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2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 1,476 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, most often about the air bags (33% of complaints, typically around 125,000 miles). It is 5th of 27 Grand Cherokee model years by number of complaints and has 10 recalls.
Most common 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
Air bags
486 complaints · 33%Half of these problems showed up before 125,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window, air bag/restraint control module.
The chrysler group notified me jan/feb of recall for a seconds notice of accidental front and side airbag deployment, this a day after my airbag light turns on. Called, got on list asap, waited, called repeatedly, will not drive. For as they stated in noticed "we are sincerely concerned about your safety". So I was as…
Front end crash where I was hit by another car, neither of the front end airbags deployed, resulted in head, jaw, and neck injuries that would not have happened if airbags went off.
Visibility and wipers
326 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 69,000 miles. Parts named most often: defroster/defogger/hvac system, power window devices and controls, glass, side/rear, windshield wiper/washer.
Dt: the contact complained about a problem with the window glass . The windows were off track and the glass dropped down inside the door compartment. He took the vehicle to a dealer. The windows were repaired at the contact's expense.
The defroster/defogger system has failed preventing warm air from circulating to the defrost ducts making it un-safe and in-operable to drive this vehicle in weather that would require the defroster/defogger system. Nm
Brakes
179 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 20,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, disc, brake fluid low warning.
There is a pulsation in the brake pedal upon depression pulsation occurred because the brake rotors warped due to a design flaw in the brakes, per the dealership. The brake rotors and calipers were replaced but the problem recurred.
Vehicle front wheels shimmied violently at highway speeds when brakes are applied. Vehicle has only 20,000 miles and is a 2002. Dealer says not under warranty even though it has a 3yr, 36,000 bumper to bumper warranty. Dealer stated front rotors are warped and need replaced at my cost.
Engine
172 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 76,000 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system, engine, exhaust system.
When I put my car in drive, there was a loud bang - sounded like the car was shot, so I pulled over. Coolant was leaking out and there were pieces of black plastic all over the ground. When I lifted the hood, I found that only half my fan was attached. The other half apparently broke off and blew threw my radiator. I…
Dt consumer stated the engine failed on september 16, 2005, the oil pressure dropped to zero while on a hill, all types of noise came out of the engine. Consumer stated they had the vehicle towed to a dealer, and dealer said there was sludge build up inside the motor. Consumer a has used the proper oil as stated in…
Seats
91 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 98,500 miles. Parts named most often: front assembly.
I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The seat frame broke through completely with normal wear, less than 100k miles on the car. I took the car to get it inspected and it failed because of the seat. Something this serious should be recalled.
My heated seat on my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee overland got to hot and melted the seat padding on the drivers side it dose not work and there is a recall on them and my Jeep is not on the recall.
Electrical
85 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 102,500 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, ignition, starter assembly, 12v/24v/48v battery.
The heater failed in my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. This is apparently a very common problem in this model. Previously the seat heaters overheated and the power steering hose failed.
2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited (wj), electrical wires melting at blower motor controller (resistor block) for heater /AC interior fan. Fire hazard as this circuit is hot even when the vehicle is off. Poor contact between the wire female spade connector and the blower motor controller male spade terminal caused…
Transmission
58 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, transfer case (4-wheel drive), driveline, manual transmission.
Dt: the contact states he owns a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited. The consumer states that there was technical service bulletin 10005603 regarding the visibility:defroster/defogger system:windshield:controls/wiring. The consumer stated that he had the repairs done, but the cost was $1,357.24. He was still not…
In march, 2005, with 59,000 miles, my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee overland, which I purchased new in august 2002, needed a new rear differential. A replacement was also needed at 80,000 (july 2006), 86,000 (march 2007), and 98,000 (april 2008). As of this writing, the dealer has had the vehicle for over 3 weeks. In…
Fuel system
57 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 105,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, storage, fuel injection system.
