Problems with 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I have taken my 2004 jeep grand cherokee to the dealer twice for front end braking problems. pulsating sensation occurs when braking @ speeds 40 & over. vibration occurs into the steering wheel. on my first visit, was told "nothing is wrong"... on my second visit, was told the rotors were warped..there was only 17,000 miles on the vehicle! i drive 8 miles a day to work on city streets and i am not a heavy brake user. the dealer wanted 200.00 per rotor !! i have never had rotors go bad so fast. i was advised to wait it out..that the parts have to be defective. on a recent trip to the mountains, the problem with the brakes was very evident. the vehicle vibrated & pulsated so bad i feared for my life. now that i am back in florida, the problem is barely noticeable unless i am on a 4 lane roadway doing 35-40 mph. i planned to take the jeep elsewhere for brake service when i received a notice of a class action lawsuit regarding this problem. i have received a "free brake inspection".. i've already paid for 2 brake inspections!! i want the problem fixed....as it should have been when i first complained. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while stopping at any speed, the vehicle shook. the dealership determined the front rotors were warped. the front rotors were replaced and the rear rotors were turned.

2004 jeep grand cherokee overland. had to replace front brakes and rotors after only 14717 miles. owned 2 jeeps previously and never had this problem before. *jb

2004 jeep grand cherokee front and rear brakes were pulsating while brake pedal was depressed. mechanic determined the front and rear rotors and brake pads needed to be replaced. *kb *nm

In february 2004 i purchased a new 2004 jeep grand cherokee at speed motors (authorized jeep dealer) in brooklyn new york. at 7000 miles the dealer had to replace the breaks because the disks had warped. when i operated the jeep at highway speed and applied the breaks the front end would violently shake. at about 14,000 miles i returned the jeep to the same dealer with the same complaint about violent shaking in the front end. he again replaced the brakes in the front. i have since taken the jeep back to speed motors at least five times with the same complaint. i recently learned that speed motors lost it's business relationship with jeep/chrysler and can no longer service my jeep. i again encounter the violent shaking with the front end and took the car to bayridge jeep in brooklyn new york. i dropped the jeep off and later the service manager calls me at home to explain that the front and rear breaks and disks must be replaced. the services manager than explains to me that this will cost around $875.00. i told the service manager that this is an on going problem with this car. he explained that there was nothing he could do. i paid for the repairs at an authorized jeep dealer to avoid any problems with the warranty and to make a record of the break problems with this vehicle. i call the customer services telephone number for chrysler and spoke to a female operator who than past me on to her male supervisor. when i questioned the male operator about how and why an authorized jeep dealer could put a new york state inspection striker on my car with a clear mind knowing that there are major break problems with this vehicle he blew me off again. i want to go on record as saying that there are major safety issues with this car. the date below of 1-23 -06 is the date i took the vehicle to bayridge jeep. the date of incident is the period from time of purchase to 1-23-06. i fully expect this current break replacement to only last a few thousand miles. *nm

2004 grand cherokee left wheel came off. *ts the lug nuts had broken off. the consumer stated on 12-28-05 the front brakes and rotors were replaced. *jb

I purchased a 2004 jeep grand cherokee in august of 2004. within the first 7000 miles i had to replace the front rotors and pads due to warping. daimler/chrysler covered this service and replacement under warranty. within the next 7000 miles they had warped again. daimler chrysler would not cover them this time. i had to pay out of pocket for aftermarket rotors and pads which were a better quality than what daimler/chrysler used the first time. these rotors and pads have lasted about 12000 miles and have warped again. i highly doubt that someone buying a jeep product would think that they have to change their front rotors and pads close to twice per year. i have learned to live with the shake that occurs due to the warping however when exiting a highway and decelerating from high speeds the shake is unbearable. i never expected to have to replace my front rotors and pads so frequently. on my last vehicle which wasd a ford i replaced them every 24000 miles. i am aware that jeep replaced the front calipers on their 1999 jeep grand cherokees due to this problem. i hope that they issue a recall for these calipers soon before i am broke from repairing my front brakes. thank you for taking my complaint. *nm

I am reporting the second instance of front brake rotor warping on my 2004 jeep grand cherokee which has ~27,000 miles. the first occurrence was at about 15,000 miles. on braking at speeds of >35 mph (even normal braking - not emergency braking), there is an excessive front end shimmy and chatter that seems dangerous. it seemed very unusual that the front rotors had warped at 15,000 miles, but the dealer said that brakes were not covered under the jeep warranty so we paid for turning them. now the front rotors are warped again and will require service. the dealer again says that this is not covered under the warranty so i will have to pay for turning them again or replacing them. we do not pull anything with the vehicle and rarely use the brakes for anything but routine stopping, so the rotors should not warp so frequently. clearly there are design problems with this that could create an unsafe situation when braking if i were not to have the rotors fixed so frequently. for example, if the steering wheel were not gripped tightly during braking the vehicle could easily go out of control. *jb

