NHTSA Complaint #10235505 — 2001 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

I OWN GENE'S AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN REPAIRING VEHICLES FOR OVER 40 YEARS. MY CUSTOMER BROUGHT IN HIS 2001 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE FOR A BRAKE CHECK DUE TO SQUEALING. THE PADS WERE FINE, BUT I NOTICED A LOT OF RUSTY DUST. I WAS GOING TO REMOVE THE CALIPER ANCHOR PINS TO GREASE THEM AND FOUND THEM SEIZED IN THE BORE. PRIOR TO THIS, I TEST DROVE THE JEEP AND NOTICED THE BRAKES DIDN'T SEEM TO BE SLOWING AS FAST AS I FELT IT SHOULD. THE SEIZED PINS ARE THE REASON FOR THIS BECAUSE AS THE PADS WEAR, THE PINS SHOULD SLIDE INWARD TO ACCOMMODATE THE WEAR. IF THIS PROBLEM HAD CONTINUED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, I SUSPECT THE ANCHOR PINS WOULD EVENTUALLY BEND OR SHEAR OFF UNDER THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE FROM THE CALIPER. IF THE ANGLE WERE TO GET SEVERE ENOUGH, I BELIEVE IT WOULD SEIZE THE PISTON IN THE BORE. THE CAUSE OF THIS IS POSSIBLY WATER INTRUSION PAST THE ANCHOR PIN SEAL. I BELIEVE THIS DESIGN IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE REDESIGNED. *TR