Problems with 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Having problem with the truck acting like it's going to over heat already replaced waterpump thermostat and new antifreeze new o2 sensors it only has 102,500 miles. *tr

I see that there is a recall for 2000-2002 jeep cherokee vehicles with the electric radiator fan. i am wondering if that recall or problem extended to the 2004 model as well. every year since i purchase my jeep, used, i have had to replace the radiator. for some reason, it overheats and all of the coolant runs out. i have taken it to multiple mechanics and they all tell me that the radiator need to be replaced. however, i need to figure out what's the recurrent underlying cause to this. *tr

2004 jeep grand cherokee. consumer writes in regards to recall notice on crankshaft position sensor and ongoing issues concerning reimbursement of repairs *tgw the consumer stated he was never notified by chrysler about the crankshaft position sensor problem. he discovered the recall while doing research online. the vehicle was taken to the repair shop three times, before the issue was resolved. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo. the contact stated that the vehicle could not be started immediately and if so, the vehicle would stall. the vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer nor repaired. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

2004 jeep grand cherokee overland uncommanded throttle pedal movement. car was in drive at a standstill on a slight grade, dry pavement. throttle took off uncommanded. drivers foot centered on brake pedal. driver noticed throttle pedal was moving uncommanded. pedal appeared depressed about an inch then returned to idle position then back down about an inch. after a few seconds throttle pedal returned to idle position. brake held back any vehicle movement during episode. cruise control was off. this was the first time this issue occurred. nothing has been done to correct the defect. *tr

There are two issues, one being the issue with the engine dying once the vehicle is put into a forward or reverse position from either reverse or drive position. second is the issue of the vehicle surging forward just prior to stopping. the engine will rev up just prior to stopping and start a hard but load rumbling due to the brakes being held and the vehicle wanting to drive forward. i have an appointment with my repair shop to diagnose the issue, and it is very wearing of the possibility of this issue causing an accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to have a routine oil change service, the technicians refused to perform the oil change because the oil pan was rusted. the technicians advised that there was a possibility that the oil pan could rupture. the dealer was contacted and they advised that that there was nothing they could do to assist. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 115,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact accelerated from a complete stop driving 2 mph when the vehicle stalled. after several attempts, he was able to restart the vehicle. the failure recurred four times and the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility. the mechanic advised that the crankshaft sensor would need replacing. the failure and current mileage was 80,300. updated 11/08/10 * bf the consumer stated there were three other occurrences and the highest speed was at 40 mph. updated 11/10/10*jb

While parallel parking, with my right foot on the brake pedal, i shifted the automatic transmission out of reverse. immediately the engine rapidly revved up and lurched forward. i pressed more firmly on the brake, causing the car (a 2004 jeep grand cherokee) and motor to pause, then the motor rapidly revved up again, overcoming braking. horrified, and unable to stop the car, i watched as the car raced into the vehicle ahead of me. immediately after the impact, the engine returned to normal idle. i then checked the car: cruise control was off, my hands were still gripping the steering wheel in order to provide additional leverage for my foot on the brake pedal, my right foot was still firmly in the middle of the brake pedal and not near the accelerator pedal, and the gear shift lever was in neutral. the vehicle ahead of me sustained damage to its bumper and tailgate. this is the 4th time this has happened with this vehicle, the first two of which were reported to you earlier. in all three earlier cases, i was able to barely avoid an accident, but not this time. as noted earlier, the jeep mechanic was not able to find any causative problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that while attempting to change the oil, the oil fill cap broke in half resulting in half of the fill cap becoming stuck down in the oil valve. the contact stated that he no longer put oil in the vehicle due to the failure. the contact called the manufacturer who stated that the failure was a known issue. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the vin was unavailable when the complaint was filed. the current and failure mileages were 78,085.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact noticed that the oil pan had begun to exhibit rust. the manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that they were no longer manufacturing the part needed for her vehicle and would not provide any further assistance. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor was it repaired. the current and failure mileages were 104,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. while driving 25 mph the vehicle suddenly begun to loose power. in order to resume normal engine power the vehicle had to be shut off and then turned back on. the vehicle had not been diagnosed by the dealership and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 92500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. while driving about 25 mph toward a green light to make a right turn, the vehicle then shut off. the vehicle lost all power therefore the driver could not make a right turn and the vehicle continued driving nt straight ahead. the failure caused the contact to crash head on into another vehicle. the driver attempted to apply pressure to the brakes to avoid the crash. the driver took her vehicle to the dealer to be repaired. the driver also paid $500 and the dealer only changed the spark plugs and stated that they could not find anything else wrong with the vehicle. the driver stated that her vehicle was still at the dealer and they have encouraged her to pick it up. the failure mileage was 62,500. the current mileage was 62,500.