Dt: the contact stated the brake pedal felt as though it was pulsating. there was 15,000 miles on the vehicle. the dealership replaced the brake pads and cut the rotors. at 20,600 miles the pulsation returned. the vehicle was being taken to the dealership. *ak

I bought a 2004 jeep grand cherokee with 25,000 miles. shortly after the purchase the jeep would shake everytime the brakes were applied. the dealer reported i would probably need new brake pads and rotors. the dealer reports "that he is not aware that this is a common problem with 2004 jeeps." he stated the consumer would be responsible for the cost of replacement. he attributed the wear of the brakes to the consumers driving style. no action was taken. *nm

The rotors on my 2004 jeep grand cherokee are defective. at 31,000 miles, i felt a pulsing when i applied the brakes. the dealer inspected my brakes and said the front rotors were warped 0.4. i do not use brakes heavily. the pads still have 3/8"(i have the old pads) remaining after 31,000 miles. when i had the rotors turned i asked the mechanic if this was unusual and his comment was, "chrysler keeps him very busy. he also told me that he had to turn them down to the minimum allowed, so if this happens again i will have to buy new rotors. i replaced the brake pads, to be on the safe side. when i was bleeding the brake lines, i noticed the caliper twisted the rotor inward when braking pressure was applied. i am 62 and this is my first chrysler car. i have never had to have the rotors turned on any of my previous cars, which before this jeep were all gm cars. i believe the rotors and/or calipers/brake system is defective and need to be recalled and fixed. i contacted chrysler in october about this problem and they have not answered me to date. *jb

I own a 2004 jeep grand cherokee and i am the original owner. i have under 30,000 miles on the car. when i brake, the steering wheel shudders and the brakes pulse. the dealer informs me that the rotors need to be replaced. rotors should not need to be replaced at 30,000 miles. it is unsafe and expensive. chrysler knows of the problem as it has been occurring since the 1990's and they still do not fix the rotors.*jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds when brake pressure is applied the front end of the vehicle vibrates. this occurs on normal roads and during normal braking. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. upon inspection the dealership determined the rotors needed to be replaced however, no repairs were made. the manufacturer was alerted.

Warped front brake rotors causing severe vibration when braking at speeds over 50 mph. rear rotors replaced last year as well. *jb

At 13000 miles the steering wheel violently shakes when braking at 30 mph. dealer checked and said all was ok. while evacuated for katrina an indpendent mechanic said the rotor was warped and did something to them. at 32000 miles the shaking became worse. called dealer and asked about warranty/recall and was told not applicable. just spent $500 to replace rotors in front. back needs work also. *jb

I bought a 2004 grand cherokee,special edition brand new. after 6000 miles i needed new front brake rotors because they were warped at 8000 miles i needed new rear brake rotors because they were warped. at 12000 miles i needed new front brake rotors again because they were warped at 14000 miles i needed new rear brake rotors because they were warped. all rotors were replaced with genuine jeep parts by a jeep dealership. now at 18100 miles i need new front and rear brake rotors because they are warped. i have to replace these rotors at my own expense. i believe that it is ridiculous to replace rotors every 4000 miles. it is a hazard, when i come to a stop, the entire front end shakes! *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph on mountain roads under normal road conditions, the vehicle pulled to either side when turns or braking were made. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the front wheel rotors had to be replaced due normal wear and tear, however the vehicle had only 29000 miles. the front wheel rotors were replaced but the problem persisted and the dealership determined again the front rotors had to be replaced when they had been in use for only 11000 miles. the dealership insisted that it was considered normal wear and tear. the manufacturer was contacted who agreed to reimbursed the second rotors replacement but refused to recognize responsibilities for the first replacement. the contact was very concerned about the defective brakes because the vehicle had to be driven on mountain roads on a regular basis. updated 10/04/06. *jb

We purchased the vehicle new. after replacing brakes 4 times, we still have pulsing when we brake and the steering wheel shakes horribly. there are only 36,000miles on the vehicle and we have also had to replace the tires due to cupping. no one knows what is causing the problem, they just keep replacing the brakes only to have them continue to pulse. i can't believe any of the mechanics that have looked at the vehicle would enjoy driving a vehicle like this, still we are stuck with it. i read on one site that it could be the calipers; maybe chrysler should look into it. we hold our breath that we will stop when we put on the brakes. why isn't chrysler made accountable for faulty brakes/calipers when it could cause an accident?

