Problems with 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2000 jeep grand cherokee rear brake lights out because of defective design. brake lights stop working when headlights turned on. brake lights work fine when headlights off. problem design is in the tail light assembly. when you remove the light socket for the tail/brake light in the light assembly, you will see 3 silver contact points inside the black plastic ring. two are grouped together and there is one that is opposite of the two. the one by itself is the ground; the other two are the contacts for the tail light and brake light. the problem lies with the ground connector. you should notice that the ground contact is depressed into the plastic and the plastic itself is slightly warped down. most cars have light sockets with their wiring attached. the socket twists into the lamp assembly. on the grand cherokee, the socket does not have the wiring attached. instead, the wiring goes into the lamp assembly and the socket has three electrical contacts that, when twisted into the assembly, will make the contact. what seems to be the most frequent malfunction is that the electrical contacts (which make contact with their respective electrical paths when they are inserted into the assembly) are pressed tight to ensure good contact with the assembly...and on many taillights, the plastic ring containing the respective paths often begins to separate from the fatigue of the contacts pressing so hard. of the three contacts (rear tail light, rear brake light and ground), the ground is what most commonly loses its contact due to fatigue cracking. this is a serious safety issue because often drivers are unaware that there is a problem. it only happens when the headlamps are on, so if checked in daylight, the problem often goes undetected. only when another driver or the police point it out does it looked at. this is a widespread problem that occurs for nearly every 2000 jeep grand cherokee. it is not an issue of will it happen, rather when is it going to happen! *tr

All 1999-2002 grand cherokee wj models built through may 10, 2002 came equipped with brake calipers made by teves. they are black in color with an open-sided bracket design. due to poor caliper centering, the teves calipers caused the rotors to warp, a problem that has plagued grand cherokees. at the very end of the 2002 model year, jeep changed to "fully-closed" style calipers designed by akebono. to address the warped rotor problem jeep issued a tsb, #05-003-02. we believe it should be a full recall do to the major wheel shake to the point of the driver almost loosing control of the suv do to this vibration. jeep has long known about this issue & was sued in a class action law suit which they settled the problem is excessive rotor thickness variation generated by poor caliper centering. this causes steering wheel shake. grand cherokee brakes up through may 10th 2002 were designed by teves. same brakes used on bmw & ford expedition but the grand cherokee was the first to use a twin piston caliper design. chrysler wanted twin pistons because of the weight of the vehicle. the caliper spring causes the inboard pad to drag. it takes a lot of heat (cherry red) to warp rotors, so the main cause of rotor variation is not heat but uneven wear. *tr

My wife and i purchased a 2000 jeep grand cherokee from the dealership. about two years ago the 4.0 liter 6 cylinder engine started using coolant and causing the coolant light to alarm. the oil pressure would drop to "0" and sound the check gauges alarm. we took the car to the mechanic shop for costly repairs and troubleshooting. they replaced the water pump, couldn't find any leaks, and replaced the oil pump and rear main seal. they checked the bearing clearances and found them within tolerance. the car is still using one to two pints of coolant every three days and the oil continues to drop to "0" after warm-up. we replace the 4 wheel disc brakes and rotors every two years. the hood gas shocks won't hold the hood up and the shocks cost $150 a pair form the dealer and only last one year. we to have electric door locks that screech and don't lock the doors as well as rear light problems that work off and on. the emissions are much higher than normal on our recent smog test. this is an indication that the #3 and 4 cylinder is using the mysterious antifreeze loss. as a retired mechanical engineer i also believe the oil problem to be related. my wife has the grand cherokee and i purchased a tj wrangler new in 2000. i'm concerned this vehicle will develop the same problems having the same engine. we have invested over $50 thousand in these two cars. we need your help to help us offset this burden. *tr

My 2000 jeep grand cherokee is having problems like many other people. the low coolant light constantly comes on and i have to add coolant weekly, although there is no visible leak. mechanics have told me they cannot find the problem until this past week when a mechanic told me the coolant was leaking into my engine and mixing with my oil. the mechanic estimated i will need a completely new engine within a few months since the coolant-oil mixture has been running through my engine for some time now. the mechanic stated that the engine will stop running in the very near future. my rear left brake and tail light goes out when i step on the brakes. i have had several issues with the rotors and finally had the mechanic replace them with a different kind. *tr

