1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee: jerking or lurching

Filed Oct 3, 2012 · Electrical, Engine · 186,000 miles · IN

Started out to go to work @ 6 am traveled with no issues to the kids sitter's house and then continued on to work on double lane highway speed limit 60 MPH. The jeep started sputter, jerk and eventually died, didn't realize it had died so pulled off to side of road, turn the jeep back on it kept sputtering, jerking and died again. Finally, it backfired 3 to 4 times and stayed started. Check engine light came on went and had the code read it stated it was the ignition coil and catalyst system. So we changed the ignition coil and catalytic converter, along with the muffler do to the fact the backfiring blew a hole plum through the muffler. Still same problems. Have had several near miss of crashes, and bodily injury. Now it doesn't want to start and you sit on the side of the road like I did for 2 hours before it wanted to start up.

Filed Oct 17, 2001 · Transmission · OH

Jeep jumps backward while in park or stopped at a light. Very dangerous with 2 children at home. I am afraid I will hit someone behind me because the jeep will just 'jerk' beckwards with no warning. I would like information on how to get this corrected. I have called several dealers in the cleveland area, and none of them will admit to having any 'knowledge' of this problem.

Filed Aug 9, 2001 · Acceleration, Fuel system · WA

At 40000 miles vehicle was at a stop in park, consumer then put vehicle in reverse, and vehicle did not move. Less than a minute later, vehicle suddenly went backward. Gear indicator showed it was in reverse. Dealer suggested consumer might have had vehicle serviced, and wrong transmission fluid was used. Since then, this happened at least 4 more times, also, once vehicle was put in drive from park, and it took about a minute before vehicle lurched forward. Gear selector also showed it was in drive. Dealer could not remedy.*ak fuel pump assembly and fuel tank was replaced, vehicle would crank, but would not start.

Filed Aug 2, 2001 · Suspension · CA · 1 injury

I was driving on a rural road at about 50 MPH when the car began shaking and the steering wheel jerked back and forth. The shaking became very violent and the wheel began traveling back and forth a good 12 - 14 inches. The car was bouncing up and down and shaking I tried to apply the brakes but the shaking was too rough and I lost control of the steering wheel. The car was all over the road and began going toward the right side and then went off the road. The shaking stopped and we rolled to a stop. If we had been in traffic I would have hit someone and if I were on the freeway the car would have rolled ! This happened suddenly. I take my jeep in for all reguler and scheduled maintenance. I didn't have any warning the part was going to break and at the ted miles jeep dealer where I take the car for service they said there is about a 10% failure on this part but they had not actually had one break suddenly before! I could have lost my life and others could have been injured . The shaking was so violent that the seams on the radiator were split and I had to buy a new radiator also. Since the shear force was so great I am left wondering if other parts of the front end and car in general are somehow damaged or weakened. I contacted chrysler-damion corp. And they took the report on july 27th. I have medical injuries as a result of trying to control the steering wheel and being shook back and forth. I hope this gets addressed as a recal issue because they know it is a proplem but have done nothing about it!!!

Filed Jul 5, 2001 · Transmission · NC · crash

My wife was going to work on 08/14/00. She warmed the jeep up, drove up to the porch, left the engine running and placed the jeep in park. While inside the house, she noticed the jeep suddenly lurched and started moving backwards( this was on a nonpaved flat surface). . She ran out the house to try and stop it, but too late. Luckily, it drove through my pump house in the back yard. The wheels rolled over a 4" high cement base which lodged the wheels to a stop.. It had shoved out the door and side of a 10' x 10 ' shed covering my water pump. It put a dent in my rear hatch door top and busted the rear left turn signal. I did not report it to police because it was in my yard and it did not dawn on me the transmission may have jumped out of park. However, on approximately april 12,2001 I had placed it in park , with the engine running, when suddenly it jumped in reverse with me still sitting in the seat. I immediately braked and again placed the shifter into park. Nothing happened again, so I just shrugged it off as one of those things. But the other day I was talking with another jeep owner who had the same thing happen. So, I would like to report this incident in case others have had the same problem. I do not leave my jeep running in park at any time now, I do not trust it. Plus, with the warranty runout, I fiqured nothing would be done about it anyway and I would just go through a lot of expense checking it for nothing. But, I do believe there is some kind of intermittent problem with these transmissions.

Filed Aug 15, 2000 · Acceleration · IL

When pressing on accelerator to pass another car consumers vehicle will start jerking and slowing down. Once, another car was coming on the opposite side, and consumer came close to having a collision. Last year, whenever using cruise control, air conditioner would shut off. Took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced the sensor kit throttle position, but jerking still exists. Consumer feels this is very unsafe.

Filed Dec 9, 1998 · Transmission · HI

Vehicle when put in 4-wheel drive, it is hard to get into gear, problem is intermittent, vehicle makes a big thump noise and jerks, sometimes gets stuck, dealer contacted ,and cannot duplicate the problem, adjustments were made and problem still exists. Provide further information.