Dt: consumer complained about a braking problem, warped front/rear rotors. consumer the problem fixed today. when applying the brakes the pedal pulsed and lost brake power with only 20,000 miles on vehicle. consumer said vehicle did not pull trailers, make jack rabbit stops, or anything that would cause such a problem. vehicle was serviced regularly by the dealer it was purchased. the rotors were turned instead of being replaced. o consumer expected this problem to recur, and felt that was a manufacturing defect. *ak

I am having abs brake problems with this truck. i owned a 2000 jeep grand cherokee for 3 years and had the same problem but it was under warranty. the calipers and rotors had to be replaced 4 times and the truck had less then 30,000 miles. my brake pads were always fine. i traded the truck in early for a 2004 model. the sales man assured me the problem was fixed. after a year, i had the same problem, the rotors and calipers had to be replaced again, and the pads were fine. the mechanic told me the abs is the problem, as when you step on the brakes, it activates and heats up the rotors and damages the calipers because the abs brakes do not release in time to cool off the braking system. chrysler replaced everything because it was under 13,000 miles, but will not if it happens again. why should we have to pay for a system failure? i think chrysler should recall all models with this braking failure and fix it. they are very aware of the problem. *jb

driving at 65 mph i came upon an accident and had to brake rapidly. when i applied the brake the car shook violently and went into an uncontroble spin and ended up facing oncomming trafic in the opposing lane. took the car 2004 jeep gc to the dealer to check out why this happened the dealer said the front rotors were warped and had be replaced and was not under warrentee he also statedthey get 40 or more jgc in for brake work a month.am i missing something here? ??

Brakes on my 2004 jeep grand cherokee are a problem. *jb

I left a doctor's appointment and turned out of the parking area to find that my brakes were very spongy and it took me about 15 feet to come to a complete stop after only going 8-10 mph. at the next stop sign my brakes completely failed, i could pump them up but they went straight to the ground afterwards. i drove into a busy street because i could not get them to stop and collided with another car going around 45 mph. my airbags did not go off nor did my seatbelt lock when i struck the car. at the scene the police officer noted that the breaks pumped up but were very spongy when pushing them down. however, the dealer finds that there is nothing wrong with the breaking system currently. i am going to have a chrysler authorized representative come and inspect the system.

Events : vibration when braking. consequences : begining of loss of control problems because of the vibration in the steering wheel and vehicle.. this is a new car with 6000 miles. rotors replaced because of warpage at 6000 miles. dealer said there is no cure for this problem except to put new rotors on every 6000 to 10000 miles. you only know of the problem when it too late and the vibration begins. there were also two other people at the dealer when i was there with the same problem. i have a friend that has replaced his rotors 4 times in 34,000 miles. this has been a problem since 1999-2004. without control of your brakes you have no control. please look into this. it is a widespread problems in jeep grand cheorkee's.

Our 2003 model year jeep grand cherokee has terrible brake rotors. the jeep is used by my wife for a daily driver. we live in ohio in a fairly flat area. the vehicle is driven in town 95% of the time. the vast majority of that time is on the same road with a speed limit of 35mph. it is not a congested area that requires significant and or sudden braking. the rotors began to warp around 5,000 miles. the next scheduled oil change was around 8000 miles, and we had them replaced at that point. the rotors warped severely again around 20,000 miles. at which point the dealer fooled my wife into paying them for replacement chrysler rotors as the brake warranty was neither covered under the 3/36 bumper-to-bumper warranty nor the 7-70 powertrain warranty. if i had not thought them to be under warranty, i would have never had the dealership replace them with components of such shoddy quality that they will warp again inside of one calendar year. the service manager told my wife that rotors should only last 10,000 miles. i am an automotive mechanical engineer. i uinderstand that the factors that contribute to rotor warpage are only heat and installation. given the use of this vehicle (we don't even have a tow package), excessive heat can be eliminated. the failure mode eliminates improper installation. poor quality material, not enough material, and inadequate manufacturing processes could cause warpage with significnatly lower heat threashold. since chrysler and now dc has been having the problem for decades, and they have changed the calipers in the '02 model year, i suggest that nhtsa pressure dc to upgrade the quality of the rotors. all they have to do is shed heat and take the wear of the brake pads on their surface. it is one of the more simple components in a vehicle. i would suggest that they not only replace the rotors for all grand cherokee owners, but replace them with a reputable name (non dc oem) rotors. this would alleviate all issues.

