1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Tires & wheels Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR WRANGLER RADIAL (P) TIRES, SIZE P235/75R15. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE OUT OF ROUND AND HAD BUBBLES ON THE SIDEWALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SET OF THE SAME TIRES. A WEEK LATER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,097 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 165,660.

NHTSA ID

10362792

Incident

Jul 1, 2010

Mileage

163,097 mi

I HAD A UNIROYAL TIRE EXPLODE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS BEING USED AS A SPARE INSIDE A 97 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHEN IT EXPLODED IT BENT THE REAR HATCH HINGES OUT 2 INCHES AND SHREDDED ALL THE PLASTIC TRIM PIECES CAUSING OVER TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. THANK GOD THERE WASN'T ANYONE IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10330211

Incident

Apr 13, 2010

I OWN A 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE THAT I BOUGHT AS A 'DEMO' IN MARCH, 1997. IN IT WAS A SPACE SAVER SPARE. THIS JEEP HAS FULL TIME 4-WD. LAST THURSDAY, 5/6/2004, I HAD MY FIRST FLAT TIRE EVER WITH THIS CAR, AND I MOUNTED THE SPACE SAVER SPARE. I DROVE ABOUT 20 MILES BEFORE I HAD TO STOP DUE TO THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL'S HEAT AND RESULTING BLUE SMOKE AS IT BURNED UP INSIDE. IN YOUR DATABASE, THERE IS A RECALL FOR 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES WITH FULL TIME 4-WD: RECALL NUMBER IS 98V006000. JEEP/CHRYSLER HAS GIVEN ME NO SATISFACTION WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THIS INFORMATION -- THAT MY 1997 HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS THE 1996'S, THAT THEY SOLD ME A DEFECTIVE "BOOBY TRAPPED" CAR, AND THAT I SHOULDN'T BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE DEFECT THAT THEY, IN FACT, KNEW ABOUT AND SAID NOTHING TO 1997 OWNERS. SO FAR, DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN $516, BUT MAY REACH $1500-$2000 BEFORE IT'S FIXED. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT NAPERVILLE JEEP (630-505-8282 -- JEEP SERVICE DEPT). I GOT NO NOTIFICATION OF THIS DEFECT SINCE 1997'S WERE NOT RECALLED. I HAVE NOT BEEN OFFERED A FULL SIZED SPARE KIT EITHER. WHY NO RECALL ON THE 1997'S WITH FULL TIME 4-WD TOO? HOW ABOUT OTHER YEARS? *AK

NHTSA ID

10072547

Incident

May 6, 2004

Mileage

71,976 mi

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, CAUSING A BLOW OUT. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO REPLACE TIRE. DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10061188

Incident

Feb 9, 2004

Mileage

103,000 mi

TO WHOM EVER I AM SPEAKING TOO, I RECENTLY PURCHASED A VEHICLE AT A LOCAL PUBLIC AUCTION. IT HAS THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS R15 TIRES THAT WERE ON THE RECALL. I WAS WONDERING IF I CAN STILL GET THE RECALL, AND GET NEW TIRES. THESE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE, AND I ENCOUNTER A BUMPY RIDE. THE VEHICLE I BOUGHT IS A JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, AND THE CAR WAS A THEFT RECOVERY, SO THE FIRESTONE TIRES WERE ON THE CAR, SO NO RECALL COULD OF BEEN DONE. THE TIRES MAY STILL BE DANGEROUS, AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT TO DO TO GET NEW ONES. THANKS, I WOULD BE THANKFUL TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU. *JB

NHTSA ID

10016192

Incident

May 19, 1999

THE LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, WHICH CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT END. *JB

NHTSA ID

10015038

Incident

Mar 29, 2003

ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.*JB

NHTSA ID

562994

VEHICLE WAS GOING 40MPH AND THE REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE BLEWOUT. NO WARNING, IT SUDDENLY BLEW OUT. VEHICLE STARTED SWAYING, AND CONSUMER SAW SMOKE FROM BACK TIRE. HALF OF THE TIRE WAS GONE. ORIGINAL TIRES, SIZE P225/75R15 ON A 1997, JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WITH 52,000 MILES.*AK *YH

NHTSA ID

894856

Incident

Aug 21, 2001

VEHICLE WAS GOING 50-55 MPH AND CONSUMER NOTICED ROAD WAS FEELING ROUGH AND UNEVEN. LEFT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY BLEWOUT. THERE WERE NO SIGNS BEFORE IT HAPPENED. CONSUMER HAS A 1997, GRAND CHEROKEE, AFTERMARKET TIRES WITH 24000 MILES ON THEM, AND SIZE P225/75R15.*AK TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT, DOT NUMBER VDHHAWR 179. *SLC

NHTSA ID

893232

Incident

Jul 3, 2001

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A BANGING NOISE. THEN SHE HEARD METAL TO METAL SOUND. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDERS, AND NOTICED THAT REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. GOODYEAR, EAGLE LS.*AK

