2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude 3.6L V6 from North America
Summary:
Looks can be deceiving, avoid this at all costs
Faults:
Both heads on the engine were ticking. It should be a recall, but it isn't because if Dodge were to replace all of them on all 3.6L engines, they'd go bankrupt. 3000 dollars per head. That means you're paying 6000 every 4 years to keep it on the road. And don't expect your dealership to fix it without taking them to court. These engine heads were built wrong on all 3.6L V6s.
Floor mat in the front driver's side ripped before we owned it for a year. Not paying 400 bucks for a new one.
Transmission cooler radiator broke at 130,000km. Was 1100 to fix.
After 100,000km there was a significant amount of metal shavings in the transmission fluid pan.
Transmission is screwed. It can never be programmed right. It's always pounding or shifting weird.
Driver's seat cushion was flattened from getting in and out at about 70000km. Very, very cheap material.
Cannot remember what was replaced before 100,000km.
General Comments:
It was definitely comfortable. I'm 6'1 and the driving position is perfect. But it is not worth 50 grand. It looks nice, but is not a pleasure to own. It's extremely cheaply built. No quality whatsoever.
I had to rely on my 16 year old Nissan in the final couple months of having this Jeep, because the motor was going to blow up and I didn't know when.
The body roll was annoying. I couldn't make the turns in the mountains of Idaho without making my family sick. I'd have to slow down for corners.
Dealership is a pain in the ass to deal with. They argue you on EVERYTHING. So never expect your experience to be pleasant.
Never buying another Dodge product again. I hope anyone who reads this doesn't buy one. Especially not a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 26th December, 2016
29th Dec 2019, 22:28
My 2012 Grand Cherokee Altitude 3.6 has been very reliable. I am the original owner and I am now at 137k miles. This car has only needed oil changes, tyres and brake pads.
29th Dec 2019, 22:32
I beg to differ. I think some negative reviews on car ownership problems are because folks do not service their vehicles and floor them hard. I have never had any major car problems in 48 years of driving and 57 cars.
30th Dec 2019, 18:57
A lot of confusion on here (and sometimes starts a war in the comments!) comes from confusion over the faults section. As in, what people list there to be exact. For example, someone may write a review about a car and only list major problems (breakdowns, major mechanical failures, etc) that they have had in a short time. Whereas others detail every single maintenance item over years and years (oil changes, brakes, tyres, etc) which are not exactly faults.
31st Dec 2019, 17:24
Out of 57 cars with no major problems I'm assuming you never owned any Honda or Acura products. They were known for premature transmission failures.
29th Dec 2019, 02:03
Thank you for being honest, unlike the other review just above yours, who was clearly fake with almost no problems for 120000 miles. There will always be those car owners who don't admit the problems.