I have a 2000 jeep gc laredo, and along with many,many other people i have numerous problems. the warped rotors are very dangerous when you have to use your brakes, especially when you have children in the car as i do, also the taillight/brake light issue, that has gotten me pulled over more than once, even though i put a new bulb in it every time. the door lock actuator that is very annoying not to mention my transmission has a shifting problem that i can't do anything about and now my radiator fan will not work so my car will overheat if i am stopped for too long. *jb

On a hard stop the brake pedal went to the floor and the brake light came on. i took my jeep the dealer, and they had to replace a rusted brake line that failed when i made the panic stop. i called chrysler, and they said that there were no service bulletins or problems with other jeep grand cherokees regarding brake lines rusting out and leaking fluid causing brake failure. chrysler replied that since my jeep was out of warranty, they would not reimburse me for the replacement of the rusted brake line. this is not only a financial issue, but a serious safety issue. chrysler needs to notify others of this potential safety problem. *tr

Brake rotors warp easily,door latches brake down,air conditioning system makes noises and does not work properly. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that she has to depress the brake pedal down to the floor in order to stop the vehicle. she replaced the brakes and cylinders on three different occasions due to squeaking noises and the increase in stopping distance. the contact experienced the squeaking and screeching noises while driving 25 mph and greater. the most recent failure occurred on may 16, 2007. the vin, purchase date, and engine size were unavailable. the current mileage is 112,000 and failure mileage was 30,000.

I purchased a 2000 jeep grand cherokee in 2005 from a used car dealer in albuquerque. at that time no recalls or repairs of any safety related defects were revealed to me. i received a recall in novenber 2006 for cooling fan that i had already had done . daimler/chrysler reimbursed me for some of the repairs done. on 4-17-07 i was north bound on unser approaching ladera, traffic was stopped at the red light. i was traveling the speed limit which was posted at 35 mph. i pressed on the brake pedal to begin slowing down and nothing happened. i then slammed my foot down on the pedal it went to the floor and i rear ended a large pickup at the intersection. the air bags did not deploy, and i did not think the seat belt engaged untill i hit the steering wheel with my sternum. my injuries were minor, and i elt the injuries of the person i hit were also minor. the reason i believed thiswas so because i was knocked unconsicience. after some advice from an attourney i checked online for any safty related recalls on the vehicle. i was not surprised to find many. recall # 200002004 was a seat belt recall, recall # 20060313 was a brake system recall, and recall # 19991202 was a air bag recall. there were many more i am sure you were aware off. my concern was for anybody else thatwas driving one of these vehicles with their families in the car. if my wife or daughter had been in the vehicle with me i am sure their injuries would have been more severe. please look into this vehicle, it was not safe. *ak

My 2000 jeep grand cherokee 6 cyl. 4x4 has had extensive rotor problems leading to replacement of rotors at 19,000 (covered by dealer), 40,000 (at my expense), at 63,520, again at my expense, at 90,000, and now again, replacing all 4 rotors at 363.50 per set at 112,000 miles. this needs to be recalled and investigated immediately. *tr

Due to pulsing of the brake pedal and vibration in the steering wheel the dealer turned the rotors and replaced the pads around 20,000 miles (we paid the bill). the rotors and pads were replaced again around 40,000 miles by an independent mechanic. on a trip to the store the right front caliper would not totally release pulling hard to the right and heating the rotor / pads to the point of smoking. the right front aluminum wheel rim was too hot to touch; the caliper and rotor were replaced which remedied the problem. *jb

On jan. 10, 2007, i was in a head-on collision and my air bags did not deploy. the whole front end of my jeep was smashed and i have to get a whole new front clip for it. also, the brakes went all the way to the floor and didn't seem to work properly. i am very upset about these issues and would like to know why the air bags would not deploy in this type of collision. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the front end shook. an independent repair shop replaced the rotors four times, but the problem returned after four months.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph down an incline on slick wet roads, the brakes shuddered when applied lightly. prior warning of brake problems was gradual. the dealer was notified and mentioned similar occurrences with other consumers. the contact was directed to the tsb #0500302b after the dealer checked the vin # for recalls. no recalls were found by the dealer. no examinations or repairs have been made.

Replacement of brake rotors/pads & shock problems. *jb

Due to faulty rotors, calipers, and brakes which resulted in the well documented shimmy in 2000 jeep grand cherokee laredos, i had the dealership replace all components at 70k miles. now at 121,000; the shimmy is so bad at 40 mph that i nearly lose control of the vehicle. looks like another expensive brake job to correct an inherent jeep defect. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph on dry asphalt road conditions, the wheels locked up. there were no warning signals prior to the incident. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer who determined that caliper locked. the service dealer recommended that the contact call nhtsa for potential recall information before providing repairs. the manufacturer was not contacted. the contact agreed to keep the old parts after the repair.

