SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
AT 7,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD PULSATE EXCESSIVELY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 40+ MPH, ESPECIALLY DOWNHILL. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE ABLE TO REPLICATE CONDITION. DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THAT SHAKING AND PULSATIONS WERE DUE TO DEFECTIVE ROTORS WHICH HAD WARPED FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT - NOT DUE TO EMERGENCY BRAKING, BUT JUST NORMAL USE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS WITHOUT COST TO CUSTOMER. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SAME PROBLEM AROSE SOON AFTER MY FIRST ANNIVERSAY WITH THE VEHICLE AT ABOUT 17,500 MILES. TOOK TO SAME DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE SAME PROBLEM (ROTOR WARPING DUE TO OVERHEATING - NOT FROM ABUSIVE BRAKING, BUT FROM NORMAL BRAKING BY CUSTOMER). THEY REPAIRED THE PROBLEM BY RESURFACING FRONT ROTORS AND REPLACING FRONT PADS WITHOUT COST TO THE CUSTOMER (EXCELLENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT). MY CONCERN IS THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REP STATED THAT THE SAME PROBLEM WOULD COME UP AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 8-10,000 MILES BECAUSE THE ROTORS AND BRAKING SYSTEM ARE DEFECTIVE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. HE STATED THAT JEEP AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE TO "BUMP HEADS" BEFORE THIS PROBLEM IS PERMANENTLY CORRECTED. PLEASE MAKE JEEP ACKNOWLEDGE AND CORRECT THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. JEEP NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND ITS PRODUCT IF IT WISHES TO MAINTAIN ITS RATHER GOOD REPUTATION. IF NOT, JEEP WILL LOSE ITS CUSTOMER BASE AND WILL EVENTUALLY GO THE WAY OF THE DODO BIRD. THE OTHER PROBLEM I HAVE EXPERIENCED IS THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE MY REAR TRUNK DOOR LOCK. IT GETS STUCK QUITE OFTEN, SUCH THAT I CANNOT DISENGAGE THE LOCK TO OPEN THE TRUNK. I MUST LOCK AND REOPEN THE VEHICLE'S LOCKS (WITH THE REMOTE CONTROL) TO GET THE REAR HOOD LOCK TO WORK PROPERLY. OTHERWISE, MY 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE IS QUITE SATISFACTORY. HOWEVER, I WORRY ABOUT MY OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES ONCE MY WARRANTY EXPIRES. CAN YOU INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS AND TRY TO GET JEEP TO COMMIT TO A RECALL?*AK
