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Jeep Grand Cherokee Maintenance and Repair

5134 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2013 at 1:06 PM

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What is this discussion about? Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee, SUV

    

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Messages Page 35 of 514

#337 of 5134 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited Problems - part 2 by tigerwokie

Aug 15, 2002 (2:25 pm)

I intended for this thread to share info on Jeep problems, so tell us & share your problems and problems only. If you have a happy story, take it to the happy Jeepster board. They love to hear from you.
 
Yes, the Jeep 5.9 is maintained regularly and serviced by a 5-star Chrysler-Jeep dealer. And the only reason I kept going back to the dealer was because I don't want to give Chrysler an excuse that I took it to a cheap automotive place. My catalytic converter failed at 8k miles and front end failed at 14k miles which gave me a bad vibe. And I forgot to mention the brake rotor problems in my last post. They were changed and resurfaced (3) times by the dealer. I finally took it to an independent brake shop and upgraded the brake pads & rotor myself.
 
Everything that was replaced was covered under factory warranty and by the same 5-star dealer each and every time. And believe me, they do look up my maintenance records. And they will not give you a free rental car if it is not THEIR fault or if they don't have to keep your car overnight. In case you want to know, it is Chrysler's own Maximum Care Warranty. My only regret was that I went for the $50 deductible instead of the $0 but at least I got some air miles out of it. This policy pays for a maximum 5-day car rental in one stretch only, so if you have a big transmission problem like mine, take the car in for an assessment first and schedule the repair on a Monday. This was actually suggested by the Service Advisor and they sure know their stuffs. The dealer has to order the parts in from the warehouse. I understand sometimes you don't have this luxary if your rig needs to be towed to the dealership if it dies on the road as it happened to me once.
 
Someone asked if my problem comes under the "lemon law". Yes, it does; but for Washington State I have to make a claim within 30 months of delivery and for the same & repeat problem. Who would have thought a new transmission replacement every 15k miles!
 
The only thing that works good is the seat warmer but I feared that day that I may be electorcuted in it

#338 of 5134 5.9 Ltd Problems by kkulig

Aug 15, 2002 (4:28 pm)

"I intended for this thread to share info on Jeep problems, so tell us & share your problems and problems only. If you have a happy story, take it to the happy Jeepster board. They love to hear from you."
 
...Geez, was that really necessary for you to say? What's your point? And BTW, you didn't start this thread.
 
"Someone asked if my problem comes under the "lemon law". Yes, it does; but for Washington State I have to make a claim within 30 months of delivery and for the same & repeat problem."
 
...What you're actually saying here is that "NO," it isn't covered under your state's lemon law because it's well beyond the time/mileage limits to file a claim.
 
The 98 was probably one of the worst years for the JGC. The last year of the original design. DC wasn't interested in fixing any of the chronic problems that plagued this design. And it looked and felt a heck of a lot cheaper than the 93's.
 
I had a 98 go back under the lemon law. It was a relief to get out from under that one. No complaints on my 93, 99 and 02 though. I SURE LOVE MINE!
 
At least you were smart enough to buy an extended warranty. That's a must on ANY vehicle. Now your decision is to take a chance that it'll be okay and keep it, or ditch it before your warranty expires. That's a no-brainer.

#339 of 5134 98 bad year by vin_weasel

Aug 15, 2002 (4:59 pm)

I've heard that as well but mainly just the 5.9 models. It seems that the 360 was just too much engine for the rest of the drivetrain. What transmission does it have?
 
I'm sorry you've had so many problems but I would like to ask how you drive it? I have a co-worker with 2 4.3 AWD Astro vans that he has replaced the drivetrain twice on. I was wondering why he had so many problems until I drove with him. He is an aggressive driver to say the least. I'm not saying you are but that it can make a difference.

#340 of 5134 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited Problems - Part 3 by tigerwokie

Aug 15, 2002 (6:28 pm)

To clarify once again for those who responded, I started the thread on 5.9 Limited - and that is the flagship of the Jeep GJC line. Just read the title line. This thread is for info sharing, no need to be defensive unless you own a 5.9 Limited then we can swap some real stories. If you need to learn about about Jeep problems, go to NHTSA website. Buying an extended warranty is a personal choice and there is no need to label one as smart or dumb.

#341 of 5134 tigerwokie by vin_weasel

Aug 15, 2002 (10:18 pm)

This 'thread' has 319 messages and was started to cover Jeep Grand Cherokee problems, not just your posts inside the public thread.
   
I'm just wondering if I'm understanding you correctly: If I don't have a '98 5.9L I'm not allowed to reply to anything you've said or ask questions? Plus if people should just go to NHTSA to find out problems, why are you posting your bad experiences here?
 
