2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Speed Control & Cruise Problems

ONE MONDAY THE 6TH DRIVING NORTH. IT WAS RAINING. SO, I HAD FULL 4WHEEL DRIVE ENGAGED. A CAR CUT ME OFF. I WAS ON THE TRANSITION FROM THE 5 N TO THE 55N. A CAR FROM THE LEFT LANE CUT INTO MY LANE TO TRY AND EXIT ONTO 4TH STREET. TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT I SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS AND VEERED RIGHT. BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I PUSHING DOWN ON THE BREAKS AS HARD AS I COULD. THE CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING AND DID NOT SLOW DOWN. TRYING TO OBTAIN CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE I "FISHTAILED" FROM GOING RIGHT BACK TO LEFT AND HIT THE SIDE OF THE CAR AND THEN HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER. THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING AND I HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER AND FLIPPED AROUND. I WAS THEN FACING OPPOSITE TRAFFIC TOWARDS THE DIVIDER. I THREW THE CAR INTO PARK AND HELD THE BREAKS STRONG. THE BACK WHEELS WERE STILL SPINNING OUT. I LOOK DOWN AND THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION. LUCKILY, I HAD A SPARE KEY IN THE CENTER CONSOLE AND SHUT IT DOWN. I FOUND THE KEYS ON THE GROUND BUT NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE PEDALS. I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT. THE ONLY THING THEY COULD VERIFY IS THAT THE KEY COULD COME OUT WILE THE CAR IS STILL ON. ACCORDING TO THEM THIS HAPPENS AS THE KEY WEARS DOWN OR GETS OLD.

THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AND STATIONARY IN PARK. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE IT STARTED ACCELERATING BACKWARDS OUT OF CONTROL. THE DRIVER PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE WHICH DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. WHILE IN THE MIDST OF A COLLISION HE THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. THIS TOOK PLACE IN A PARKING LOT AND THE VEHICLE WENT STRAIGHT BACK INTO A FENCE.

OWNER/DRIVER TURNED INTO HIS DRIVEWAY AND PUSHED GARAGE DOOR OPENER TO ENTER, BUT UPON GETTING ON DRIVEWAY CAR ACCELERATED. DRIVER TOOK SHARP LEFT TO MISS STRUCTURE, 4' FROM HIS HOUSE, AND CAREENED THROUGH THE YARD, BETWEEN TWO TREES, DOWN BACK INTO THE STREET WHILE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER CONTINUED PRESSING BRAKE AND WAS BURNING RUBBER THROUGH THE GRASS AND STREET, JUMPED HIS CURB ACROSS INTO NEIGHBORS MAILBOX ON LEFT SIDE. CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE, NOT RESPONDING TO BRAKES, SO FAST THAT DRIVER COULDN'T TURN RIGHT ONTO CROSS STREET, AND INSTEAD CAR CAREENED OVER A CURB INTO A HOUSE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE INTERSECTION. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP UPON HITTING THE GARAGE DOORS, PINNING DRIVER INTO CAR, UNABLE TO UNLOCK DRIVER DOOR TO EXIT. DRIVER TURNED VEHICLE OFF - AND WITNESS PULLED DRIVER FROM CAR. POLICE ARRIVED, ALONG WITH AMBULANCE. CAR WITH BODY SHOP, AND DEALING WITH INSURANCE, AWAITING COPY OF POLICE REPORT.

ON MARCH 8, 2016, WHILE DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 49 IN HARRISONVILLE, MO, THE ENGINE SPEED RACED WHEN TAKEN OFF CRUISE CONTROL. THE JEEP STAYED AT HIGHWAY SPEED -- ABOVE 60MPH -- AND EVEN PRESSING THE BRAKES DID NOT SLOW DOWN THE JEEP. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO GET THE JEEP UNDER CONTROL WAS TO TURN OFF THE ENTIRE ENGINE IGNITION. ONLY BY EXERTING EFFORT TO OVERCOME AND COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WAS I ABLE TO COAST TO A SAFE STOP OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE TOW OPERATOR WHO RESPONDED ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE BUT FOUND THE SAME RESULT ' RUNAWAY ENGINE REVS. THE JEEP WAS TOWED TO DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT EVENING. THE NEXT MORNING, SERVICE ADVISOR INVESTIGATED AND DETERMINED THAT THE THROTTLE PEDAL WAS STUCK DOWN TO THE FLOOR. HE LOOSENED IT BY MANIPULATION. THE THROTTLE BUTTERFLY VALVE WAS FOUND TO BE STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION BY A SHREDDED PIECE OF RUBBER THAT FLAKED OFF THE RESONATOR BODY INTAKE CONNECTOR. SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMED: 'RUBBER FROM INTAKE SEAL STUCK THROTTLE BODY. REMOVED DEBRIS'. THE TECHNICIAN SHOWED ME THE PIECE OF SHREDDED RUBBER AND GAVE IT TO ME. I KEPT IT, AND THE ENTIRE DEFECTIVE RESONATOR BODY, IN MY POSSESSION. THERE MAY BE OTHER REPORTS OF RUNAWAY ENGINE REVS BUT THIS INSTANCE SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE DESIGN OF THE RESONATOR INTAKE PATHWAY. ALTHOUGH MY JEEP HAS 246,289 MILES ON IT, THE DEFECT WAS NOT A RESULT OF WEAR BUT SEEMS TO BE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN. THE INTAKE AIR PATHWAY IS SUBJECT TO SHREDDING RUBBER PARTS WHICH CAN COME LOOSE, ENTER THE INTAKE AIR PATHWAY AND BLOCK THE THROTTLE BUTTERFLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN UNNECESSARILY HAZARDOUS DESIGN.

AT TWO OCCASIONS THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK. THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT OBSTRUCTED BY ANY CARPET. THE ONLY WAY TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN WAS BY PLACING IT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. AFTER TURNING IT BACK ON IT WAS STILL AT HIGH RPM ~5000. SOME TIME LATER THE PROBLEM RESOLVED IT SELF. AFTER MANY DAYS AT THE JEEP DEALER THE FINAL DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE ISSUE CANNOT BE DUPLICATED AND THAT THE DEALER REFUSES TO DO ANY WORK ON THIS CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. WHEN THE VEHICLE RESPONDED, IT LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000. *TR

J'AI UN PROBLEME DE FEINAG A FAIBLE VITES LES ROUS QUI BLOQUE VOITURE PIQUE A LAVAN DERAP VEILLEZ EXPLIQUER MERCI. *TR

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, RESULTING IN MINOR ACCIDENT. UPON PUTTING VEHICLE IN GEAR IT REVVED AND ACCELERATED VERY RAPIDLY AND COULD NOT BE SLOWED DESPITE FULL BRAKE PRESSURE. INCIDENT RESULTED IN MAJOR DAMAGE TO 3 CARS (INCLUDING JEEP) WITHIN A ~40 FT RANGE. *TR

MY 2002 CHRYSLER JEEP 4X4 GRAND CHEROKEE SUDDENLY TOOK OFF WITH NO BRAKES. THE ACCELERATOR SEEMED TO BE STUCK AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN. I WAS LEAVING THE PARKING LOT AT WORK. I HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS STILL WOULD NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN. I FINALLY MOVED THE GEAR INTO PARK AND THAT SEEMED TO WORK. AFTER TALKING TO PEOPLE AT WORK, THIS IS CONSIDERED A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. NO ONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER JEEP OR CHRYSLER CAR AGAIN. I DON'T FEEL THEY STAND BEHIND THIS REPEATED PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, MY 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED BEGAN UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATING. I WAS FORCED TO USE BOTH FEET TO HOLD THE BRAKE DOWN BUT THE JEEP CONTINUED TO SURGE UNTIL I STRUCK A TRUCK IN MY LANE. MY CAR WAS DAMAGED AND SENT TO A COLLISION SHOP FOR REPAIR. THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO CHECK THE REASON FOR THIS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. IT APPEARS IT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION BUT WE ARE NOT SURE. *TR

MY WIFE AND I HAVE A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WHICH HAS ABOUT 79K MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US DURING THIS TIME AND WAS IN MINT CONDITION UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT. FRIDAY NIGHT I WENT OUT TO DO SOME ERRANDS WHEN I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION HERE IN MY TOWN OF WEBSTER. THE LIGHT WAS RED AND ONE CAR WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY WHERE I COULD NOT STOP. I SMASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND SO THAT I DID NOT HIT HIM AGAIN, I TURNED RIGHT AT THIS FOUR WAY INTERSECTION AND THERE WERE TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL SO HARD THAT I WAS NOW ON 2 WHEELS TRYING TO AVOID HITTING ANY OF THE CARS AS WELL. I GRAZED ONE CAR, BUT TORE THE FRONT END OF A HONDA VAN OFF BEFORE MY JEEP CAME TO A HALT ACROSS THE STREET. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN 3-5 SECONDS. BY THE WILL OF GOD I DID NOT KILL ANYONE OR SERIOUSLY HURT ANYONE, AS I WAS VERY LUCKY. MOST PEOPLE, 10 IN ALL IN THE FOUR VEHICLES, I AM SURE HAVE ACHES AND PAINS LIKE I DO TODAY. IF I WOULD HAVE HIT ANY CAR BROADSIDE, I WOULD HAVE KILLED I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY. DAMAGE DONE, I WOULD SAY THAT 3 OF THE 4 CARS ARE TOTALED. I FOUND THROUGH MY SON THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH CHRYSLER AND THAT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY RECALLS. PLEASE GO INTO GOOGLE AND TYPE IN "JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE ACCELERATING ON OWN" AND GO TO THE 4TH ONE DOWN AND LOOK AT ALL THE ACCIDENTS RELATED TO THIS SAME PROBLEM. ALSO MY SISTER IN VIRGINIA GAVE ME A NEWS STATION DOWN THERE THAT CARRIED A STORY ON THIS. AGAIN, GO INTO GOOGLE AND TYPE IN "10 ON YOUR SIDE JEEP SAFETY" AND SEE THEIR NEWS CLIP. I AM ASKING YOU WITH YOUR WIDE ARRAY OF CONTACTS TO GET THIS WORD OUT TO PEOPLE AS THESE ITEMS ARE VERY ISOLATED, BUT THE FACT STILL REMAINS THAT SOMEDAY THERE WILL BE AN ACCIDENT WHERE SEVERAL PEOPLE GET KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT THAT CHRYSLER DOWN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT. THANKS FOR YOU TIME. *TR