My 2004 jeep grand cherokee limited has either a hole in one of the pistons or a broken connecting rod. this just happened one day as i left work. the vehicle would not accelerate properly and ran very rough. *tr

Purchased in 2008 with 52,000 miles on it. noise emanating from under dash, seemed like a vacuum unit loosing vacuum and then the creaking or closing of a door constantly after engine shutdown. this continued until it began putting hot air out of the passenger side with cold air out of the drivers side. then the fan stopped working altogether. inspected the wiring to the motor and found it to be overheated and melted at the plug. purchased a wiring repair kit from chrysler and was told that this was a "common problem" with jeeps! now i have no heat whatsoever, but the blower (fan) does work. 2004 jeep gc limited air conditioning provides no heat with heat selected. this provides no defrosting for windshield. the fan relay precipitated this problem. fan resistor wiring plug appeared overheated and melted and blew the system fuse 40 amp rated. the fan resistor was replaced at $100.00 through local parts supplier, chrysler wanted $300.00 for the same part! this problem appears to be systemic with chrysler jeep products...and i believe that they know they have a problem, why else would they offer a repair kit for it the wiring and plug)? i have read of hundreds of folk's who have experienced no heat issues with a hefty repair price "offered" by chrysler, when in fact their system has issues that they know causes failure in the air conditioning system of their products and have not offered a fix for it other than offering to fix it for an excess of $1000 per vehicle. they should be forced to make correction of a faulty system at the least, and not force customers to foot the bill for their faulty system. customer confidence does not seem to be a concern for them without federal mandate. *tr

I first noticed the problem nine months ago during a long drive with the a/c running, that the condensation under the front passenger area was enough to cause a very small and slow drip of water. i have taken the car to a couple auto shops and both mechanics suspected that the drain plug was defective, yet the condensation did drain towards the outside of the car and they could not find the source of the water leak. the carpet would become soaked in the front passenger area after long drives with the a/c running. the dealer has told me it will cost roughly $1700 to get this repaired and this is too costly for me. a mechanic friend has advised that this sounds like a manufacturer defect as the car only has 54,000 miles and i've never had any other issues. this occasional drip has grown progressively worse and last week, during a 3 hour road trip, i ended up with a pool of water in the front passenger area - enough water to have to scoop it out several cups of water! that is ridiculous. i stopped at yet another auto repair shop and was again advised that this is a manufacturer defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that the vehicle would stall sporadically while driving various speeds. when the vehicle is stopped, it would hesitate when attempting to accelerate. in addition, the check engine warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 52,000.

My jeep runs hot even if i drive it two blocks. i have call chrysler several time a day and no one is helping me with the problem. they keep telling me to bring it in so they can check it out and i keep telling them that i can't drive it. i have told them that i can't or want pay for something that's not working. i need help now... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. when bringing the vehicle to a stop, the rpm's dropped below 5 mph. the vehicle also began shaking and shut off. the vehicle immediately restarts, but if the contact does not immediately accelerate, it will stall again. the vehicle has been to the dealer on three occasions and they have been unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the failure mileage was 50,200. updated 10/14/08. *lj the dealer stated idle air control motor was bad, however the consumer continued to experience stalling problems. the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. updated 10/15/08. *jb

2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo, 95,470 miles. left engine bracket broke off vehicle while driving down the high-way @ apprx 65 miles per hour. i can't say that this is a defect, but i find it odd because it's not something i've heard of happening against an on-road driven vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. on may 7, 2008, while driving between 70-75 mph, the vehicle stalled for the third time. the failure also occurred at lower speeds. the vehicle restarted after the first two failures, but not after the most recent. the dealer stated that the crankshaft sensor failed. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v112000 (electrical system:starter assembly). the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 50,412.

