NHTSA Complaint #10130699 — 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOSING COOLANT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IT HAS RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE TO HAVE HEAD PROBLEMS, BUT I NOW HAVE COOLANT IN MY OIL. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT DAIMLER-CHRYSLER USED 0331 CAST HEADS ON THIS MODEL CHEROKEE (2000 W/ 4.0L ENGINE). IT TURNS OUT THAT THESE HEADS WERE A POOR CAST ALLOWING CRACKS TO FORM NEAR THE #3 CYLINDER AREA ALLOWING COOLANT TO FLOW INTO THE OIL. THIS RESULTS IN A DROP IN OIL PRESSURE AND EVENTUALLY BEARING AND ENGINE FAILURE. I CONSIDER MYSELF SOMEWHAT LUCKY THAT I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THE ENGINE SEIZED UP ON ME, HOWEVER I AM NOW LOOKING AT OVER $1000 IN REPAIRS THAT SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY FOR A VEHICLE WITH JUST OVER 50K MILES. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED SINCE I BELIEVED JEEPS TO BE RELIABLY BUILT VEHICLES. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT SOMEONE FROM DAIMLER-CHRYSLER WILL READ THIS AND RECTIFY THE SITUATION BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILURE LEADS TO AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH. *JB