NHTSA Complaint #10070727 — 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

MY JEEP HAS BEEN REALLY LOUD FOR SOMETIME AND IS GETTING LOUDER. IT IS WHEN YOU START IT UP (REALLY BAD) AND THE WHOLE TIME IT'S RUNNING. I ASK MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID TO TRY A HEAT RISER. WHEN WE WENT TO THE JEEP DEALER TO ORDER IT, THE PARTS GUY SAID WE COULD TRY THE HEAT RISER, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY IT WAS A CRACKED/BUSTED MANIFOLD. WHEN WE LOOKE, THE MANIFOLD IS CRACKED IN TWO OR THREE PLACES. I HAVE CONTACTED SEVERAL MECHANICS IN MY AREA...THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING....MANIFOLDS ON THESE JEEPS ARE BAD ABOUT CRACKING. THE MANIFOLD LISTS FOR $431 AND THEY SAY ABOUT $200 TO PUT ONE IN. PLUS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S NO GOOD TO FIX THE ONE FROM THE MANUFACTURER BY WELDING IT, BECAUSE IT WILL CRACK AGAIN. THE SUGGESTION I AM GETTING IS TO BUY A NEW AFTERMARKET MANIFOLD...ALL THE MECHANICS SAY THEY WORK BETTER BECAUSE THEY HAVE 2 PIECES ON THEM THAT GIVE FOR EXTRA SUPPORT. I THINK THIS IS REALLY SAD. ONE SINGLE MECHANIC IN THE SMALL TOWN I LIVE IN HAS REPLACED AT LEAST 5 IN THE PAST YEAR. I THINK THIS IS OVERWHELMING! THERE SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN THIS PART TO ME.