2002 Grand Cherokee Jeep-fuel rail rusted and leaked fuel on exhaust manifold. Caught it before a fire, replacing rail at a cost of approx $230 parts $200 labor. Chrysler will not pay for repairs.
I was rear ended in my '02 Jeep Grand Cherokee. My vehicle does have a manufactured installed trailer hitch. After the accident, it was apparent that the gas tank was still hit by the vehicle. The hitch did nothing to keep the vehicle from getting to the tank. There are visible graze marks where the vehicle hit the…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee recalls
Air bags: frontal
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler dealers will replace the air bag control module and side impact sensors as required, free of charge. This recall remedy was applied during earlier recall campaigns of these vehicles under safety recalls 12v527 and 13v040. All owners that have not had the recall repair performed under safety recalls 12v527 or 13v040 are strongly encouraged to have it performed and not wait for the final remedy to be deployed to the field. The recall began on december 29, 2015. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is r06.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain model year 2002-2003 jeep liberty vehicles manufactured january 9, 2001, to march 28, 2003, 2002-2004 jeep grand cherokee vehicles manufactured february 13, 2001, to may 23 2003, and 2003-2004 dodge viper vehicles manufactured november 1, 2001, to june 30, 2004. Due to electrical noise beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag control module, free of charge. Owners were notified of the recall by interim letter in january 2013. The remedy for affected liberty vehicles is expected to be available in april 2013. The remedy for affected grand cherokee vehicles is expected to be available later in the year. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
Full defect summary
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 jeep liberty vehicles manufactured january 9, 2001, through march 28, 2003, and 2002 through 2004 jeep grand cherokee vehicles manufactured february 13, 2001, through may 23, 2003. A component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front airbags, side curtain airbags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Seats: seat heater/cooler
Risk: Overheating could potentially cause a fire or injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front seat heater elements free of charge. The recall began on november 23, 2009. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
Chrysler is recalling 103,409 my 2001-2004 jeep grand cherokee vehicles with heated seats and with chrysler recall no. 06v-197 completed (03-04 my) or seat heater elements service replacement (01-02 my). The front seat electric heater elements could overheat.
Engine: fan
Risk: If this occurs while the hood is open, a person in the vicinity of the engine could be struck by the blade and injured.
Fix: Dealers will replace the electric cooling fan modules free of charge. The recall began on september 4, 2006. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles, the plastic blades of the electric motor driven cooling fan may separate and penetrate the shroud.
Fuel system: injectors
Risk: This could result in a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a manifold shield to modify the air flow characteristics and to prevent the accumulation of debris in the area of the #3 cylinder. Owner notification began may 13, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with a 4.0l engine only, the design of the intake and exhaust manifolds could allow debris to accumulate at the #3 cylinder location.
Air bags: frontal
Risk: This could cause improper air bag deployment in certain crash conditions.
Fix: Dealers will add a wiring jumper to the existing circuitry to correct this condition. Owner notification began april 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles, the passenger air bag wiring harness was improperly manufactured.
Fuel system: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will either replace the fuel tank brush guard with a skid plate or reinforce the existing fuel tank brush guard with a reinforcement bracket. Owner notification will begin march 4, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with a fuel tank brush guard fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 301, "fuel system integrity." the onboard refueling vapor recovery (orvr) control valve can become detached during a crash, allowing fuel leakage.
Fuel system: delivery
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel inlet check valve. Vehicles found to have a sticking fuel inlet check valve will have the fuel tank assembly replaced. Owner notification began december 24, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The fuel inlet check valve could stick in the partially open position. This condition could cause fuel to spill out of the filler tube during refueling.
Engine: emission control
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect (and reposition as necessary) the vent hose. If the vent hose is found in the bent down position, and the vehicle has been driven more than 20 miles, the canister assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began december 3, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The onboard vapor recovery system vent hose may have been misrouted. This could allow water to enter the canister which can cause fuel to spill out of the filler tube when refueling the tank.
