10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
18,226 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee brakes problems

brakes problem

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2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 3 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #47

Mar 162006

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 16,300 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

: the contact stated the rotors warped resulting in front end vibration at speeds of 50 to 60 mph. The brake pads and rotors were replaced by the service dealer three times. The replacement pads and rotors failed after driving about 6,000 miles and the contact is concerned this pattern will continue. The first time the vehicle was taken to the dealer, the front and rear brake pads and rotors were replaced. During the next two visits, only the front brake pads and rotors were replaced. The dealer was unable to provide an explanation for the wear until this most recent visit, 3/16/06, where it was determined to be caused by aggressive braking. Vehicle pulsated when coming to stop at traffic signal at speed of 25 mph. Contact felt it was a safety problem because of failure to stop or loss of control. Vehicle vibrated excessively when slowing at speeds of 50 mph or higher or for on/off ramps or traffic back ups on highways. It felt as if vehicle will not stop or lose control due to warped brake rotors. Happened on three occasions; 09/29/ 2005, 05/05/2005, and 05/16/2006.

- Haddon Heights, NJ, USA

problem #46

May 012005

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 8,000 miles
Bought 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee in November 2004. Over the course of six months and 8,000 miles, brake rotors began to warp and cause increased braking distances and instability during braking. Dealer replaced the front rotors, and braking returned to normal. Over the course of the next 11 months and 19,000, the pulsation in the brakes returned causing instability in braking and longer braking distances. Manufacturer warranty has expired (12/12,000 miles for rotors). I will replace rotors with better quality parts to prevent warping in the future.

- Milford, OH, USA

problem #45

Mar 032006

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,000 miles
: the contact stated while stopping at any speed, the vehicle shook. The dealership determined the front rotors were warped. The front rotors were replaced and the rear rotors were turned.

- Smyrna, DE, USA

problem #44

Mar 092006

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 12,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

: the contact stated the steering wheel would shake and the brakes pulsated at various speeds. The problem gradually became worse. Upon inspection the dealership determined the brake rotors were wearing down. The dealer will be turning the rotors.

- Dunmore, PA, USA

problem #43

Sep 012005

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,000 miles
: the contact stated while driving at various speeds when brake pressure is applied the front end of the vehicle vibrates. This occurs on normal roads and during normal braking. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. Upon inspection the dealership determined the rotors needed to be replaced however, no repairs were made. The manufacturer was alerted.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #42

Jul 292004

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 16,000 miles
(1) severe brake pedal pulsation and associated shaking and severe vibration to steering wheel and column. (2) premature warping of front brake rotors annually - twice in 30K miles since new. (3) original rotors machined in place @ 16K miles; rotors and pads replaced @ 30K miles. Requested dealer measure new rotors with micrometer to ensure initial variation in thickness within daimler Chrysler specs. Run out measurements also requested, made and recorded prior to and after installation.

- Severna Park, MD, USA

problem #41

Dec 162005

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am reporting the second instance of front brake rotor warping on my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee which has ~27,000 miles. The first occurrence was at about 15,000 miles. On braking at speeds of >35 mph (even normal braking - not emergency braking), there is an excessive front end shimmy and chatter that seems dangerous. It seemed very unusual that the front rotors had warped at 15,000 miles, but the dealer said that brakes were not covered under the Jeep warranty so we paid for turning them. Now the front rotors are warped again and will require service. The dealer again says that this is not covered under the warranty so I will have to pay for turning them again or replacing them. We do not pull anything with the vehicle and rarely use the brakes for anything but routine stopping, so the rotors should not warp so frequently. Clearly there are design problems with this that could create an unsafe situation when braking if I were not to have the rotors fixed so frequently. For example, if the steering wheel were not gripped tightly during braking the vehicle could easily go out of control.

- Davis, CA, USA

problem #40

Jan 012005

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 12,000 miles
At highway speeds (around 60 mph) when applying brakes steering wheel shakes (vibrates), replaced front rotors, front pads, contact dealer, all that starting at 15,000 miles on a new car.

- Berlin, CT, USA

problem #39

Nov 302005

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,000 miles
The contact stated the brake pedal felt as though it was pulsating. There was 15,000 miles on the vehicle. The dealership replaced the brake pads and cut the rotors. At 20,600 miles the pulsation returned. The vehicle was being taken to the dealership.

- Harrison, NJ, USA

problem #38

Apr 012004

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 17,664 miles
The contact stated the brake rotors were warped. When driving at highway speeds and needed to make a panic stop the steering wheel vibrated violently. The contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle has been corrected twice for this problem. The first time was on May 7, 2004 at 9,175 miles on the vehicle. They resurfaced the rotors. The second time was on 3-15-05 at 17,664 miles when they replaced the rotors. The manufacturer stated because of the mileage of the vehicle they will not stand behind it. However, they have corrected the vehicle twice for the same problem prior to this failure. If the brake rotors needed to be corrected again it will be at the contact's expense. The vehicle now has 24,700 miles on it. This problem occurred within 5000 miles of each failure. The contact stated there were other complaints on the 2003 models and the manufacturer corrected them.

- Collinsville, IL, USA

problem #37

Oct 102005

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 31,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The rotors on my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee are defective. At 31,000 miles, I felt a pulsing when I applied the brakes. The dealer inspected my brakes and said the front rotors were warped 0.4. I do not use brakes heavily. The pads still have 3/8"(I have the old pads) remaining after 31,000 miles. When I had the rotors turned I asked the mechanic if this was unusual and his comment was, "Chrysler keeps him very busy. He also told me that he had to turn them down to the minimum allowed, so if this happens again I will have to buy new rotors. I replaced the brake pads, to be on the safe side. When I was bleeding the brake lines, I noticed the caliper twisted the rotor inward when braking pressure was applied. I am 62 and this is my first Chrysler car. I have never had to have the rotors turned on any of my previous cars, which before this Jeep were all GM cars. I believe the rotors and/or calipers/brake system is defective and need to be recalled and fixed. I contacted Chrysler in October about this problem and they have not answered me to date.