Dt: the brakes don't work properly when coming to a stop hit a couple bumps and pedal had to be pushed to the floor , and the abs didn't come on . took vehicle to t to dealer, and they replaced master cylinder, but is doing the same thing. it stops but the pedal still goes to the floor. *ak

Dt: consumer had an accident today. consumer was about to make a left, a car was braking ahead and the consumer hit the brake. the consumers breaks did not respond. the tachometer was going up. consumer hit brakes a second time, still did not work. consumer hit other vehicle, and then vehicle stopped. previous warning. took vehicle to repair shop, mechanic said it just needed an oil change. last friday at one point it seemed like the brakes didn't grab. jeep stated there was a service alert or recall.*ak in the past consumer asked for information about this problem, when the driver tries to slam on brakes instead hits both the gas and brake pedal because of it being so close together.*sb

I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee with 15,000 miles. the front brake rotors had to be replaced at 7738 miles, and now again at 15,440 miles. the warping of the rotors makes the car unstable and i have almost been in a few serious accidents, and did have one collision due to this problem. these rotors are flimsy and should be replaced with a better quality part

Bought 2004 jeep grand cherokee in november 2004. over the course of six months and 8,000 miles, brake rotors began to warp and cause increased braking distances and instability during braking. dealer replaced the front rotors, and braking returned to normal. over the course of the next 11 months and 19,000, the pulsation in the brakes returned causing instability in braking and longer braking distances. manufacturer warranty has expired (12/12,000 miles for rotors). i will replace rotors with better quality parts to prevent warping in the future.*jb

2004 jeep grand cherokee on 3rd set of front rotors at 18,869 miles. rear rotors identified with same problem and jeep will not cover under warranty. multiple communications with jeep have failed to resolve issue. however, when we emailed jeep to inquire about whether or not rotors were upgraded on 2005 model to fix brake rotor problems identified on 1999-2004 model we were informed that "yes we did update the rotors on the 2005 model grand cherokee and changed the vendor for the rotors." this, i believe, indicated that they identified a problem which required them to not only update the rotors but it was also severe enough to change vendors. i feel that jeep should upgrade our front and rear rotors to either the 2005 model rotor (if appropriate) or upgrade to a different type of rotor which does not have a history of warping requiring replacement.

Warped rear brake rotors causing severe vibration when braking at speeds over 50 mph. *nm

Dt: the brakes are pulsing much more than usual. when putting pressure on the brakes one could feel the pulsing. contacted the dealership , they were not surprised .they put on new front brake rotors. this started on april 15, 2005. when going over 20 mph one would notice the problem more.*ak *nm

After only 11 months and approximately 7,200 miles car became difficult to control during braking at highway speeds. brake pedal had severe pulsation, steering wheel shook harder, and car shook during all braking conditions. dealer replaced front rotors. after 18 months and 12,000 miles, brake pedal began pulsating, and steering wheel started shaking during braking conditions. dealer replaced front rotors again! the dealer informed me that the rotors are no longer covered by the manufacturer under warranty. i am very concerned about this problem and the lack of attention by the manufacturer towards resolving the problem. if the problem has not been resolved by the manufacturer, then am i expected to have the same problems again within 3,000 to 5,000 miles from now? and then who will be responsible for the cost? me...the consumer!!!!! the manufacturers of all vehicles have the responsibilty to provide a quality braking system in all vehicles that should work correctly and without problems.*ak

Brake problems, sudden acceleration. *ak

I leased a 2004 grand cherokee in march of 2004 and less than a year later i had to have the front rotors replaced due to warping. the vehicle only had 7984 miles on it. my mother bought the same year model and her is at 16000 miles and her front rotors are warped. i owned a 1999 grand cherokee prior to the one i have now and traded it in because it had the same problem with the rotors, i was told that the new 2004 model had fixed the problem. i was lucky enough that the brakes were still coverd by warranty but my mother isn't, i am beyond angry with jeep. do not buy a jeep grand cherokee!!!! almost every person i know with a grand between the years of 1999-2004 have had their rotors warp every year and jeep refuses to fix the flaw or replace the brakes when they warp prematurely. i am heartbroken because i love how they look and ride but because of the brake problems i will never buy another.*ak

Consumer states: vehicle shakes only when braking. all 4 rotors are warped, at various speeds the vehicles shakes more so at 45 mph or more. shakes more violently when braking from that speed. no indication of for warning until vehicle began to shake while braking. diamler chrysler will replace the front rotors, but not the back rotors, and refused to give information as one why they will only replace front, and not the back, and refuse to give information regarding deffect of rotors.*ak