My local jeep dealer advises that my 2000 jeep grand cherokee laredo with 19,000 miles has bad brakes, bad rotors, bad calipers, loose belts (goodyear tires) and is unsafe to drive. he says that is why when i attempt to brake if i am going over 40 mph that the front vibrates or if i attempt to drive at 55 mph the entire car vibrates to the point that i feel a loss of control. i have been surfing the internet and it appears these problems are notorious with other 2000 jeep grand cherokee owners. *jb

The brake rotors on my 2000 jeep cherokee keep warping. i have heard multiple complaints about this same problem from other jeep owners. i also have a problem with my electric windows failing. once again i have had others tell me the regulators on the windows fail often with the jeeps. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 25 mph when depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stopped and the pedal went to the floor, and the brakes became inoperable. the vehicle was driven to the dealer who replaced the brake line. updated 12/01/06.*jb

My car has major problems and i can't afford to fix, then i find the problem that i have is due to the automaker's problem because the car is on recalls for the problems i am having. i received no notices on any recall, and when i got on the web-site to check for recalls there are as many as 10 major problems with my car and jeep. some could cause me to crash or even explode while driving. where are my recall notices? *tr

Vehicle: 2000 jeep grand cherokee laredo. when depressing the brake pedal, it pulsated and caused the steering wheel to vibrate excessively, especially at higher speeds. the vehicle experienced extended stopping distances. the dealership service department advised that the brake rotors were warped and required replacement. this occurred three times: sept 2001 (13,700 miles), jan 2003 (24,800 miles) and mar 2006 (43,600 miles). the dealership advised that there was no inherent flaw with the vehicle's braking system or equipment (including the original brake rotors & calipers, and the replacement parts). *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the brake pedal was depressed, the tires felt square and there was an excessive stopping distance. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, who determined the rotors were warped. the rotors and pads were replaced. the brake rotors have been replaced three times, but the problem persisted. the cranksahft position sensor was replaced. the consumer stated he could feel the transmission shudder. updated 03/22/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the engine would over heat while the vehicle was in the stand still position on a frequent basis. on one occasion, the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the radiator fan relay switch had to be replaced. the contact had the part replaced. also, while traveling 40 mph, the vehicle had an extended stopping distance on normal road conditions when the brakes were applied normally. the brake lights did not signal any warning prior to the incident. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined the rotors needed to be replaced. the contact replaced the part, which corrected the problem.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 25 mph the brakes pulsate and at 55 mph they shudder making it hard to control the vehicle. the dealer has replaced the calipers and rotors three times. the repair does not remedy the problem for more than 10,000 miles. *nm updated 2/7/2006 - *nm

I own a 2000 jeep grand cherokee laredo 4wd. i had begun to notice a shudder when braking and took the vehicle to my local repair shop (midas). they advised me that i would need new rotors, pads, and calipers on at least the front brakes. they also told me that this is a recurring problem with jeeps and that a technical service bulletin had been given to them referring them to this problem. what i don't understand is; if this is a problem that jeep knows about and the braking system that is safety related, then how can it not be a recall. the mechanic told me the calipers have a problem of 'sticking', causing uneven rotor wear and shoe failure. i bought the vehicle used less than a year ago, and now have no real recourse to get the problem fixed. *jb

Break failure while driving down a mountain. we had no warning of this problem until we started descending a mountain in arizona. the brakes started to "chatter" and didn't hold. i put the car into 2nd gear and was able, barley, to keep control. we brought the car into a jeep dealer several days later and they told us the rotors and brake pads were totally gone on both front tires. we had them replaced. we've had this problem before and in fact, had the brakes replaced just six months ago. this was the fourth time we've replaced brakes on this vehicle. *jb

The steel brake line running under the passenger compartment of the auto corroded causing a complete and sudden loss of brake fluid for the rear brakes. the brake line corroded where it came in contact with a white plastic clip intended to secure and locate the brake line. *nm

Tl*- the contact stated that the 2000 jeep grand cherokee had a number of problems. the vehicle had problems with the brake rotors since 2005. he had to replace the rotors on 2 occasions since he purchased the vehicle in 2003. the contact had been informed that he needed to have the rotors replaced again. also, the contact has been having problems with the driver's side door locks. when hitting the unlock remote control to unlock the doors the vehicle did not unlock. on some occasions while in the vehicle and trying to unlock the doors from inside the doors did not unlock. a number of times he's had to get out the vehicle from the passenger side door. in addition, tail lights are malfunctioed. the socket that held the bulbs did not work properly. he stated that his brake lights and his reverse lights have failed. he had to glue the plastic sockets together, and on the last time he needed repairs for the socket, he had to rig them up to work. finally the contact had to replace the brake and back up lights. the failure mileage was 80,000, and the current mileage was 100,000. *ak