Electrical: interior/under dash
Risk: Driving the vehicle with an inoperative cluster could cause a distraction, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will re-flash the cluster software to correct the condition. Owner notification began october 8, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: certain sport utility vehicles are being recalled for a software error in the instrument cluster microprocessor. Under certain conditions, the cluster, with the majority of its gauges, illumination, and warning lamps, could become inoperative.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Jeep inadvertent air bag deployment
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of inadvertent air bag deployments (iabd) occurring after the recall remedy for NHTSA recall 12v-527 had been installed on recalled model year (my ) 2002-2003 jeep liberty and my 2002-2004 jeep grand cherokee vehicles manufactured by fiat chrysler automobiles (fca).the recall was in response to the office of defects investigation (odi) investigation ea12-001 during which data provided by fca indicate that the air bag circuitry inside the occupant restraint control (orc) module can degrade. Orc degradation can result in an inadvertent air bag deployment, without a crash or impact, while the vehicle
Crash related fuel tank fires
Summary
Odi has completed an extensive analysis of rear crash fuel tank system integrity data for the subject jeep cherokee, grand cherokee and liberty vehicles (svs).as of june 2013, odi knew of 56 post-collision fatal fires, 28 non-fatal fires, and 6 fuel leak incidents (totaling 90 incidents, 75 fatalities and 58 injuries) involving the svs.based on this analysis, odi issued a recall request letter (rrl) on june 3, 2013 requesting that chrysler recall the grand cherokee and liberty vehicles due to the rate of fatal, non-fatal fire, and fuel leak incidents when compared to peer vehicles (compact and medium suvs) built during the same time period.in the rrl, odi described how the location of the af
Crash related fuel tank fires
Summary
Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). As a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. Nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during this investigation indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. In addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep pro
Fuel storage system crash related fires
Summary
In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned NHTSA to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. Cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in cr
Fan blade failure (engine cooling fan)
Summary
Daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (06v199) of certain jeep grand cherokee vehicles to replace the engine's electric motor driven cooling fan. The 182,875 vehicles included in the recall are model year (my) 2002 equipped with 4.0 liter (six cylinder) engines manufactured from february 4, 2002 through june 17, 2002; and my 2000 equipped with either the 4.0 liter (six cylinder) or the 4.7 liter (eight cylinder) engine manufactured from january 31, 2000 through june 12, 2000.dcc noted that their analysis of failed parts showed evidence of brittle fracture of the fan blade.dcc further stated, poor bonding between the resin material and
Engine cooling fan blade failure
Summary
This investigation was opened on july 13, 2005, based on four odi consumer reports.odi contacted all of those complainants and each of them reported that pieces of the broken fan blade had damaged the radiator and penetrated through the protective fan shroud.since opening the investigation, odi has received 12 new consumer reports.in its response to odi's preliminary evaluation information request daimlerchrysler corporation provided additional owner reports and warranty data.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to engineering analysis ea05-020 to further study the issues regarding the alleged fan failures.
Roll-away in reverse when parked
Summary
Daimlerchrysler has recalled the zj models to incorporate a secondary detent spring into the shifter.even though the wj 6 cyl. Vehicles use the same manual detent lever that as the vehicles in the recall population, odi believes that the wj redesigned shifter, which improves floor shifter functionality and ergonomics, helps to provide feedback to the driver to indicate whether ?park? Has or has not been achieved.although the investigator was able to induce a ?false park? In the wj platform for 6 cyl. Vehicles, the level of difficulty was greater than that required for all zj models, and the complaint rate was significantly lower than the recalled zj population.further, the odi investigator w
Questions about the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- What are the most common problems with the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (486 complaints, typically around 125,000 miles); visibility and wipers (326 complaints, typically around 69,000 miles); brakes (179 complaints, typically around 20,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
- 10 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 28, 2015 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2002 a bad year for the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
- It is 5th of 27 Grand Cherokee model years by number of complaints, with 1,476 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.