The heating/cooling system is dysfunctional and has not worked correctly since purchase in 2004, but is worse now than previously. unable to set at one temperature and have uniform heat/cooling (depending on season). it will blow really hot, then cool, then not at all on one side and the other side is totally not insync with the driver's side (there are dual controls). today, driving in 50f weather, control set to 71f and the air conditioner came on driver's side, nothing on the passenger side. the blend doors have been replaced in january and the water pump with thermostat have been replaced in march, and it still does not work properly. at times it becomes very hot and smells hot. at other times it is freezing cold--there doesn't seem to be any in between.. at the time of the initial service the mileage was 52000, the second time it was 55000 and now am at 59000+. have contacted chrysler customer service center with little satisfaction. *tr

While on the website of consumer affairs i noticed that there was an issue with automatic acceleration on the 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo which i own and have experience this happening luckily i have always been in control of the situation, and frequent stalling. either it jumps at a red light or it stalls, stalling is better, not being able to bring it to a shop due to financing, i try to stay on top of it, this already has caused some deaths i see on the site, when are they going to recall this vehicle due to this situation, or are they waiting to get a height body count? this happening once to anyone is too much! what is this country coming to? *tr

2004 jeep grand cherokee 6cyl ....check engine light came on, brought to dealer service station. they indicated it was a sensor which they replaced. two days later light is back on, returned back to station this time it was the computer. computer was replaced one week later engine light back on. this time the problem is the engine compartment harness which melted together. called chrysler they refuse to assist me with this problem, this type of repair is estimated at over $2,000.00. *tr

The passenger side heat selector never works and blows cold air out in subzero weather. *tr

Hvac blend door: the blend door for the passenger side has failed. i found numerous websites dedicated to similar failures for other jeep grand cherokee owners. it is very apparent that this is a design problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that she is experiencing failure with her vehicle's power windows. she stated that her power windows fail to roll up. she has not contacted the manufacturer or the dealer. the heat shut off while the heat button was still activated. as a result, the air conditioner is not working either. the dealer stated that the cause of failure was the heating system and would cost $2,000 to be repaired. the dealer also recommended that she notify nhtsa to determine if there were any recalls on her vehicle. there were none that applied to her vehicle. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 38,830 and failure mileage was 37,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. while making a left turn at 45 mph, the vehicle accelerated without warning. the vehicle would not stop when the brakes were depressed. the contact was finally able to decelerate and turned the vehicle off. the failure was due to the throttle cable becoming stuck. the vehicle operated normally once the throttle cable was released. the vehicle was driven to a repair shop where it is currently being diagnosed. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 33,010.

2004 jeep grand cherokee 4.7 v8. stalls at stops. vehicle then has to be restarted before traffic crashes into you. jeep cannot locate problem and is unwilling to aid or correct problem. vehicles has done this a dozen times within a month.

Head gasket failure within warranty period - daimler chrysler corp refused to honor warranty. *jb

Since purchased in 3/06, 2004 gc v8 while idling, repeatedly dies, or nearly dies but recovers only to cause a lurching forward if in gear. will die in gear or in park and i am able to start it again right away. dealer, after three tries cannot find anything wrong. may go two weeks without happening, may happen twice in one day. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the motor to the adjustable pedals became inoperable causing the accelerator and brake pedals to be out of alignment. the accelerator pedal moved down and the brake pedal moved up. the vehicle was driven to the dealer who determined the motor needed to be replaced.

Dt*: the contact stated a noxious odor of rotten egg or sulfur was noticed in the passenger compartment while the vehicle was running. the smell was more noticeable at driving speeds of 55 mph. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, but diagnostics were unable to identify the cause, although the odor was noticed by the service mechanics. the catalytic converter was suggested as a possible cause but not confirmed. the manufacturer was notified. updated 2/12/2007 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph on a city street, the engine stalled and there was a loss of all vehicle power without warning. the contact coasted the vehicle to side of the road. the engine would not restart. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who determined the crank case sensor failed. the manufacturer was notified.

