2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo review from North America
"Wish the quality matched the looks"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Front Brake Pads Replaced x 4.
Front Rotors Resurfaced x 2.
Front Rotors Replaced (Had one replaced at 40K, then both at 61k)
Front driver's side window regulator.
Transfer case output seal x 2 (38k & 62k)
Transmission governor x 2 (45k & 62k)
Steering Wheel replaced due to peeling (35k)
Shocks leaking 35k (didn't bother me much, but seemed a little soon; wrote it off as wear and tear and bad roads).
Fuel pump seal replaced due to hard starting issue from pressure loss - known TSB (35k)
A/C leak (32k)
Evaporator Core Replaced (62k)
Lots of problems with the check engine light and code P0456 (I even have it memorized). This is due to small evaporative leaks in the emission system & at the charcoal canister, bad fuel caps (have replaced the fuel cap twice) and erroneous illumination of the check engine light due to a PCM fault. (30k - 62k)
Oil pressure needle randomly jumps all the way to the right here and there - still haven't pinpointed why. (last 20k or so)
Both hood and tailgate struts all had to be replaced (58k)
Intermittent illumination of ABS light while driving (hasn't happened in 5k; dealer was unable to diagnose any problem)
Driver's side power seat bracket broken (where the hollow metal tube connects to bracket). Searching for this is how I got to this site and my plan was to also insert a metal dowel across as a previous poster did until I replace the bracket.
Coolant temperature sensor would periodically throw a code and cause the temp gauge to drop and the check engine to illuminate. Only happened when wet and replaced at 62k.
General comments?
I bought this Jeep certified used in November 2003 in Dorchester, MA. It was my second Jeep Grand Cherokee purchase, the first being a 1996 Grand Cherokee Laredo.
This Jeep was fully loaded for being a Laredo. It was in excellent shape when purchased.
I traded in my old Grand Cherokee for this one. I loved the looks. I still like the Jeep, but I feel that it has had a lot of annoying problems in the 41,000 miles that I have had it. I would expect some problems, but it seems to be the same ones that everyone has. Although full maintenance was performed when purchased, I redid all maintenance and combed over everything to make sure. Since then, all has been kept up with (close to the B schedule as I did alternate between city driving in Boston, MA and driving in SW FL where it is hot & humid).
I will not be purchasing another Grand Cherokee mostly (80%) due to the looks of the redesign. I waited to see if it would grow on me, but it has been quite some time and it has not. The other 20% is a combination of treatment from "Five-Star dealerships," quality of parts used and resale value.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2001 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.0L I-6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 23000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 64000 miles |
| Previous car | Jeep Grand Cherokee |
| Date of Entry | 30th March, 2007 |