Cracked Pipe Problem on Grand Cherokees

What is Jeep's official position regarding the infamous problem with cracked exhaust pipes on Grand Cherokees?

This problem seems too be way too pervasive for Jeep ethically just to put the whole load on the owners to pay for a problem of Jeep's own design.

Why hasn't this widespread problem resulted in a recall?

Before I call and write to them, though, I was wondering if anyone could get me up to speed on this issue so that I don't have to retrace anyone's steps.

I WAS in the market for a new Jeep until this problem finally got to my '94. The estimates to repair run from $500 to $1000, and this is simply inexcusable because the problem is affecting MANY people, not just a few.

Thanks in advance,

John

Reply to
John Rinck
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Ethical vehicle manufacturers? Oxymoron!

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

I believe it's "F**k you guys, fix it yourselves! You're out of warranty!"

Reply to
TJim

Approximately 11/10/03 21:16, John Rinck uttered for posterity:

Mine was replaced under warranty without even needing to ask. Ditto the cat convertor.

If I had to spend a dime on the repair, would put in a good aftermarket.

Reply to
Lon Stowell

I'm impressed. I'd heard quite a lot of tales of the opposite. Kudos to your dealer.

That's what I'll do if mine cracks.

No doubt! Ruth Ann Minner just had her knee replaced. I don't think she's doing a lot of ass kicking these days. LOL ;-)

Reply to
TJim

The whole thing comes down to a defective design in the exhaust header on the 4.0L engine up (XJ, YJ, ZJ) until a few years ago, when the pipe was redesigned to be more flexible. If the pipe cracks before 80,000 miles, it's covered under the emissions system warranty. If your mileage is less and the dealer doesn't want to fix it, go to another dealer, get it fixed under warranty, then complain to DC about the snaky dealership that didn't want to fix what they sell according to warranty.

I should practice what I preach. I complained at 59,000 miles, but my dealer suggested that I wait until I could leave my YJ for "a few days", or I was having other work done. No mention of warranty mileage limit. That day came at 80,500 miles. New service manager, new service writers. They told me about the warranty expiring. No notation in their service department computer about the problem existing at 59K when I reported it at previous minor service. No fix.

The pipe didn't break all the way around until 130K. Noisier than hell now. Borla, Thorley, and Edelbrock don't make a replacement for my '93

4.0L auto tranny YJ.

Damn. I'm resisting putting in the new DC part, mostly on principle. :-(

Plus, I'm a tight SOB. The fix runs a little over a grand, the way the dealer quotes it.

Doug

TJim wrote:

Reply to
Doug Gavilanes

Doug Gavilanes did pass the time by typing:

Sure the 4.0 ZJ pipes won't fit? Might require a good (ie not midas *spit*) muffler shop to build you a new downpipe. At any rate even then it probably will be less expensive than getting mugged by the dealer.

If you don't have any other option, give the folks at buymopar.com a shot. They are a dealer I've delt with before and they don't overcharge on the parts.

Reply to
DougW

Approximately 11/11/03 20:16, Doug Gavilanes uttered for posterity:

Is that a federal warranty or just Kalifornia? In Kalifornia the warranty applies to pretty much any "emissions related" part that is not normal maintenance.

The federal warranty that began in 1995 for cars and light trucks notes that there is a 24,000 mile basic and 80,000 mile major component "performance" warranty. The manufacturer is only required to replace parts under this warranty if the vehicle is in a testing state and has failed an emissions test due to items in question.

There is also a design and defect warranty that is far less clear and weasels on the difference between an emissions part [say a double walled exhaust manifold specifically designed for emissions] and an "emissions related" part such as an ordinary exhaust manifold. With additional weasel wording that this warranty is spelled out in the manufacturer's Owners Manual rather than being as all encompassing as the Kalifornia one.

Still, I sure would bitch, and the crappy manifold could very easily be characterized as a design defect, not just a bad part.

Reply to
Lon Stowell

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