NHTSA Complaint #10081044 — 1994 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

ABOUT 5/6 MONTHS AGO, I NOTICED THAT MY 1994 JEEP GRAND CHEROOKEE HAD A VERY BAD HERKY-JERKY MOVEMENT WHEN YOU TRY TO MAKE A TIGHT TURN (ESPECIALLY A U-TURN). THEN VERY AUDIBLE NOISES STARTED COMING FROM THE FRONT-END UNDERCARRIAGE EVERYTIME YOU BACK-UP,..OR HIT A POTHOLE,...ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEED. THE WORST PART HAPPENED WHEN FOR THE FIRST TIME,..WE HIT A POTHOLE AT ABOUT 55/65 MPH,....AND THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SEVERELY VIBRATE AND BOUNCE UP AND DOWN. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES,..AND WE WERE PLANNING ON TAKING IT TO THE MECHANIC WHEN WE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STAYING PARKED EVEN WHEN IT'S TURNED OFF,..PUT IN PARK,..AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PUT ON, ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS AN ELEVATION/TILT TOWARDS EITHER END. WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED,..THE BRAKING SYSTEM CHECKED, AND THEY WERE BOTH FINE. IT WAS FINALLY RECOMMENDED THAT WE HAVE THE AXLE CHECKED,..AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. THE FRONT AXLE WAS CHANGED AND WE ALSO HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW LINK PIN KIT. EVERITHING WAS FINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND THEN IT STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE GARAGE THAT FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME, AND THE SAME PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AGAIN. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AXLE WAS FREE THIS TIME,..BUT WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE LEFT CV BOOTH,..BECAUSE THAT WAS BUSTED TOO. THAT WAS AROUND 5/11/04. THE CYCLE REPEATED ITSELF AGAIN AROUND EARLY JUNE OF 2004 AND WE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE GARAGE AND HAD THE AXLE REPLACED AGAIN. IT'S BEEN ABOUT A MONT LATER,..AND THE CYCLE HAS BEGUN AGAIN. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY LOSS OF CONTROL OR CRASHES YET TO DATE DUE TO THE VIBRATIONS OR THE AXLE BREAKING, BUT THOSE VIBRATIONS SURE ARE SCARY, ESPECIALLY AT 65MPH TO 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE.*AK