHANGING GEARS. HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN, BUT THE REPLACEMENT STARTED SMOKING. THE DEALER REPLACED AN OIL SEAL AND THE SMOKING CONTINUED. AFTER THE TRANSMISSIONS WERE REPLACED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO STAY ILLUMINATED. *AK

I OWN A 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES SUCH AS BRAKES/ROTORS THAT I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF WITHOUT COMPLAINT. HOWEVER MY JEEP WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH A FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE AND NEEDS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL. MY CAR HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE HAD THE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS SERVICED TWICE EACH ACCORDING TO THE SPECS IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY PRIVATE MECANICS AS WELL AS JEEP TECHNICIANS THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURED. CHRYSLER TOLD ME AFTER I HAD IT DIAGNOSED BY MY PERSONAL MECHANIC TO HAVE IT CHECKED BY MY DEALERSHIP. IF THE DEALERSHIP CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION I WAS ASSURED THAT MY WARRANTY WOULD BE EXTENDED TO COVER THE REPAIR. NOW CHRYSLER IS REFUSING THE REPAIR AND WILL NOT RETURN MY CALLS. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AT LEAST FALSE INFORMATION AND HAVE MOST LIKELY BEEN LIED TO. I'VE ALREADY PAID ALMOST $200 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS AND NOW AM BEING QUOTED ANOTHER $925 FOR THE REPAIR BY THE DEALER. I STILL HAVE OVER A YEAR LEFT ON THE NOTE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND AM APPALLED THAT I AM ALREADY PAYING TO HAVE A MAJOR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT REBUILT. CHRYSLER HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT A DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEM. THE BEARINGS WERE GRINDING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ABOUT REAR DIFFERENTIAL. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SERVICING ON 4 OCCASIONS, AND IT WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE 8 MONTHS LATER. WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND CONSUMER WAS ASKED TO PAY $500.00 FOR REPAIRS. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS METAL IN THE BOTTOM OF DIFFERENTIAL. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE HOTEL PARKING LOT AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE, HITTING THE DRIVER BEFORE STOPPING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

THE VEHICLE JERKED AT ANY SPEED.*JB

WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION DECELERATED EVEN WHEN THE DRIVERS FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT ALSO BECAME HARD FOR THE DRIVER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. *NLM

JEEP PURCHASED 7/19/02. WHEN TRANSMISSION SHIFTS THE SECOND SHIFT, THE SHIFT IS VERY RUFF AND YOU HERE A CLUNK. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ON A CONSISTANT BASIS. JEEP WAS TAKEN INTO THE SHOP ON 7/26/02 A CODE "65" FOR TRANSMISSION AND ACCUSED ME OF DRIVING VEHICLE HARSHLY. WHILE DRIVING DURING THE WEEKEND JEEP CONT TO SHIFT THE SAME WAY. TOOK JEEP BACK IN ON 7/29/02 AND GOT JEEP BACK ON7/30/02 STATING THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THAT EVENING I HAD THE TRANNY SHIFT HARSHLY 2 X. JEEP IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND SINCE I AM A WOMAN I THINK THEY DON'T BELIEVE ME. ANY HELP OR INFO WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A SLIGHT DOWNHILL GRADE, GEAR SELECTOR IN PARK, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME LESS THAN 5 MINUTES, THE VEHICLE CAME OUT OF PARK ON ITS OWN AND BEGAN TO ROLL FORWARD, CRASHING THROUGH A FENCE, SMALL TREES AND SHRUBS, THEN DOWN AN ENBANKMENT. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE AND IS PROBABLY A TOTAL LOSS.*AK

CLUTCH MAKES A NOISE WHEN CONSUMER PUSHES CLUTCH IN. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE INTO DEALER 11 TIMES IN PAST 6 MONTHS. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

REPLACEMENT FAILED 12/05/2001 AT 16,709 MILES. THIS REPLACEMENT APPEARS TO BE FAILING AGAIN. STRONG ODOR AND INTERMITTENT HOWLING FROM REAR END. ODOR WAS ATTRIBUTED BY DEALER ON PREVIOUS FAILURE TO BURNT SYNTHETIC OIL USED IN DIFFERENTIAL. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND RUNNING INSIDE OF A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE TOOK OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THERE WASN'T ANYONE INSIDE OF VEHICLE, AND IT STOPPED ON IMPACT WITH A FENCE.*AK

I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A NOISE COME FROM THE FRONT RIGHT. THE JEEP THEN PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED CAR. BY LOOKS, THE SUSPENSION, STEERING, AND DRIVELINE COMPLETELY BROKE OR DETACHED. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM.

SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY. WHILE SPEEDOMETER READS 55 MPH, VEHICLE IS ONLY TRAVELING AT 52 MPH. *AK DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT UNLESS THE SPEEDOMETER WAS OFF BY 5 MILES MPH, IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE OKAY. *SLC

WHILE PARKED AND IDLING, VEHICLE JUMPS OUT OF GEAR INTO REVERSE AND WENT BACKWARD INTO A FENCE. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HIS RIGHT KNEE. *AK *JG

VEHICLE IN PARK ON A SLIGHT INCLINE AND IT JUMPED FROM PARK TO REVERSE, INJURING THE OWNER. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK