Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-56
From the moment I got the vehicle, it was apparent it had problems.
The first instance of major trouble was that it would just stop on the highway, usually while the cruise was on and it was accelerating on an incline. After waiting 5 minutes, it would start up fine, go 10 miles and stop again. If you barely touched the accelerator, you could go 10 mph on the shoulder, but any attempt to step on the gas would be met with dead response and it would stop again. If Jeep ever reads these, they must understand my wife and I were fearful for our lives going down the shoulder of the Interstate going 10 mph.
After several trips to "my repairman", we had checked every possible technical problem and found nothing. O2 sensors were good and fuel tank appeared clean. We did a complete fuel system cleaning, replaced the fuel filter, and changed all the fluids.
That lasted about a week. We took the Jeep to NY to get married. We almost didn't make it on-time because this nonsense happened 6 times there and 3 times on the way home.
We are only getting 11-12 mpg in town and maybe 15 on the highway.
The only way we've gotten any relief is to use Premium unleaded at all times. Any less than that and it starts all over again.
The Jeep always feels like it is towing a boat every time you first get in it and start driving. It is extremely sluggish.
The newest problem looks like a bad transmission. Every 3rd or 4th shift into reverse yields nothing. Then after 10 or 15 seconds... the engine races and clunks into reverse.
When you first start out on a drive, it shifts from 1st to second just fine. Then, it races in 2nd for several miles, red lining at 40-45 mph, before it finally shifts into 3rd. After you drive it for 10 or 15 minutes, it appears to ride a lot smoother.
I refuse to take it to any Jeep dealer for repair. Their prices are like highway robbery for anything. Several people I've talked to say you can't get out of a dealership for less than $500 for anything.
I've talked to 4 other 1999 Laredo owners, and all 4 have had transmission troubles. Three have had the transmission replaced at 56K, 38K, and 18K.
When you talk to a Jeep dealer however, they have had no recalls on the transmission.
The former Laredo's have a 3/36 warranty. The 7/70 warranty on the drive train only applies to the new QuadraTrac transmission.
The battery completely discharges if it sits for more than 3 days. I can't park it at the airport and go out of town. If I do, I have to have it jumped as soon as I get back just to drive home. it is a brand new battery.
The console clip broke the first time I opened and closed it. The rear compartment retractable shade broke the first time I used it.
The bearings went bad in the rear causing severe road noise and had to be replaced.
The vehicle rides very hard and you get tossed around on every bump and turn.
I refuse to take it to the dealer and pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to try to "figure out" what might be going wrong.
I am not about to spend one dime to replace a transmission on a vehicle with 69K.
This vehicle is the Edsel of the SUV industry. I am going to hire a lawyer that specializes in this type of litigation and put the pressure on Chrysler. Since I work for a newspaper and with a competent lawyer, we ought to cause enough bad press for Jeep, they'll have to come clean and put out a recall on these transmissions.
A good friend had the same problems with his 2001 and Jeep replaced EVERYTHING that was wrong with his including the transmission. His went bad at 58K.
This vehicle was purchased in April 2002 at 58K. I parked it in August 2002 with 69K and have not driven it since.
I also own a '99 laredo. I have had nothing but problems with it since I drove it off the lot. I am now dealing with the fact that it needs a new transmission. This is a real blow to me. I am currently unemployed and a single mother with two small children. I do not have the thousands of dollars to get a new transmission. I am highly disappointed with Jeep. I thought I was buying a safe and reliable vehicle for my kids and I. Shame on you Jeep.
Wow. I can't believe how shocked I was to read about all of the troubles with the '99 Laredos. I am currently experiencing the same exact thing and have been since I bought the car over a year ago. The biggest problem is that it will accelerate, but only after the RPM's go way up and it sounds like it's about to blow up! Then, it will downshift really hard. Granted, it eventually stops, but I just keep thinking - this isn't normal, can't be good for the engine/transmission and bottom line, should not be happening. I paid good money for this car (more than I should have apparently) and thought it would be a very safe and reliable car and it's looking like I was wrong more and more every day!
To make things worse, I just started a new job where I will be traveling about 20 days out of the month, so I took my car in to a shop to see what they had to say. NOT GOOD NEWS. Over $800 worth of supposedly "necessary" repairs. I don't get it. I was so excited when I bought this car and now I guess I really need to think about selling it, which makes me sick. Jeep really should be responsible and do something for all of us who are experiencing problems... it isn't right. Plus, another problem is that I bought a warranty with my car at the time and nothing that has been wrong with it so far has been covered. $1200 for a warranty and none of these repairs have been covered - horrible.
What makes me sad is that before this, I had a little '95 Plymouth Neon. It wasn't the fanciest car and not the most expensive so I was more than happy to sell it and trade it in for a Jeep. (I had always wanted a Jeep - if I only knew then what I know now) Looking back on it though... that little Neon never had one problem. Owned it almost 3 years and never once had a problem with it. Guess I shouldn't have been fooled by appearances and "wants" and should have stuck with the trusty Neon. Sad.
Anyway, if any other Jeep owners read this, I would love some feedback about O-2 sensors. That is one of the main things they say I need. Are they really necessary? What do they do? If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. My address is: blisset2@yahoo.com Thanks...
My daughter is facing a $3,500 bill from a local Jeep dealership to replace the transmission on her 1994 Grand Cherokee Laredo, which she bought from them only five months ago. The transmission failed while she and her friend were driving down a flat, level highway obeying the 65 mph speed limit. The Jeep name is supposed to mean it's a tough vehicle, but it's outrageous to lose a transmission this way. I suppose I could understand if she was towing a 2-ton boat or 4-wheeling up a steep mountain. My college-student daughter is faced with a huge repair bill on a vehicle that is now worth nothing. Thanks a lot, Jeep and Chrysler.
We are currently dealing with problems regarding our 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. We already had a repair done to the "rear end" because of a very loud sound like humming coming from that area. The repair was over $2000. Now it's the transmission. The estimate we got today on the transmission is between $2200-$2500.The transmission specialist said it's a "direct clutch failure." When we first take off in the morning, it will not shift. The RPM races like it's stuck. The specialist said it's getting stuck between 2nd and 3rd, and it is an automatic. Has anyone had any luck trying to contact Chrysler about these problems? A friend of ours who sells Jeeps said that these are the two most prominent problems in these vehicles. Another friend who is a Jeep mechanic said the same thing. We have heard about and read so much on these problems with the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, but does anyone know if Chrysler has acknowledged these problems to the public? If so, we'd sure like to hear if any progress has been made through them for repair costs or recalls. If so, please email us at: bridgesfam79@aol.com.
I bought jeep Grand cherokee 2004 special edition, it has about 15000 miles on it, and O2 sensor is bad already,
so I guess it is just starting, I am scared already after reading all these comments people are leaving about jeep.
Oh boy. I wish I had seen this site 5 weeks ago BEFORE I paid $5000 for a 94 GC Laredo. It had low miles, only 83K and all the bells and whistles, and had some work done on it already - which I took as a good sign actually. "Stuff I won't have to worry about, that's good..." Until on day 36 of ownership, the transmission went. $2300 later, and after a whopping 3-days of having it back, it started hesitating and lurching, with the RPM's racing, as soon as I got around 20 mph. Right back to the repair shop, where they are still trying to determine if it was a new part that went bad, or was bad, when they rebuilt the darn thing. I'm actually hoping that's the case, since the thought of replacing other parts and sinking more money into a car I've had less than 60 days, doesn't thrill me. I've been debating whether it's better to bail on it now, and just take the loss, or whether this transmission fix will be the end of it and I'll be able to drive it happily and safely (and reliably) for another 3 or so years, when I had planned to "retire" it and use it only for trailering my small boat or hauling bigger stuff around. Any input or insight, let me know. I had no idea transmissions were such a problem with Jeeps. And as the fuel and water pump have already been replaced, I'm hoping I've dodged those bullets! Never again with a Jeep - never, never, never.