I purchased a used 2004 jeep grand cherokee in january of 06. i have had it 3 1/2 months now and about a week and a half ago the vehicle started to idle rough when i'd come to a red light. then the next day i my wife used the jeep and stated that the engine light was on and it felt like it wanted to stall. i brought it to the dealer and they said that i blew an injector and the other injectors had carbon build up in them. my jeep only has 27,00 miles on it. they changed the injector and then cleaned the others. it was still under warranty. i was suppose to leave sunday may 14th to drive to ny from fla. on friday may 13th the jeep started acting up again. it ran worse than the previous time. i brought it back and stated that it is worse and i need the problem corrected asap because i am traveling to ny on sunday,2 days later. they hooked it up to the computer and came back and stated that they would have to replace the pcm in the vehicle. they said that the control board was bad. now i am paying for a lease car,i am without my jeep,and was suppose to have left for ny on sunday. it is now monday. i believe that when you purchase a vehicle that said vehicle should be reliable. my jeep only has 27,000 miles on it, it shouldn't have a computer problem yet. the dealer is supposedly fixing the situation. but from what i have been reading here,i may have a ongoing situation. what recourse do i have. do i have a case for the lemon law? *nm

Purchased new 2004 jeep from dealer. within the first month of ownership, i began experiencing occasional, intermittent engine problems at start-up-- the engine would run very rough, shaking the vehicle. the service light in the dash would flash. if driven, the engine would stall unless the accelerator was continually pressed. after a few of these events, we discovered that, if turned off, after about 5 minutes, the engine would run normally. the service light would remain on for a few minutes (sometimes a half hour) and then turn off. this problem re-occurred intermittently, sometimes every month, & sometimes every couple months, usually in the morning at first startup, but sometimes when i left work in the evening to drive home. my salesman and the service manager knew of the problem. jeep dealer later said that the vehicle was simply in need of a complete tune-up. they did the tune up 6 months ago - may 2006. the problem has recurred again. i took the jeep in again. dealer reports that car is "running rough" but they can not find the problem. *jb

Submission in regards to problems experienced with 2004 jeep grand cherokee after a safety recall service at the bayside chrysler jeep dodge dealership certified mail. *ts *jb

2004 jeep grand cherokee with heated seat issue. consumer states that the vehicle has been taken to the dealer several times for the heated seat problem. she also states that there is a wire or rod poking through the driver seat. *kb the consumer also stated the transmission failed, there was a problem with the power steering, the blend doors in the heating system, the passenger side window fell down in to the door panel, and the hood struts failed. the consumer stated the heated seat issue had been recalled. the engine light illuminated and it was determined that the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. *jb

At 17,000 miles my 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo freedom v-8 4.7 ho engine developed a rough idle. the dealer cleaned out the fuel injector and the problem did not go away. 2nd time they put it on the computer and couldn't find anything wrong. the #2 piston popped in and out so the mechanics agreed something was wrong and recommended a new engine; but the manager wouldn't do anything. they agree the vehicle runs rough and notice the vehicles on the lot run smooth. they suggested i change the spark plugs which cost me over $200.00 and that did not help. the dealer did change the oil pump and put in 8 new lifters. this still did not take care of the problem. the district manager stated all the jeeps run that way. he and the manager above him both state they will do nothing for me and they are closing the book. i have talked to several jeep owners with the same vehicle. some have a rough idle and some run very smooth. other reliable people have told me the problem is the computer. when i told the service manager he said to put the engine in low and it will jump the computer into shape. the idle is getting worse and has affected my gas mileage. i am still under warranty and am getting no where with jeep or chrysler. i now have over 31,000 miles and am nearing the end of my warranty. i don't know what will happen if the computer just dies. i imagine the engine will stop on the road and possibly cause an accident. if you could look into this i would appreciate it. i just want chrysler to stand by their product and come up with a solution so i can be assured of a safe vehicle. another thing is they never give me paperwork after they've had my car for a few days to check things out. they always tell me it's still open and when everything is finished they'll give me paperwork. *jb