Replacement of front and rear discs on brake system for the 4th time. brakes repeatedly pulse and fade. all miles are highway driven. very conservative driver. pads seem to last, according to service technician however discs are completely pitted indicating inferior components and extremely poor brake design. *nm

When applying brakes at speeds of around 30 mph or more the vehicle's front end shims violently. the vehicle shakes as the front wheels are seen oscillations from right to left, which results in a lost of steering. the dealer attributes this to warped rotors. while warped rotors may cause a braking issue they should not cause oscillations in the front wheels. replacing the rotors and pads might temporarily improve the performance it will not correct the underlying problem or design flaw that causes the oscillations in the steering of the front wheels

Brake pulsation and heavy vibration during normal braking. this is due to defective brake componets i.e. warping of rotors caused by heat friction from inferior metal and or manufacturing process. the class action suit filed against daimler/chrysler only covers vehicles that were under the standard warranty period. although d/c isn't admitting guilt, the proposed settlement will cover only those vehicles that qualify under their rules. the attorneys for the settlement class did not litigate a claim or even contest the rights of the class members who were not covered by the warranty when the failures occurred. all of the class members who had this problem need to be compensated for these repairs. your agency needs to take action and review all of the data and evidence that proves this is a serious issue, and either have a recall or ask d/c to repair all of the defective vehicles, before these parts totally fail and cause death or injury! *jb

Purchased the 2000 jeep grand cherokee in may 2003. i was filling up my car with gas when someone else asked if i ever had problems with my brakes. at that point i didn't. in april 2004, i was driving on the highway and noticed that the car would shake uncontrollably when applying the brakes. didn't shake as bad in city driving. i went to my local car repair shop and they told me the rotors were warped. paid to have the rotors spun. now it's a year later and the car is shaking uncontrollably on the highway. didn't think i was going to be able to stop from hitting the car in front of me. now i have done research on the internet and see that this is a known problem and that it is listed in the technical service bulletin from jeep in 2002. this is my family car! i too have had to replace the 2 of my door motors and 1 of my window motors. i can't believe that there are this many complaints and no one is forcing jeep to put a recall on the rotors.*ak

Both tail light assemblies stopped working and was cited by a police officer. replacement was ~$500. rear lift gate lock actuator is broken, so cannot open lift gate. right rear door lock will not allow opening from inside. shift sensor/solenoid has gone bad twice leading to problems with shifting from gears (revs really high before shifting). rotors are constantly becoming warped and brakes have to be readjusted. left blinker no longer works and to fix it, the dealership told me they have to replace this entire engine block for about $800. power window lock no longer works. other than that, car runs great :). *tr

We own a 2000, jeep, grand cherokee and currently has approximately 61,000 miles. besides the paint peeling problem ..... which was fixed, we still have the vibrating, shuddering brake problem . twice a year since the car was new, we have had to have brake (rotor) repairs . chrysler has paid until last month. i had to beg for them to at least not charge me for the parts. i had to pay $82 for labor. it has come to the point with the mileage .that they will not replace the brakes for free anymore. i am not hard on them....i work 1 mile from my home .that is why i only have 61,000 miles on it. what i want is a guarantee from chrysler that for the life of my jeep grand cherokee, they will repair this problem of there's free of charge. there are thousands of other owners who have the same complaint. when will chrysler finally admit this is a problem and issue a recall ??*ak

Vehicle first started vibrating when braking in 2000. took it in to the dealership and the replaced the rotors. since then i have had it in about every 6 to 8 months for the same repairs. when i take it in tomorrow it will be the 6th time. this time they are claiming that warranty no longer covers it. with this many complaints regarding the brakes, why hasn't there been a recall to fix it properly?*ak