I WAS COMING UPON A 4-WAY INTERSECTION WITH ONE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN MY 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE ACCELERATED AT A GREAT RATE OF SPEED AS I TOUCHED THE BRAKE GOING ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. I PLOWED INTO THE 2008 CHEVROLET PUSHING IT INTO THE INTERSECTION. TO AVOID HITTING IT AGAIN, I TURNED THE WHEEL HARD TO THE RIGHT AS THERE WERE 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO TURN GREEN. I WAS TOLD I WENT AROUND THE CORNER ON 2 WHEELS, AGAIN AT A GREAT RATE OF SPEED, JUST BARELY TOUCHING ONE CAR AND TEARING THE FRONT END OFF OF A 2000 HONDA VAN. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 4 CARS IN THE ACCIDENT, 3 OF WHICH WERE TOTALED, AND A TOTAL OF 10 PEOPLE IN THESE CARS. I AM SO LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS KILLED AT THE RATE OF SPEED MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING, ALL BECAUSE MY JEEP WAS LIKE IT WAS SHOT OUT OF A CANNON BY ITSELF. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON THREE OCCASIONS, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR A SHORT DISTANCE THEN TURNED OFF, AND THEN TURNED ON 15 MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY AFTER BEING PUT INTO DRIVE. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE COMPUTER FOUND NO CODES AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. UPDATED 12/12/2006 - THE JEEP IS PRESENTLY PARKED IN THE CONSUMER'S GARAGED BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *NM

CRUISE CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTIONS, CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WHEN ACTIVATING THE RESUME FEATURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROL WILL NOT RESUME TO PRESET SPEED AND ACCELERATES, ACTIVATING BRAKE PEDAL DISENGAGEMENT SWITCH ONLY TEMPORARILY WORKS IT REACCELERATES ON ITS OWN. *NM

WHILE PREPARING TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, MY 2002 GRAND CHEROKEE OVERLAND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT A FULL RATE OF ACCELERATION. MY RIGHT FOOT WAS PUSHING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, NOT THE THROTTLE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE FOR ABOUT 2-3 CAR LENGTHS UNTIL IT STRUCK A BUILDING, CAUSING BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. I WAS PUSHING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL SO HARD, THAT ONE OF THE BONES IN MY FOOT BROKE WHEN THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE BUILDING. I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2000 GRAND CHEROKEE AND TWO CHEROKEES, SO I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE BRAKE AND THROTTLE PEDAL LOCATIONS ON THESE VEHICLES. *JB

ACCELLERATOR STUCK SEVERAL TIMES OVER A 24 HR PERIOD. CAR WAS A JEEP CHEROKE 2002 JEEP [XXX]. THE LAST TIME THE ACCELERATOR STUCK REQUIRED THE DRIVER TO DRIVE THE JEEP OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE TO STOP THE CAR. JEEP WAS TOTALED - NO ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION DONE BY DEALERSHIP OR INSURANCE COMPANY.*AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED TAKES OFF BY ITSELF WITH A HUGE POWER SURGE. HAS HAPPENED WHEN PLACED IN "DRIVE" AND IN "REVERESE." EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT TO STOP. HAS HAPPENED ON 5 OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHILE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED REAR WHEELS SPUN AND VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, RPMS IDLED HIGH. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUR PRIOR WARNING. THE THOTTLE CABLE BECAME DISCONNECT FROM THE CABLE. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

IF I ACCELERATE MODERATELY HARD AND RELEASE THE GAS PEDAL. THE PEDAL CONTINUES TO REMAIN DEPRESSED AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE- ALMOST AS THOUGH THE CRUISE CONTROL'S RESUME FEATURE IS SELECTED, BUT IT ISN'T. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO FIND AND DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM ONCE, BUT THEIR REPAIR (REPLACING A LEAKING CRUISE CONTROL SERVO) WAS NOT EFFECTIVE AS THE VEHICLE IS DOING THIS AGAIN. THE PROBLEM IS SPORADIC AND DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL OF THE TIME. DT