I currently own a 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. I was shocked when I found this site. I am having the same problems with my Jeep as some of you. Something should be done about this. When I purchased my Jeep it had 40,000 miles on it. Within a weeks time the roaring in the rear started. I found out it was bearings and had them replaced, costing me over $2,000. Then as if that wasn’t enough, it started to pop when I shifted from park.
About 2 months later I had to replace the battery (twice) within a weeks time. I just knew nothing else could possibly go wrong, but it did. About 7 months later it started to run hot. I replaced the thermostat and that didn’t fix it. I took it to the dealer and he told me that it was the coolant fan. I couldn’t purchase this item anywhere, but Jeep. He also told me that I could not replace just the motor. I would have to replace the whole unit (which cost over 500.00 just for the part.) The problem didn’t stop there. About 4 months later I had to replace the brakes, which I didn’t think anything about. I mean that is regular maintenance. The very next morning while driving my kids to school I noticed that the front end didn’t feel quite right. I pulled over to check it and I could smell metal burning around my front tire. I took it to the shop again. I was told that my Brake Calipers were bad and they would have to be replaced. (They cost over $100.00 per Caliper.) I had to have two of them. I found out just today that the back glass will not open. My interior lights also went out. I can’t really drive at night because of the film on my headlights. I don’t know what that is. I can’t find a leak anywhere. I think moisture is getting in somewhere. I have 3 children and I really can’t afford to have a vehicle with all these problems. So…I went to trade it in, and guess what! You can’t get near enough money for it. The dealers know all the problems with it, so you take a big loss. I had to keep mine. I couldn’t afford to take such a loss.
I really wish Chrysler would do something about this vehicle. If anyone has ANY information on recalls or anything that might help me, Please let me know. You can email me at Slumber_bunne@excite.com.
I just bought a '99 Grand Cherokee Laredo with a V8 and quadra-trac. It has a vibration when it accelerates hard and has a roaring sound that I believe is coming from the front wheels. I bought this vehicle because my wife and I are having a baby and we need something "reliable". But from what I have read... I am terrified of these possible problems and the expenses!
Anymore, vehicles cost SO much to purchase new and used vehicles have a ridiculous amount of costly problems. Sometimes I question manufactures, when a car with under 70k miles can have $1000's worth of repairs necessary.
I bought a 1999 Grand Cherokee 2WD in 2002. It had 30K miles on it. I was very pleased to being with. Then after three months, the troubles started pouring in. Now, 2.5 years later I have 96K miles on it (highway miles) and there has been a roaring noise in the rear much like the description that others wrote. I have had to place brakes numerous times on the vehicle and something is always wrong within two weeks of correcting another problem with it. I was told three months ago that JEEPS at 90K start to have problems and you will not be able to trade it in due to what dealerships know about the vehicle. I am waiting now on my rear end of the car to be corrected and hope I can last another year before trading, but I mostly wished I had listed to everyone when they told me getting the vehicle is a 50/50, 50 percent are great and you never have problems, then 50% you are always in the shop with... I had a HONDA before this and wish I had never changed from that vehicle type.
I also have a 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo that I purchased new, 5 yrs ago. I have taken my jeep in for ALL required service every 3000 miles, almost to the mile. It is kept perfectly clean and maintained, and I have had NOTHING, but MAJOR problems.
1) at 40,000 miles the rear caliper (just that one) started locking onto my rotor and damaged it, so I had to shell out $150 for 2 new rear calipers.
2) at 55,000 miles, the transmission started making a horrible noise, and I was told it needed to be rebuilt. After dealing with my warranty company for ELEVEN days, they finally rebuilt it for $2400.
3) at 65,000 miles the rear differential also started making a VERY loud grinding noise. My extended warranty company (which is good until 90k miles) would not cover this $1200 dollar expense to rebuild my rear differential.
4) at 68,000 miles, the driver side window refused to roll down. That was another $250 dollar repair.
5) at 77,000 miles I started to have electrical problems and one by one the backlights for my instrument panel started going out, as well as an intermittent problem with my right rear brake light…it would work one day, and not the next. I have checked the light itself and it is not loose, I have also changed the bulb numerous times, but still the problem persists.