NHTSA ID

886133

Incident

Apr 17, 2001

UPON BEING TOWED BY MOTOR HOME, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP THREE DIFFERENT TIMES, CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF TIRE TREAD. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK THE FRONT OF VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 1/2 DEGREE CAMBER AND DEALER STATED THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE EXCEPT TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE AXLE AND THAT WOULD EITHER MAKE PROBLEM WORSE OR STAY THE SAME. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE PUTS THE TRANSFER CASE IN NEUTRAL AND THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK WHENEVER TOWING VEHICLE, HOWEVER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE STEERING WHEELS WERE FOUND IN LOCKED POSITION CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE TIRES, CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAD BEEN TOWED 40000 MILES BEFORE THIS PROBLEM STARTED OCCURRING, ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER STATES HE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING STEERING LOCK TO RELEASE AND FOUND THE WHEELS WERE COCKED ABOUT 10 OR 15 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND THE FRONT TIRE WAS IN SHREADS, EVEN THE STEEL CORD WAS TORN, POSSIBLE INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSING LOCKING AND WEAR OF TIRES AND AXLE BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT. CONSUMER STATES SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE, THERE IS AJERKING AND ROUGHNESS IN TURNS ON DRY PAVEMENT, DEALER STATED THIS WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLES WERE DESIGNED. AIR CONDITIONER FREEZES UP AND SOAKS THE CARPETS, VEHICLE NEEDED NEW A/C MODULE AND COMPLETE NEW CARPETS. *SLC

NHTSA ID

879112

Incident

Jun 13, 1998

AT 45 MPH ON SMOOTH HIGHWAY TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT AND WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. THE TIRE WAS DEMOLISHED TO THE POINT WE COULD NOT TELL WHAT THE CAUSE WAS OR THE TIRE REPAIR MAN. THIS TIRE HAD APPROXIAMATELY 2000 MILES ONLY ON IT AT THE TIME . *AK (TIRESIZE: 16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 )

NHTSA ID

739056

Incident

Oct 12, 2000

SEVERE SIDEWALL CRACKING( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID

732113

SEVERE SIDEWALL CRACKING( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID

732112

DURING THE WEEK OF 10/18/00 I WAS RETURNING FROM A BUSINESS TRIP. I WAS TRAVELING WEST IN THE DRIVING LANE OF I-80 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:45 AM. IN FRONT AND BEHIND ME WERE SEMI TRUCKS AND, IN THE PASSING LANE, WAS A CAR. SUDDENLY I HEARD AN "EXPLOSION" AND MY VEHICLE SLAMMED TO THE PAVEMENT AND VEERED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT, TOWARD THE SHOULDER. AFTER NEARLY LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO A STOP ON THE BERM OF THE ROAD. THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE HAD LITERALLY DISINTEGRATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RESTING ON THE RIM. AFTER RETURNING HOME I INSPECTED THE TIRE AND FELT IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED NO OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MODEL TIRE. AFTER SOME NEGOTIATING THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE TIRE WHICH BLEW OUT AS WELL AS THE REMAINING THREE TIRES. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT, SINCE THE INCIDENT, I WAS EXPERIENCING SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH THE STEERING. THEY REFUSED TO DO MORE THAN REPLACE THE TIRES. AFTER THEY REPLACED THE TIRES I TOOK THE JEEP TO A REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND IT HAD A BROKEN FRONT-END SUSPENSION PART, WHICH I HAD REPLACED. I FEEL THIS HAPPENED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY, I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE TIRE WHICH DISINTEGRATED AND HAVE THEM AVAILABLE ON JPG FORMAT, IF YOU WISH TO HAVE THEM. I FEEL THAT FIRESTONE, INC. LIED TO ME ABOUT HAVING NO COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS MODEL TIRE. IF I HAD NOT PUSHED THE ISSUE I WOULD HAVE BEEN RIDING ON THREE OTHER OF THE SAME MODEL TIRES. I PUT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES PER YEAR ON MY VEHICLE AND I FEEL FIRESTONE TRIED TO DELIBERATELY COVER UP WHAT THEY KNEW WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THANK YOU( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 70R16 )

NHTSA ID

727286

Incident

Oct 19, 1999

VIBRATIDRIVER SEAT DOES NOT MOVE FOWARD OR REVERSE, SWITCH ELECTRIC SEAT ADJUSTER, REPLACED SWITCH.

NHTSA ID

522226

DESIGN OF TRUCK MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO USE TIRE CHAIN DURING INCLIMATE WEATHER IF YOU HAVE TIRE LARGER THAN P215/70R15.

NHTSA ID

528196

EXHAUST PIPE BENT & RUBBED AGAINST THE PLASTIC GAS TANK WHICH CAUSED A HOLE THAT ALLOWED A LEAK. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED OWNER NEEDS METAL PIECE BETWEEN TANK & EXHAUST. MANUFACTURER NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY OF FINANCIAL REPLACEMENT. *AK CONSUMER WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE SKIP PLATE OPTION, REQUESTING REIMBURSMENT. TRANSMISSION HAS A PAUSE WHEN UPSHIFTING FROM 2 TO 3, WHEN IN 4WD, THE LEFT WHEEL GRINDS WHEN TURNING. THE RIGHT FRONT POWER LOCK MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN POWER DOOR LOCKS WERE ACTUATED, DEALER INSTALLED NEW DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY. STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT CENTERED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING. *SLC

NHTSA ID

818721

Incident

Sep 22, 1997