NHTSA Complaint #756466 — 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

I BOUGHT THIS GRAND CHEROKEE FROM SAN JOSE DODGE AS A LEASE-BACK VEHICLE WITH 27,000 MILES ON IT. AT 51 MPH, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE VIBRATED SEVERELY, ESPECIALLY WHEN ENTERING A LEFT CURVE; HOWEVER AT THIS SPEED THE VIBRATION IS ALWAYS NOTICEABLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO PULLS TO THE RIGHT AT ALL TIMES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO SAN JOSE DODGE, WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND THEY REPLACED THE STEERING DAMPENER. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAD NEW TIRES PLACED ON THE VEHICLE IN MID 2000, AND HAD THE FRONT END ALIGNED. THIS MINIMIZED THE VIBRATION, BUT IT WAS STILL NOTICEABLE. AS THE TIRES HAVE WORN DOWN, THE VIBRATION HAS GOTTEN WORSE. I'VE SINCE RELOCATED TO CONNECTICUT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO CAPITOL CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE FRONT END FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN, JOSEPH E. PARADIS, SAYS THAT THE TIRES ARE "OUT OF ROUND". I'VE HAD TWO SETS OF TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THE PROBLEM IS ONLY IN THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE. I THINK THERE IS A MECHANICAL DEFECT THAT NEITHER DEALER IS EITHER ADMITTING TO, OR KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT.*AK