1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVESHAFT AXLE FAILED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE PARTS; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE DUE TO THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V252000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, STRUCTURE) AND WAS WAITING FOR THE PART TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10759284

Incident

Jun 1, 2011

WHILE DRIVING ON THE 210 FWY EAST NEAR THE HILL STREET OFF-RAMP IN PASADENA-CA THE CAR'S FRONT END STARTED TO SHAKE & BOUNCE VIOLENTLY WHILE WOBBLING TOWARDS THE RIGHT. IT FELT AS OF THE CAR WOULD FALL APART AND WE (OCCUPANTS) WERE VERY SCARED. AFTER REDUCING MY SPEED TO ABOUT 35MPH THE SHAKING/BOUNCING STOPPED AND EVERYTHING SEEMED BACK TO NORMAL. I CHECKED THE WEB TO SEE IF ANY ONE ELSE HAD EXPERIENCED THESE PROBLEMS. TO MY SURPRISE THE INTERNET HAS NUMEROUS ENTRIES OF PEOPLE IN JEEPS EXPERIENCING EXACTLY THE SAME AND NAMING IT THE "DEATH WOBBLE". THE SITES SUGGEST DIFFERENT CURES BUT AFTER REPLACING ALL FRONT SHOCKS, STEERING HOUSING, STEERING DAMPERS AND ALL SUSPENSION BUSHINGS AND REPLACING TIRES AND HAVING ALIGNMENT CHECKED THE PROBLEM REMAINED AS I EXPERIENCED IT TWICE MORE AFTER ALL THE WORK WAS DONE. ON 04/08/'15 I TOOK THE CAR TO ALHAMBRA CHRYSLER/DODGE/JEEP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE "DEATH WOBBLE" SO I HANDED THEM AN INTERNET PRINTOUT CLEARLY EXPLAINING THE SYMPTOMS. AFTER INSPECTION THE WORKORDER LISTED THE REAR SHOCKS NEEDING IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT AND FRONT SUSPENSION TO "MAY FUTURE ATTENTION". SINCE EVERYTHING ON FRONT SUSPENSION HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED I WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED THE REAR SHOCKS AND DOUBLE CHECKED ALL SUSPENSION FASTENERS, BALL JOINTS AND WHEELBEARINGS. STILL THE PROBLEM, THE DEATH WOBBLE", OCCURRED ONCE MORE. BASED ON THE INTERNET LISTINGS MY CASE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND SINCE DURING THE WOBBLE THE CAR IS UNCONTROLLABLE AND MOVES EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AN ACCIDENT IS SURE TO HAPPEN. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. BY THE WAY I AM AN ASA MASTER TECH, CERTIFIED IN ENGINES, TRANSMISSIONS (MANUAL & AUTOMATIC), SUSPENSION, BRAKES, A/C AND BODY AND KNOW HOW TO WORK ON CARS. THIS PROBLEM BAFFLES ME. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID

10731957

Incident

Mar 4, 2015

Mileage

209,000 mi

VIOLENT WOBBLE IN LEFT FRONT WHEEL AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10449766

Incident

Aug 22, 2008

Mileage

122,100 mi

THE PASSENGER SIDE STABILIZER BAR INSIDE THE VEHICLE BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING INJURY TO THE WRIST OF THE PASSENGER. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER.*AK

NHTSA ID

10112811

Incident

Jan 24, 2005

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE BEGINES TO TUG/SLIP ON THE RIGHT SIDE, IT BEGINS TO TUG/SLIP/LURCH AND PROGRESSES INTO A MATALLIC CLUNK THAT CAN BE FELT ON THE FLOOR AND IN THE DRIVETRAIN AREA ON THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. POSSIBLY SUSPENSION RELATED.*YH

NHTSA ID

562646

ROTATED AND BALANCED TIRE, ALIGNED FRONT WHEELS, REPACKE WHEEL BEARING. ALSO, TRANSMISSION NEEDED AN OVERHAUL. *AK

NHTSA ID

9003663

VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS PULLED TO LEFT, HAD SUSPENSION WORK DONE, CHANGED TIRES AND BRAKE PADS. DEALER COULD NOT REMEDY. CONSUMER NOT ABLE TO DRIVE FASTER THEN 55 MPH, VEHICLE WAS HARD TO CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA ID

