2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport review from North America

Vibrating front end at freeway speeds; (I had a 1989 Jeep Pioneer previously, got 212,000 miles on that one.) I did have the shaking in the front end going 55-65 mph on both my 1989 and 2000 Cherokee, it's the track bar--- it seems to go bad over 50,000+. Sometimes replacing the steering stabilizer will fix it; I replaced that and track bar on my previous jeep that fixed it. I think now the track bar is an after market part. I'd try that first if it's cheaper. On my current Jeep I was going to replace the track bar, but found that if I just grip the steering wheel harder when I encounter potholes etc., I can compensate for the shaking.

A/C: On my 2000 model currently the AC has not worked for one year, it went out at about 68,000 miles. I had it recharged and dye put in 3 times, but they can't see a leak; somebody just pulled up the carpet on front passenger side under the dash & looked up and saw dye under the dash, which means it's the evaporator core in dash. Not sure I want to drop $1200 for the core on a car that I still owe $4000 on.

Window controls: I had this problem since 31,000 miles; the front and rear passenger window controls won't work. I have to use the control on the drivers panel, rather than pay again to have it fixed; I had it fixed once before not worth it since I have few passengers.

At 78000 miles on my 2000 Cherokee Sport, I have a lot of noise in the front end and getting louder for several months; it sounded like wheel bearings so I had both changed L/R and it still sounded like a locomotive under the front end, I really can't tell which side it's coming from since its too loud, I thought it was noisier on the left so I had that one done first, then the right when that didn't take care of the noise. Usually with wheel bearings theres a thunk thunk thunk with each rotation of the wheel. On my last Jeep a 1999 Cherokee Pioneer I had to replace the front wheel bearings at about 100,000 miles. The thunk is gone now, but there is something else making a big roar in the front end. It was hard to isolate the noise because it seems to be travelling out to the transfer case and is hard to isolate the sound to one part, but to me it sounds like it's coming from right in front of the steering column.

Help needed here:

So next my mechanic checked the bearings in the front differential by opening it up, removed the seal, drained and checked the gear oil to see if there was flecks of metal in it, which there was a lot I saw it.

He said it means the wheel bearings are shot, the metal flecks shouldn't be in the gear oil, they are from the bearings wearing down and then that metal gets into the bearings and gears. He thinks the noise is coming from the differential due too bad bearings. The diff. is in the right spot for where I hear the noise coming from, it sounds like its right in front of the steering column, which is right where the front differential is located. His estimate is $900 to do 7 hours of labor (California labor rates) and replace the four bearings. What about the gears, does he need to change them too? The est. sounds high, does anybody know about this problem?

Joanneboyland@comcast.net.