6) at 82,000 miles, the jeep is now starting to make another very loud whining noise when I drive over 20mph. If it turns out to be the transmission AGAIN, then I will have to pay another $2400 dollars for a rebuild, because the dealer only covered the last repair for 12,000 miles, which has already come and gone.
If jeep does not make this right, for what seems to be a large portion of 99 jeep owners, I will never buy another jeep product. This situation is inexcusable.
My jaw visibly dropped as I read everyone's comments. I purchased my 1999 Laredo in 2001 and it has become the biggest albatross - if only I knew about all the problems that these car seem to be prone to before I purchased it. My brakes have had to be replaced twice within the last two years (which was very costly). In addition, the car recently passed the 60k mark, and like many of you, I also had problems with the rear differential which had to be fixed. My battery has unexpectedly died twice (the last time was within 3 months of them replacing the battery). But the WORST problem of all started about 9 months ago. Within the first 5 minutes of driving the car, it would falter and start lurching forward. When the gas pedal was depressed I would get no response - it was as if the car wasn't getting any gas. The car would continue lurching for several minutes, but then all of a sudden surge forward and drive normally. This problem became worse over the months to the point where the car was not drivable. A jeep dealer has been looking in to the problem for OVER FOUR MONTHS. Apparently, they have tried everything from cleaning the carburetor, to replacing the cam sensor, to doing something with the oxygen valves. A couple weeks ago, I was told the car was "fixed." Within 3 days of picking up the car it was back to faltering and lurching forward. I am attorney, but do not specialize in products liability - however, I am seriously considering pursuing some sort of legal action. Unfortunately, because the lemon laws do not apply to a car that is five years old, I really don't know if there's any recourse for me (and for all of you that have had these problems). I am completely outraged. Even though it is depressing to read about yet another jeep with problems, please keep the comments coming in!!!
September, 2004.
I too am the unhappy owner of a 1999 Jeep Laredo. I have the same loud noise in the rear end and assume I will be facing similar repair bills as though described by others. I bought my Jeep two years ago, with 32,000 miles. I bought an extended warranty and thankfully have had all the troubles thus far covered under that warranty. It unfortunately ended recently. The other troubles I have had are also similar to some described by others. My rear passenger window dropped by itself and I had to have that repaired. My brakes have been replaced only once, but there is already a feel of "loose" braking.
As for recourse, I agree with the other attorney who wrote about the lemon laws. However, I wanted to know if anyone had complained directly to Chrysler, or just locally? My plan is to write to Jeep and Chrysler headquarters. I also am trying to get my local TV station with a consumer watch program to do a piece on the Jeep Laredo Woes. I think that if enough of us started getting the press and radio and TV programmers to pick up the story, we could get Jeep to do something to avoid any further embarrassment.
Is there anyone out there who can explain the dangers from the rear differential (I am aware that if it goes completely you can't drive and could be in the middle of the highway when that happens)?
I recently purchased a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 79,564 miles. Well a month has passed with an additional 2,500 miles and I have to replace the transmission. Needless to say I am very upset. I thought I was purchasing a reliable vehicle. If only I had known I would have kept my 2000 Honda Accord which had 177,000 miles and I have never had any problems out of it.
For what it's worth too many of you at this point, I have changed "all" of the fluids regularly on my 99 GC Laredo and have experienced no problems in 120K miles. It's a 6cyl with the Quadra Drive so every 30k the differentials and transfer case get flushed and every 45k the transmissions gets serviced by a Jeep dealer for around $110 and has been well worth it, i.e., no problems. There are three internal filters in the transmission-if not replaced once in awhile the transmission will fail. They have to drop the pan and only a Jeep dealer knows this transmission best I've found (bad x-press lube experience many years ago). Like Land Rovers-Jeeps need a lot of regular maintenance. One final thing I just thought might have helped my transmission is that I have the factory tow package which includes a transmission oil cooler. The lower operating temp. may be a factor.
I had a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo on a lease for 3 years and never had one single problem, not one. Just changed the oil every 5000 or so miles and it started and ran perfect always. I took it off road quite often in the summer and made it up hills with the QuadraDrive and stock tires that I couldn't make it up with my 4Runner and off tires.