NHTSA Complaint #10163622 — 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

FOR OVER A YEAR THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE SQUEAKED (A RUBBING NOISE) WHEN DRIVING (NOT DURING BRAKING, WHICH STOPS THE NOISE). DEALER CLAIMS NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. TOOK THE CAR IN TODAY TO HAVE TIRES ROTATED AN BALANCED. DEALER CLAIMS THE FRONT PADS ARE THIN AND CRUMBLING AND THAT BOTH PADS AND ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER STATES THE FRONT ROTORS ARE TOO THIN TO BE TURNED. THIS IS UNUSUAL SINCE THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED IN 2000 UNDER RECALL 00V136000. THE SUV HAS BEEN DRIVEN 90,000 MILES SINCE THEN - THE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED - THE ROTORS HAVE NOT BEEN TURNED PREVIOUSLY. RELATED TO THE RECALL, OTHER USERS REPORT TOO HARD PADS WITH TOO SOFT ROTORS. IN ONE DRIVING STYLE THIS LEADS TO EXCESSIVE HEAT THAT WARPS THE SUB-PAR ROTORS. IN MY DRIVING STYLE THE PADS GET HOT (WHICH CAUSES THEM TO CRUMBLE EVENTUALLY), NOT HOT ENOUGH TO WARP ROTORS, BUT SUFFICIENT TO GRIND AWAY THE ROTORS LEADING TO PREMATURE FAILURE OF BOTH PARTS. IF ROTORS CAN GET SO THIN THEY CAN'T BE TURNED (HAVING NEVER BEEN TURNED), THEN THE COMBINATION OF CRUMBLY PADS MAKES FOR A DANGEROUS COMBINATION. SINCE DEALER IS AWARE OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT TOO-HARD PADS AND TOO-SOFT ROTORS FROM THESE AND ITS OTHER MAKE/MODELS... IT APPEARS THIS MISMATCHED COMBO IS INTENTIONAL. DEALER SHOULD REPLACE OR HEAVILY DISCOUNT PREMATURE FAILURE PARTS. DEALER CLAIMS ALL WEAR IS NORMAL AND 90K LIFE FOR ROTORS IS GOOD (AND PROBABLY IS STATISTICALLY IF YOU INCLUDE 15K LIFE OF RECALLED DEFECTIVE ROTORS). THE RECALL REPAIR REPLACED ONE PART OF THE DEFECT COMBO WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART, JUST LESS PRONE TO RAPID FAILURE IF DRIVEN EASY, I.E. IT FAILS PREMATURE TO NORMAL LIFE OF SIMILAR PARTS ACROSS INDUSTRY. I ELECTED TO WAIT ON REPLACING PARTS UNTIL I COULD GATHER MORE INFO. I CAME ACROSS OTHER REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS FOR CHRYSLER WITH THE PAD/ROTOR COMBO. *NM