NHTSA Complaint #10238993 — 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE

BOUGHT VEHICLE NEW AND PERFORMED REGULAR MAINTENANCE. HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE ROTORS AT 62,000. AT 78,000 MILES ENGINE OVERHEATED; VERIFIED FAN, RADIATOR, AND WATER PUMP IN WORKING ORDER AND REPLACED THERMOSTAT AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR. ENGINE CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT WITH UNEXPLAINED COOLANT LOSS. NO LEAKAGE AND CLEAN OIL. REPLACED HEAD GASKET ANYWAY AND NOTICED NO CRACKS IN HEAD. STILL RUNS HOT AND LOSES COOLANT SOMEHOW. AT 80,000 MILES ENGINE DEVELOPED MISS AFTER REPLACING COIL AND CHECKING FUEL AND FIRING SYSTEMS REMOVED HEAD AGAIN AND PULLED LIFTERS. BOTTOM OF ONE LIFTER WAS GROUND OFF RESULTING IN SOME WEAR OF CAM LOBE. REPLACED LIFTERS AND VALVE SPRINGS. FIXED ENGINE MISS. AT 82,000 MILES OIL GAUGE SHOWED 80 POUNDS OF OIL PRESSURE UNTIL ENGINE TOTALLY WARM THEN DROPPED TO 40 LBS. ALSO SHOWED 40 LBS WHEN KEYED MOVED TO ON POSITION WITH ENGINE NOT RUNNING. REPLACED OIL PRESSURE SENDING UNIT. NOW ENGINE RUNS 40-45 LBS WHEN COLD AND DROPS TO 10 LBS WHEN RUNNING AFTER TOTALLY WARM. WHEN STOPPING AT LIGHTS AFTER DRIVING WITH WARM ENGINE, OIL PRESSURE DROPS TO 0 AND CHECK GAUGES LIGHT COMES ON. PURCHASED A HIGH VOLUME OIL PUMP AND WILL SEE IF THIS CORRECTS THAT PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE WITH 83,000 MILES THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW AND WELL MAINTAINED. FURTHERMORE WHEN CHECKING WITH OTHER OWNERS THESE PROBLEMS AND MORE SEEM TO BE COMMON FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL. *TR