Vehicle shook while driving, and a loud squeaking noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle when brakes were applied. driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and took it to the dealer, and mechanic determined that left and right front and rear brake pads/rotors needed to be replaced. *ak

Dt: jeep grand cherokee. at first, when stepping on the brakes the steering wheel shook. at 14,700 miles and on 6/1/04 the mechanic determined it was only the abs brakes, and didn't record it. at 20,000 miles and on 12/1 2004 the shaking became worse and they replaced the rear rotors and turned the front rotors at no cost. currently, the shaking was bad again, and the rotors were too thin to turn. however, all 4 rotors needed to be replaced, the dealer said they would fix the rotors but to never bring it back to them again for this problem. the brake pads have not been replaced because were good. *ak

I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. at approximately 15,000 miles (just over 1 year of ownership), the jeep began with a pronounced vibration during braking. this was particularly bad when braking at highway speeds. brakes were also less effective. i had the rotors replaced, but had to pay all labor costs and for the brake pads myself. at approximately 25,000 miles the same problem was occurring. i brought it back to the dealership and had the rotors replaced under the 12,000 mile replaced part warranty. the pads did not need replacing. rotors should not become unusable before brake pads. i have owned a 1998 jeep gr. cherokee before this and it had similar problems with the rotors. i also know several other friends and family members with similar problems. two of those people have 2002 models and one has a 2003 model. in all cases the problem continues time after time. *nm

Dt: the consumer noticed problems with the brakes at 22,000. the vehicle would shake when the brakes were applied. the consumer was told the rotors were warped and the pads needed to be replaced as well. *jb

I purchased a 2004 jeep grand cherokee overland in july 04. by mar 05 the car began violently shaking when the brakes were applied. the dealer acknowledged the rotors were warped and resurfaced them at no charge. by june 06 the violent shaking occurred again and both the front and rear rotors were so severely warped that the mechanic stated the car was a hazard and could not be driven. the rotors must be replaced but the dealer stated this it is a wearable item and will take no action. it is unreasonable to expect consumers to replace the costly rotors annually and it is causing an extreme safety hazard. *jb

Warped brake rotors at around 24,000 miles are causing a strong vechicle shudder on my 2004 jeep grand cherokee when braking. this could lead to increased braking distance and a loss of vechicle control.

Problems with braking system. car has a pulsation in braking system. dealer replaces and/or cuts rotors and problem re-appears. vehicle has been to the dealer 10 times in the past 30 months for this exact problem. *tr

Consumer complained about a brake problem. the rotors were thin, and prematureky wore out. owner contacted the dealer, and was told that the vehicle was under warranty. however, the brakes were notcovered by the warranty. *ak

I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo. braking problems with rotors. i had to bring it in at 9,000 miles due to pulsation when appling brakes, to which they turned them. 14,000 miles later they are telling me my brakes are waarped , which in turn they did not want to replace. telling me my warranty was up. i did call chrysler and they did replace. but i was told if this happens again, i will have to pay myself. i also brought the car in because the brakes were sticking which they insist there is not a problem. *jb

My jeep grand cherokee has 60k miles. brake discs have been replaced 4 times and resurfaced 2 times since the car had 14k miles. new brake discs last only 6-10k miles before they become warped. when i brake, there is strong pulsation. contacted jeep several times but company denied responsibility. *tr

Consumer complained about brake problems. when taking vehicle to dealer to be serviced they had to replace both front rotors.*ak

The front brakes pulsated because the front rotors were warped. the dealership re-surfaced the rotors and replaced the brake shoes, but the failure has recurred. this is a common failure with these vehicles , in which the dealership and manufacturer are aware of. *jb the brake problem began initially at about 17,000 miles and became progressively worse. resurfaced rotors at 20,000 miles and they began exhibiting problems at about 22,500 miles. problem is continuing to worsen. *bf *nm

The car shakes a lot when i brake. i was told that brake disks are warped and pads are 50% warned out at 13000 miles. dealer and the campony does not take responsibility although discs should last for about 60000-80000 miles.*ak

2004 jeep grand cherokee front rotors warped after 14,000 miles of mostly highway driving. in all my years of owning vehicles, i have never heard of such a thing being the fault of the driver as my dealership was trying to explain to me. the dealer wants to charge me $100.00 to machine the rotors. how will this prevent this from happening again??? these rotors are defective and should be recalled and replaced. i have owned three jeeps previous to this one and i have never experienced a problem like this. i think this will be my last chrysler product. *jb