2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited review from North America

I purchased the vehicle new, but immediately noticed that the brakes did not seem to operate properly. Several conditions ranging from high pitched squealing to abnormal anti-lock brake activity occurred.

For instance, at every stop, a loud screech would sound causing other drivers to look around expecting to see someone unable to stop. It sounded as though the brake pads had worn completely down somehow so I brought the vehicle in to the dealer for a look. After an inspection I was told that this was caused because the brake pads were new and that the squealing would go away soon. It did not. It actually got worse and I brought it back several more times. I was finally told that the brake pads were constructed of a metallic fiber and I would have to live with the sound. I asked why my vehicle was the only one that made such a horrible noise, though and was told that some pads can be louder than others and there was nothing they could do.

My real concerns came when the vehicle started to vibrate when applying the brakes. This problem became more and more intense with time and occurred after about 10,000 miles. I brought it in again to find that all four brake rotors were warped. I was told this was not covered by warranty because it was a wear and tear problem and I had to pay for the replacement. I asked if I could expect to get more than 10,000 miles out of my next set and the dealer actually told me that Jeep rotors are notoriously bad and that I may only get another 10,000 miles. He suggested I pay extra to install upgraded rotors which should last much longer and had a 10,000 mile warranty. I reluctantly did. Unfortunately these rotors lasted exactly 13,000 miles at which point I had to have them replaced again at my cost. The vehicle only had 23,000 miles on it now and was on its third set of rotors, which the dealer insisted was "normal" for Jeeps.

Some other problems I continue to experience are as follows: When applying the brakes, if I go over a bump in the road, the vehicle's anti-lock brakes will kick in and the vehicle will stutter and skid a bit causing me to briefly lose control. Even though I've asked the dealer to look into this, they tell me they cannot find any problems with this. I also had two occasions where I applied the brakes and they did not work at all. I then had to pump the pedal to get them to work. This problem was rare and I was unable to duplicate it for the dealer so they insisted they could not repair it if they could not duplicate it.

Also unrelated, I have had repeated problems with the side view mirror memory function. The mirror continues to lose the memory setting and drift out and away, which is more of an aggravation than anything else.

Just as my 36,000 mile warranty ended, the leather-wrapped steering wheel disintegrated.

The Jeep has lots of power and is fun to drive. It is also very comfortable and I think the design is beautiful and very well thought out.

I just wish the brakes were not so scary.