16th Aug 2004, 16:26
I have a 2001 Jeep Cherokee as well, and the driver's side front speaker also stopped working. Can you tell me what was wrong with your speaker; was it a loose wire or a more serious (and expensive problem)?
19th Aug 2004, 12:39
I have owned both a 91 Cherokee and 2000 Cherokee. I have had all of the problems that have been complained about on this website. I have had rust on the rain gutters, u-joints went bad on both vehicles, front speakers don't work. If you own the vehicle for a while and live in the rust belt, the bottom of the vehicle will disappear. Also, the rear leaf springs began to sag badly on my 91 jeep after about 80,000 miles. Its amazing that they built this vehicle for so long and never corrected these problems. the only reason that I bought the 2000 was because it was so cheap. I will only by the Jap vehicles from now on, over the long run you will pay less and have less aggravation along the way.
25th Aug 2004, 10:49
Me again. Not sure what the problem is with the speaker. I have simply chose to live with it for a while longer, until I trade it.
One addition to the problem list, my other fog light is now shot. This light also fell victim to water infiltration. Now I have two rusted out, non-working, fog lights on my jeep. Let me also mention that I have not been able to find replacements from anyone other than Chrysler. Guess what they cost, $100+ each. Wow, what a surprise.
I guess I expected better quality from a vehicle that cost me $25,000 brand new, not even 4 years ago.
7th Dec 2004, 11:32
Guys, as for your front speakers. I ran into the same issue. I removed the door panel to find that the one of the connectors had gotten loose. (probably from me slamming the door) I reconnected the wire and it was good as new. I have also experienced the Fog lamp issue. I replaced them with a twenty dollar pair that mounted up to the OEM brackets. As far as the quality of the vehicle, you get what you pay for.
16th Dec 2004, 14:07
My driver's side front speaker and window lock button stopped working on my 2001. I pulled the door panel, pulled and replugged the window control connections and the window lock button started working again. With that success I pulled the speaker to discover the same solution didn't work.
I ran a wire from the connector to the speaker, and viola, the speaker worked. With that knowledge, I cleaned the speaker connection, but that didn't work. I tried wiggling the connection while it was plugged into the speaker and discovered that would make the speaker work, so I pulled the connector and bend the prongs so they'd push firmly against the connector. Bad-a-bing, it worked.
Admittedly, I think the Jeep Cherokee has more problems. Mine squeaks and rattles and I think the front bearings are going, but it's a Jeep. That's part of the charm. Anyone who bought a Cherokee from 1994 onward should have known about the characteristics of the car, since at that point it had already been out for 10 years. If you didn't know about the problems, then you should have researched the car better before plunking down the dough.
17th Dec 2004, 08:01
I would like to try to help. There is an extraordinary amount of on-line support for Jeep Cherokees (and other Jeep vehicles), but the best of it is from private individuals on public forums, NOT from manufacturers. Also, my experience with Chrysler dealerships has been unpleasant.
So, to fix your problem with the Check Engine Light, I did a search on a forum and found Chrysler Service Bulletin #0900303 might apply to your problem. You can find a summary of it on the Jeep forum (the forum is open to public viewing, but not public searching, yet registration is free -- there are many such forums where you can find similar information): http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/2001-missfire-problem-72181/
Other Service Bulletins that might apply: 1801301, 1801001, 1803103.
12th May 2005, 20:05
I also have a 2000 Cherokee Classic with 95K miles. The only problem I have had with it is door rust where the outer door skin is tack-welded to the inner door. The seam was not caulked prior to painting and consquently moisture from the weep holes has rusted the flanges over time. I am currently getting estimates to have all the doors repaired. Everything else about the Jeep has been great. Runs good, looks good, has great off-road presence for a stock SUV, rides nice and is tight (even at 95K miles, does not leak and does not sag. If I can get the doors repaired, I'll drive it another 100K miles. One other thing I'll mention, I have an 87 GW with 126K miles and a 99 Wrangler with 44K miles. If you own a Jeep, or any SUV, be prepared to be a DIYer when it comes to maintenance' you'll save yourself a lot of money in the long-run.
5th Oct 2005, 18:42
I bought my 2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited Edition in 2003, used with about 30 thousand miles already on it. I guess that was mistake number one, since I cannot have a clear history on the vehicle after searching such tools as carfax.com and other searches using the VIN.
My engine makes a "chirping" sound every once in a while, and has for years. I have taken it to my local, private mechanic along with the dealer who could find no reason for the noise. I have not had a real problem with that, just an annoyance.
At 40k, the engine light came on. I took it to the dealer who told me it needed a tune up and new spark plugs. Come on, at 40k!? The charged me 100 just to reset the light.
At 50k, the entire car was rattling so loudly that my neighbors could hear me coming down the street. Needed new ball bearings. I took it to my mechanic to be fixed.
At 75K, the passenger side automatic window buttons do not work. I have to adjust the windows for anyone in my car from the driver's side. The driver's side speaker in the door is blown too.
Recently, just before 80k, the engine light came on again. Since my car is no longer covered under warranty, I took the car to my privately owned mechanic. They told me that the code that came back was for a SMALL EVAP LEAK. They couldn't find a problem, but could not reset the light so that it would stay off. It turned itself off after 2 days. Now, I am just over 80, the engine light is back on and I am reluctant to take it to the dealer, because I know that the price will be high, but I feel like I might get someone more knowledgeable about the car. No offense to my mechanic, but he doesn't specialize in Jeep repair.
Since my car is out of warranty, is there any benefit from bringing it into the dealer as opposed to my trusted mechanic?
22nd Jun 2004, 17:52
To the first responder, you are obviously in love with the Jeep brand, through good times and bad. That is fine and I can respect your brand loyalty. Having said that, I have a hard time understanding how I could have avoided the problem with the check engine light, rusted rain gutter, speaker, and u-joints. I am not sure how any of these problems can be from a lack of proper care for the vehicle. Was I not supposed to use the radio? Was I supposed to carry a towel in the back to dry the rain gutter after each rain event? How do you properly care for a SEALED u-joint? I wrote that the replacements have grease fittings, the originals did not. In my original review I forgot to mention my passenger side fog light that had a poor seal and soon rusted out due to water infiltration to the bulb area, around 30,000 miles. These are examples of inferior parts, NOT lack of proper care. And, I am not sure how my mention of the vehicle being driven primarily on pavement means I drive it like a sports car, where did that come from? I drive approx. 20 miles to and from work, on the expressway, at a fixed 65mph. This is hardly a stressful situation for a modern vehicle. I wonder what would break if it was subjected to a rough trail? And before you get angry, I realize that all Jeep names can handle the Rubicon Trail.
To sum it all up, I wish I had purchased a Toyota Tacoma quad cab pickup back in 2001. If I had, I would nearly own a reliable, well engineered truck that would be worth nearly $20,000 today. Unfortunately, I went for the Jeep that is only worth about $9,000 on a trade. I should have known that a Chrysler product was a bad idea. Luckily, there is time for me to dump it before the repairs get too extensive and costly.