I don't own a GC but I do like all Jeeps and like to learn about them. I found your history with your Jeep very interesting and has actually taken my opinion of the 5.9 down a notch. The reason I'm asking questions is for my own benefit and so that if I run into a situation where the knowledge would be applicable I might be able to help someone out. Say, if they were going to buy a 5.9 or already owned one. People come here to share opinions and information and I don't understand your attitude.
 
I'm still interested in what kind of transmission/transfer-case the 5.9 had. I'm assuming it had an aluminum-centred Dana 44 and a Dana 30 up front for axles. Does anybody know?

#342 of 5134 Let's ... by tidester

Aug 15, 2002 (11:37 pm)

... simmer down! We can all enjoy diverse discussion and ignore what we don't care to read!
 
tidester
Host
SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories

#343 of 5134 5.9 problem - to vin_weasel by tigerwokie

Aug 16, 2002 (5:56 am)

Hi there, thanks for writing. In my first post, I shared my lessons learned on when to take the car into the dealership when faced with a major transmission rebuilt. This is because of the Maximum Care limitation and allowance on rental car reimbursement, and I also recommended the length of extended warranty and the $ deductable to buy based on my personal perception of Jeep quality. This sort of information can only be coming from someone who has had many real repair experience. You don't get the consumer insight (like what I have been sharing) from NHTSA. It is scarry when you read some of the NHTSA comments.
 
This car was chosen as a 4x4 SUV of the year by many auto magazines in 1998. But the one I should have read is the Consumer Report and it listed many many years of Jeep's quality and reliability problem. Live and learn! The 5.9 has the Dana rear end and the Qudra-Trac transmission. It is fast but you paid for it with each fill up - premium gas only. This turns out to be pretty expensive like $30+ per gas station visit but I do enjoyed the amenities this car has provided so I can't complain. There was no option to choose from with everything loaded out the door.
 
I appreciate people asking me how do I drive the car or the kind of gas I used or if I can afford to pay for the 5-star service..etc; but it really serves no true useful purpose for me or other readers. If a part is replaced and covered under the warranty, then it is a defect and quality problem as far as me and the public masses go. You don't have to go with any of my recommendations but at least you know the rationale and facts behind it. Let the lawyer or the big ego type sort out the nitty gritty like lemon law. In that reply I said WA State has the lemon law (which my car comes under) and the 30 month limitation (which my car does not qualify anymore, I thought that was an educational reply and yet someone has to have some witty response. That's when I tried to urge others to stick with the original theme(public or mine) discussion on Jeep problem sharing. If I want to hear a happy story or sales pitch, I can always get it from the Jeep salesman. I also own the Chrysler Town & Country mini van and I am happy with that product. Take care.
 
So I want to hear 5.9 problems if there is any out there. Thank you.

#344 of 5134 sorry tidester by vin_weasel

Aug 16, 2002 (6:54 am)

late night last night.
 
I didn't know the 5.9 took premium only. Learn something every day.

#345 of 5134 tigerwokie by kkulig

Aug 16, 2002 (3:35 pm)

I guess I really don't understand what was said earlier to make your last couple of responses so defensive and worded to the point of begging for the "witty" replies you accuse some of making.
 
What you fail to realize is that many of the regular posters out here have years worth of experience in owning, driving and fixing the problems they've had with their JGC's. I count myself as one of those people. I've owned four and I've successfully used the lemon law (without an attorney) to get out from under one of them. I'm happy to share my experiences out here with anyone. They (as well as you) are free to do with this info as they see fit. It's only one opinion of many out here, so read and believe whatever you want to and ignore the rest.
 
Many of us are out here to learn a little more about our vehicles, find solutions to the mechanical problems and to share our experiences in general. The vast majority of posters out here are polite and respectful of one another. May I suggest that you give this a try the next time you post? You might be a little more pleased with the results.
 
As anyone knows, if you post in any of these forums you're going to get a response. Some you may appreciate, some you may not. If you can't handle that then maybe you should look elsewhere. It's fairly obvious that you aren't really interested in what any one else has to say and you're just using this topic to vent. Venting's fine, but there are other more appropriate places to do this. No one "owns" this topic and it certainly isn't limited to 98 5.9L JGC's. I'm a little concerned that you think otherwise. And I'm a little surprised that one of our "hosts" hasn't found a polite way of pointing all of this out to you by now.

#346 of 5134 kkulig by tidester

Aug 16, 2002 (4:20 pm)

And I'm a little surprised that one of our "hosts" hasn't found a polite way of pointing all of this out to you by now.
 
Apparently "you" didn't read #320 above.
 
tidester
Host
SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories

Messages Page 35 of 514

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