882932

Incident

Jan 1, 1999

LEFT FRONT HUB, BEARING ASSEMBLY AND DRIVE AXLE CORRODED. NLM. NLM

NHTSA ID

554056

Incident

Mar 1, 2000

AIRBAG FAILURE ON IMPACT TWICE, BRAKE COMPONENT FAILURE 10 SEPARATE TIMES, WATER PUMP FAILURE AT 50,000, DIFFERENTIAL NOISE AND FAILURE AT 65,000, MANIFOLD CRACKED, MOTOR MOUNT, AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS FAILURE AT 74,000

NHTSA ID

727686

UNCONTROLLABLE VIBRATION WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHES 65 MPH AND RUNS OVER A SLIGHT BUMP. VEHICLE TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING APPEARED TO BE WRONG. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

862842

Incident

May 17, 2000

I WAS DRIVING MY JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 3 WEEKS AGO, AT ABOUT 65 MPH, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO CRASH. I SLOWED DOWN USING THE BRAKE, AND IT CONTINUE TO SHAKE TREMENDOUSLY UNTIL I HAD SLOWED TO APPRX. 30 MPH. THIS HAPPENED ON INTERSTATE I-75, WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC. HAD THERE BEEN MAJOR TRAFFIC, I WOULD HAVE HAD A HARD TIME NOT WREAKING INTO SOMEONE, BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO SHAKE BACK AND FORTH, RATHER THAN UP AND DOWN. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD BLOWN A TIRE. UPON INSPECTION, NO APPARENT TIRE PROBLEMS. I WAS ROUGHLY 100 MILES FROM HOME AT THE TIME, SO I CONTINUED ON. THE VERY SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, HOWEVER, I WAS BETTER PREPARED FOR IT, AND ALTHOUGH I AM NOT QUITE SURE, IT SEEM TO BE THAT MY HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD CAUSED IT TO BEGIN THE VIOLENT SHAKING FROM SIDE-TO-SIDE. I PROCEDED AT A MUCH SLOWER PACE, AND DID NOT HAVE A REOCCURRANCE THAT DAY. THE NEXT DAY, MY MECHANIC LOOKED IT OVER, AND COULD NOT FIND ANY APPARENT PROBLEM, AND SAID IT APPEARED TO BE "PRETTY SOLID". HE SAID THAT IT WOULD LIKELY TAKE A MUCH MORE THOROUGH DIS-ASSEMBLY TO FIND THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT A CHRYSLER DEALER MECHANIC, BUT A CERTIFIED INDEPENDANT, I TRUST HIM IN HIS JUDGEMENT. I WAS DRIVING YESTERDAY, MAY 27, AND AGAIN IT HAPPENED. AT 65 MPH, I HIT A BUMP (NOT A MAJOR BUMP, BUT A ROUTINE BUMP ON INTERSTATE), AND IT BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY SIDE-TO-SIDE. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO AROUND 55 MPH IN ORDER FOR IT NOT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. WHAT AM I TO DO? I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANOTHER JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, AND THAT IT COULD BE RELATED TO A ROTOR RECALL?. *AK

NHTSA ID

723284

Incident

May 27, 2000

REOCURRING VIBRATIONS, FRONT END PARTS REPLACED, TRANSMISSION REBUILT, STILL VIBRATES VIOLENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

720594

Incident

May 1, 1998

SERPENTINE BELT FAILED TWICE. *YC

NHTSA ID

545162

Incident

Mar 17, 1998

QUADRA TRAC , DISTINCT VIBRATION AND NOISE 55 TO 75 MPH. *AK

NHTSA ID

705387

Incident

Feb 1, 1999

SUSPENSION FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

535175

VEHICLE ROLLED OVER REPEATEDLY AFTER HITTING TELEPHONE POLE IN ABOVE ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

487821

Incident

Jun 24, 1995

BELT TENSIONER/TRACK BAR REPLACED. *SD

NHTSA ID

487644

Incident

Jul 6, 1995

EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE HANDLE BROKE OFF.

NHTSA ID

600355

Incident

Aug 22, 1995