I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo, 4.0 liter, suv. since approximately august of this year, the engine has misfired eleven (11) times. each time there is a misfire, there is an immediate power loss, and loss of speed, almost like an emergency braking situation. one event, on 8/15/05, when traveling on i-66 near fairfax, va two cylinders, nos. 1 and 4 misfired at the same time. the result was an immediate loss of power during acceleration and loss of speed from approximately 65 mph (rate of traffic at 3 pm rush hour) to approximately 25-30 mph within 50 yards. this incident nearly caused a serious accident, because other vehicles had to brake and swerve to avoid colliding with mine. there was no where to pull over to the side of the road, and luckily i was able to maintain control and continue at a slower rate of speed, until i could move to the right and stop in the emergency lane. after turning the engine off, the vehicle will run normally when restarted. as previously stated, it has misfired 11 times, and by stopping the engine, then restarting it, normal operating can resume. chrysler corporation has been unable to repair the defect, after having taken it to the shop on nine or ten different occasions. they have replaced the spark plugs, tested the engine for carbon deposit build-up on the valve stems, and replaced the crankshaft sensor that the computer uses to fire the engine. now, the manufacturer has said it may be the computer module, it may be the coil pack, or the engine may need to be disassembled to see if there is any carbon build-up on the valve stems. this condition makes the vehicle unsafe to operate, not knowing when it will happen again, and if it will cause a serious accident to occur. maybe nhtsa can light a fire under their creative minds to come up with a positive solution. i have 63,000 miles on the vehicle, and the whole series of incidents began when there was approximately 49,000 miles on it. *jb

1 month after buying my jeep it died out at a stoplight.dealer could not find anything wrong with car. a month after getting it back, it died 2 more times at stoplights.i took it back to the dealer who said the computer needs to be replaced. now waiting for the new computer which will take a week to get here. hopefully this will correct the problem, but i've seen many of the same complaints from other people on this site. *ak

Noise in passenger compartment while sitting idle or at a stop sign as a result of a faulty muffler/exhaust system. took the vehicle in to dealership who notified chrysler of the problem. their solution was a piece of barb welded to the muffler. did not fix problem. dealer had engineer come in to look at repair. engineer said it was good and the noise was "acceptable" because we are only sitting idle for 3% of the time on the road. dealer acknowledged that the noise was still there and said it was chryslers call and that there is nothing else to do. took car to muffler shop where they immediately identified problem with existing muffler. *nm

Car/engine idles rough and shakes heavily at times at lights - this is a problem that chrysler doesn?t seem to care about. gas mpg has also been poor. *ak i see that i am the fifth complaint in the database that i could find...the engine stalls after coming from highway speeds. idle goes from 600 rpm and then suddenly drops below 400-300 rpm and then stalls completely. must be put in park - and then restarted, regardless of where it occurs - this is a serious safety issue that has been overlooked too many times. once they said they fixed it, by cleaning the throttle body - the next time they gave me the "can't duplicate concern" - the last time they told me they reprogrammed the computer. it has nothing to do with the a/c, radio, electrical (lighting), and defrost since it has happened many times when all of these are off. the dealers keep playing games and will not rectify this issue.

The consumer is experiencing a problem with stalling. the consumer would be driving and suddenly the vehicle loses power and stalls. this problem happens intermittently, the consumer has taken the vehicle back to the dealer, however, they were unable to duplicate the problem. *jb the battery was replaced on the third repair attempt. *sc *jb

While driving vehicle stalled. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak this car stalled no less than 12 times. afraid to pull into traffic with this car. power steering leaked, clicking noise from transmission when put into gear. *bf

While idling at a stop light the front end begin to shake violently then the engine would stall. *ak *nm

Purchased 3/04, in for service 5/04 x2 at 1st dealership for rough idle in park and in gear at stop. diagnostics indicate no problem, rec calling chrysler cust service, referred to 2nd dealership, same complaint, diagnostics indicate no problem. was told "that is how that engine runs"*ak engine feels as if it will stall out at stop or park. chrysler offering no help at this time other than referral to district manager which will not be in until end of month.(june) appears that there have been many complaints logged about this, yet chrysler/jeep unwilling to fix problem. vehicle also pulls to right, was told "that's how it is", also less than ave gas milage.

When at a stop light vehicle shut off. also, it shut off when warming up the vehicle. the problem could not duplicated by the dealer. *ak

My 2004 jeep grand cherokee special edition stalls at stop lights. it has happened between 5-10 times since i bought it in august. took to dealer and they could not find a problem with it.

Vehicle shook and stalled unexpectedly while it was coming to a stop. took vehicle dealer for testing 10 times, but the cause was still undetermined.*ak