1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd. 4x4 V8 from North America

Summary:

Good SUV, but have some mechanic skills to fix

Faults:

Both front wheel bearings failed. Easily replaced by myself.

CD changer showed ERROR message. Easily replaced.

Passenger heater blowing cold air. Expensive problem to deal with.

Had to upgrade front rotors due to warping. Easily done by myself.

Rear hatch failed. Easily replaced by myself.

Noise in front when making slow sharp turns. Changed to red-line oil in differential and transfer case and that solved the problems.

Front tweeters went out. Easily replaced with aftermarket ones.

General Comments:

Not bad gas mileage with good wheel bearings and tuneup. (For an SUV)

I use mine like a truck and it cleans up great. Can haul 18 bags of concrete with ease.

Engine works great and doesn't leak or use a bit of oil. Very durable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th March, 2005

1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7L V8 from North America

Summary:

Don't by it used unless you have lots of money or its under warranty

Faults:

4WD High went at 51,000m resulted in the transfer case being rebuilt ($1100).

3 out of 4 shocks leaked at 70,000m and were replaced.

Both rear axle seals leaked onto brake pads and had to have bearing/seal kit installed and brakes/Emergency brakes replaced. Rear axle shaft bearing blew 20m from shop and axle shaft needed to be replaced (mechanics fault) ($1200).

Water pump replaced at 80,000m ($360)

Inner/outer Tie rod replaced at 95,000 ($280).

Front axle whines, transfer case growls and has play in it.

Front axle is leaking, rear and from main seals are leaking.

Have to have PCV and oil filler cap cleaned once a week in cold weather because of sludge (known issue).

Front rotors need to be turned every 6,000m.

TPS replaced at 114,000m ($160).

Paint is pealing off of rear bumper and Jeep emblems ($500 estimate).

Now it's in the shop with a blown head-gasket with 115,000 miles ($1500).

General Comments:

Mechanics are clueless on this machine, if it doesn't have an error code, they can't fix it. It doesn't matter if its jeep or a general mechanic). Every-time something breaks, it costs over $300 to fix it.

Lots of power and is fun to drive.

Suspension starts to rattle at 100,000 miles.

Fuel economy is reasonable for a V8. Vehicle is sharp looking and comfortable.

Lots of features to play with.

Love the heated seats in Maine.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th February, 2005

24th Mar 2005, 10:42

Sadly I agree. I love my jeep. It is so sharp looking and handles flawlessly in the snow. I have the Limited with Quadra Track II. I need to flip it our to someone before I get more $$ into it.

In 18 months I fixed/replaced

:

All 4 door actuators.

4 tires.

Idle Air Control Valve.

Serpentine belt (so what)

It keep throwing a code for bad injector #4.

I am going to miss it.

1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0 Inline Six from North America

Summary:

Reasonably reliable, unreasonably priced, and luxury fit for a King

Faults:

Rear Window wiper never worked, just moves about five inches and then stops, and won't go back down, except by hand.

Replaced all Four Brake Rotors and Pads after 115000.

All power door locks, keyless entry, power windows, stopped working without warning, but miraculously started working again after the mechanic simply removed the driver's side door panel.

General Comments:

The straight Six sounds like it's "knocking" at idle, but shows no signs of age, and runs like a champ.

The leather seats are comfortable for long hauls, and the cargo room is enormous.

Cruise control works flawlessly, and I absolutely love the steering wheel stereo controls.

The Straight six pulls hard, but my old Bronco II got better mileage on the highway, which is just plain sad.

Off road in mud, and snow, the jeep holds its own, and is truly trail rated.

The Jeep doesn't handle or ride like a jeep at all, I test drove a (cheaper) '00 Durango, and a (much cheaper) '98 Ford Explorer, both V-8 models, and the Jeep outhandled and out-performed both.

Bottom line: If gas mileage is a concern, look elsewhere, but if you want to own one of the best made SUV's of the late 90's, The Grand Cherokee is the ticket. I have yet to drive a capable off road vehicle that feels so cozy, powerful, spacious, and handles so remarkably well, on and off road.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 27th December, 2004

15th Jan 2005, 14:04

What? The Grand Cherokee is priced thousands less than the competitor's equivalent SUV"s? What state are you from? From what I see here in NY, the Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, and Dodge Durango are all priced in very similar fashion. They all start around $25K sticker price, and all end up around $40 to 45K sticker price fully loaded with options. You pay more for a Japanese brand SUV because they do not have to offer huge rebates and incentives to sell their products. But to state that the Grand Cherokee is thousands less than the competitor's products is simply ridiculous and not true.