I own a 2000 jeep grand cherokee. i bought this suv used in 01/2004 and have read several complaints concerning the braking systems of this vehicle. i am now experiencing the same problem as these people are and i'm wondering why nobody is doing anything about it! the problem with this vehicle is that you get a pulsating action when braking and the brakes need to be replaced every 3,000 miles or so. i've never come across this problem with any other vehicles i've owned and i'm extremely surprised this vehicle hasn't been recalled for this problem as many other people, countless others, complain about the same thing. as your organization knows, this can be a serious safety hazard as this problem isn't covered by jeep under warranty and we, the consumer, can't afford to replace brakes this often. the brakes in my jeep are so horrible that when i brake at 55 mph, i feel it's unsafe to drive. my steering wheel shakes so much that it's hard to control. after reading many people's opinions about the grand cherokee, i found that many of these owners have the same problem. *jb

front brake rotors and pads replaced 4 times in 40,000miles. chrysler even replaced them and front calipers the first time. the last time they were replacd was a month before the accident. for the 4th time, steering wheel and pedal vibrate when braking suddenly.i lost control and rolled the 2000 grand cherokee into a guard rail. *ak

Defective brakes on jeep grand cherokee. brake rotors apparently warp from heat. my wife owns a 2000 jeep grand cherokee, and we have had to replace the brakes three times already. there are many owners of grand cherokees that have had similar problems with brakes. chrysler refuses to admit there is a problem, and refuses to address this problem even when a vehicle is under warranty. dealers are blaming drivers for the problem.*ak

While applying the brakes, the pedal went to the floor and the vehicle shook uncontrollably. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the pads and rotors needed to be replaced. consumer informed the dealer that this problem occurred more than once, and problem had not resolved. *ak problem still exists. *tc there was an oil leak found at the left rear axle seal. updated 02/20/07. *jb

The consumer rear ended another vehicle in a panic stop while driving at 60 mph. upon impact, the frontal air bags failed to deploy. the dealership or the manufacturer were providing any information on why the air bags failed to deploy. the front passenger sustained bruises from the seat belt. *ak the vehicle displayed a hard start due to improper fuel pressure, it would take a long time to crank before catching, and the brakes pulsated due to warped rotors. *sc *jb

While driving at 60 mphn vehicle vibrated when brakes were applied. *ak

Steering wheel shakes violently when brakes are applied, espeically at high speed. mechanic recommends all new braking system, as this is chronic problem for this car. upon my own personal research of this, i can see he is correct. it seems everyone with a 2000 grand cherokee in the nation has this exact issue. a recall to correct the problem before someone dies would be appreciated.*ak

While applying the brake pedal vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it home. driver inspected the vehicle, and noticed that the rotors needed to be replaced, and replaced them three times. however, the problem recurred. *ak

Brake rotors and pads replaced every 10,000 miles. the last time vehicle was repaired, the rotors, pads and calipers were replaced. consumer stated brakes were replaced three times. dealer claimed it was nothing wrong with the vehicle. please provide further information. *nm

Problem pertains to rotors, discs & calipers on a 2000 jeep grand cherokee.problems cause severe vibration & shimmying when brakes are applied from 15 to 55 mph.was unaware the dealership resurfaced rotors between 7,000 & 8,000 miles when taked in for an oil change in 2001.problems occured again in 2002 at 14,500 miles-rotors were resurfaced again & they informed us then that the rotors were already resurface once in 2001.problems occured again in 2003 at 23,600 miles-rotors,brake pads & calipers were all replaced.having more problems now july 7,2004-rotors are warped again at 29,500 miles. this is a very dangerous vehicle to operate in the mountains of pennsyvlania.i would like to have the nhtsa recall this vehicle and have it repaired properly.*ak

While consumer was depressing the brake pedal at any speed it pulsated. vehicle was serviced six times for brakes and rotors, but problem recurred.*ak

The front brake rotors on my 2000 jeep grand cherokee warpe about every 10,000 miles. i am about to replace them for the third time at 42000 miles! at 31000 miles, the local jeep dealer installed a "fit" kit" which obviously has not worked. the brake problem is an obvious safety problem. the first time that this happened, i was traveling down a steep road in the sierra/nevada mountains and almost lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle experienced severe shaking and steering wheel jerking during breaking. i had to gear down and travel very slowly until i reached level ground. after intense questioning, the dealer (joe kerley: san jose ca) acknowledged the frequency of this problem. so has chrysler via the "repair kit". a call to chrysler indicated that they wont act because roters are an wear item. i bellieve that there is a design flaw that has the potential to hurt or kill someone. please get on the ball and investigate and order a recall. *ak

While driving 20 mph the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the brake pads needed to be replaced because they were worn. after the parts were replaced the problem recurred. *nm *sc *jb

While driving 35 mph vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. consumer maintained control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that brake rotors needed to be replaced due to corrosion. mechanic replaced the rotors seven times, but problem recurred. *ak