Jeep vehicles

Jeeps are great if you want to go off-road, but there have been some severe issues with their cars when used as daily drivers.

Exasperated owners may say “it’s a Jeep thing,” but the truth is, every car or truck you can think of has its own unique quirks and issues, and Jeeps are no exception. Jeeps like the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wrangler are known to run into certain problems time and again.

Some Jeep models, particularly the 4.0 litre 6-cylinder engine in the 1987-2001 Cherokee, the 1993-2004 Grand Cherokee and the 1991-2006 Wrangler, have been particularly prone to springing exhaust leaks. This was due to the development of cracks in the exhaust manifold after being heated and cooled repeatedly. If your jeep is any of the above, or you’ve experienced ticking sounds from the engine or even reduced fuel mileage, this could be a sign that you have an exhaust leak. This should be fixed as soon as possible, so it’s important to book in your repairs as soon as possible.

As helpful as wireless, remote keys are, traditional car keys are a sorely missed feature in some modern Jeep owners. Key fobs have been known to fail, leaving Jeep owners trapped outside of their vehicles or in some cases, can’t start the car due to a failure of the computer system to communicate with the wireless control module. The fix is a simple one when done by a qualified technician, but is certainly a frustrating one!

Death Wobble is probably the most infamous problem in the Jeep community. Owners of some of their top models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee have reported that at high speeds, especially after hitting a bump, the steering wheel may start to shake and vibrate violently, to the point that some drivers report that the Jeep becomes hard to handle. Usually, if you slow down or stop, the wobble will go away. Despite the scary name, the  Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe(TSCZ), reports that there have been no fatal accidents associated with the condition.

The 4.0 can also develop clogged fuel injectors. Deposits build up on the injectors and disrupt the flow of fuel. That can cause rough idling, misfires, or engine “stumbling.” Many Jeepers swear by various fuel additives that clean the injectors as you run the engine. If you try one of these and it doesn’t help, then you may need to replace the injectors. It’s not the easiest job in the world, but if you put in the time and effort, you can probably bring it to Silverstar

The TIPM is Chrysler’s Totally Integrated Power Module, used in newer Jeeps. It’s the relay center that sends power to the windows, door locks, horns, and many other electronic parts. If the TIPM malfunctions, it can cause the horn to honk at random, the windows to roll up and down, and the doors to seemingly lock and unlock themselves. Jeeps with TIPM problems say that it seems like their Jeep is haunted. Drivers have reported TIPM problems in Wranglers and Grand Cherokees from 2007 onward, as well as other recent Chrysler vehicles. If your Jeep seems to have a mind of its own, you’ll probably have to have the TIPM replaced by our workshop. There is a partial recall, but only applies to the 2011 Grand Cheroke

The Grand Cherokee and Liberty have both had problems reported with their window regulators and motors. Strangely, the two vehicles don’t share the same regulator, but both seem to have the problem. Liberty owners sometimes had their windows suddenly drop down into the door while they were driving. The problem doesn’t seem to be as drastic in the Grand Cherokee. The motor burns out and you can’t move the window up or down. Occasionally, this can result from a damaged or misaligned regulator, so if you’ve burned out more than one motor, you’ll want to look into replacing the regulator as well.