- Kokomo, IN, USA

problem #36

Oct 262005

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 29,000 miles
I bought a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 25,000 miles. Shortly after the purchase the Jeep would shake everytime the brakes were applied. The dealer reported I would probably need new brake pads and rotors. The dealer reports "that he is not aware that this is a common problem with 2004 Jeep." He stated the consumer would be responsible for the cost of replacement. He attributed the wear of the brakes to the consumers driving style. No action was taken.

- Saint Joseph, MO, USA

problem #35

Oct 042004

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles
Warped brakes on 2004 Grand Cherokee. Eas told by dealer it was due to the fact that I do lots of city driving. After doing some research this is a common problem in Grand Cherokee. I even had an associate that sold his for similar problem. While braking on highway the car violently shakes and is dangerous. This is the vehicle I Transport my child in and it is not a responsible feeling I get when I put her in the car. Chrylser needs to address this issue with their customers. Looking at research I did this problem goes back at least 8 years.

- Southport, CT, USA

problem #34

Sep 292005

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,000 miles
I own a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and I am the original owner. I have under 30,000 miles on the car. When I brake, the steering wheel shudders and the brakes pulse. The dealer informs me that the rotors need to be replaced. Rotors should not need to be replaced at 30,000 miles. It is unsafe and expensive. Chrysler knows of the problem as it has been occurring since the 1990's and they still do not fix the rotors.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #33

Jul 012004

Grand Cherokee

  • 12,500 miles
I have been having brake vibrating problems since 12,000 miles on my 2004 Jeep. It has gotten substantially worse, now at 18,000 miles. I have contacted Jeep corporate and they were of no help. The 3 times I brought my Jeep in for repair, all they did was "re-surface" the brake pads once because they were "warped." They could not cover the cost of the resurfacing or the diagnosis because my Jeep was over 12,000 miles. According to the nhsta website, there are a number of Jeep customers with the exact same problem.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #32

Apr 152004

Grand Cherokee 4WD 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 8,000 miles
I purchased a brand new 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Starting in April of 2004 I had to have my rotors turned after less than 12,000 miles after hitting a patch of ice and my anti-lock breaks kicked in. It was a downward spiral from there. The rotors would need to be turned just shy of 3,000 miles from the previous "correction" after the 3rd time of having to be turned the rotors had to be replaced. I personally contacted damlier-Chrysler and complained about my problem with the rotors. They had the nerve to tell me that it was the way I am driving my car and that I shouldn't be so rough. I am a safe driver who has never been in a single car accident or received a ticket and do not feel that the "customer service" gentleman had a right to even suggest otherwise. I have never owned a brand new car (I have had 3) that has given me more problems with the rotors. I have also never had to replace rotors on a vehicle that is less than 2 years old. I complained to my dealer every time I was in for the repairs and I learned that I was not the only one experiencing the same problem. Jeep was offering a "better" breaking system that would "fix" the problem that would run me about $350-$400 plus the cost of installation. That is not acceptable. I think that this is a serious problem and could cause serious if not fatal injuries. I am very upset in the money I have had to invest in a breaking system for a brand new car that has never been fixed.

- Yakima, WA, USA

problem #31

Aug 012004

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 0 miles
The consumer felt that the problem had started when the vehicle was purchased and had only gotten worse. The problem first started on August of 2004. When the consumer applied the brakes he could feel the vehicle shake. There was a problem with the front driver and passenger side wheel brake rotors. The vehicle felt like the wheels were out of line. The consumer took it to a mechanic they cleaned the rotors and pads. The vehicle is a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #30

Apr 052004

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 9,431 miles
Brake rotors replacement & resurfacing to eliminate vibration and shaking when braking necessary to repair anywhere from every 5000 miles to 9500 miles.

- Yakima, WA, USA

problem #29

Mar 012005

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • 24,800 miles
Jeep Grand Cherokee. At first, when stepping on the brakes the steering wheel shook. At 14,700 miles and on 6/1/04 the mechanic determined it was only the ABS brakes, and didn't record it. At 20,000 miles and on 12/1 2004 the shaking became worse and they replaced the rear rotors and turned the front rotors at no cost. Currently, the shaking was bad again, and the rotors were too thin to turn. However, all 4 rotors needed to be replaced, the dealer said they would fix the rotors but to never bring it back to them again for this problem. The brake pads have not been replaced because were good.

- Sequim, WA, USA

problem #28

Jul 152004

Grand Cherokee

  • 10,698 miles
2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee developed problems with the brakes. The vehicle's steering wheel would vibrate when the brakes were applied at speeds of 40 mph or higher. The brakes were replaced by the dealer three times in 20000 miles. The repairs were done under warranty at no cost to the consumer. After the third brake repair the consumer had no faith in the vehicle. The dealer suggested that the consumer consider purchasing a new 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The dealer explained that the new Jeep had a new brake design with improved calipers. The consumer traded in his 2000 Cherokee for a 2004 Cherokee (ij4gw48S44C172654, purchased July 14, 2003). After driving the vehicle 10694 on July 15, 2004 the consumer had to take the vehicle to the dealer for high speed shudder and vibration in the steering wheel when the brakes were applied. The vehicle was taken to the dealer one other time on June 2, 2005 for the same problem. Each time the rotors were replaced due to heat stress.

- Horseheads, NY, USA

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