2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee: jerking or lurching

Filed Jan 4, 2012 · Acceleration · WI · crash

A car wash attendant proceeded to enter the customer's 2003 jeep grand cherokee to dry it down after it rolled off our insured's car wash track. The vehicle was in neutral. He placed his foot on the brake and started up the jeep. He put the jeep into drive. The engine revved up really high and took off. The jeep lurched ahead striking the closed overhead car wash door. Physical damage to the door and the customer's vehicle resulted. The customer's vehicle was totaled. Employee is certain he did not place his foot on the accelerator. Requesting action be taken to avoid bodily harm and more property damage from occurring in the future. Updated 01/17/12

Filed Feb 9, 2009 · Engine · 88,442 miles · NY

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle stalls and the RPM's begin to rise suddenly. The vehicle does not backfire, jerk, or make noises. The failure occurs while driving at any speed. The contact must activate the hazard lights and restart the engine. Usually, the vehicle restarts, but sometimes it takes 3 or 4 attempts to restart. The dealer replaced the crankshaft position sensor, which remedied the issue for a few hours. The failure recurred the same day she retrieved the vehicle from the dealer. The contact is scheduled to take the vehicle back to the dealer, but just wants the defect to be corrected properly. She researched the failure and found numerous complaints for the issue. She believes a recall should be issued for the defect. The current and failure mileages were 88,442.

Filed Feb 9, 2009 · Engine · 40,000 miles · LA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep grand cherokee. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. Approximately a few seconds later, the vehicle restarted. The contact heard a noise and the vehicle jerked before stalling and losing power. The dealer could not find any failures. The contact is concerned and does not want to drive the vehicle in this condition. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 55,000.

Filed Jun 9, 2008 · 99,000 miles · MD · crash

I was completely stopped at a 4-way stop sign. Each time the van in front of me moved forward, I would let off the brake to drift forward a few feet, and then re-engage the brake to stop. When the van that was directly in front of me moved forward to take its turn at the stop sign, I again let off the brake to drift forward & then re-engaged the brake. However, my 2003 jeep grand cherokee's engine revved/idled high & it lurched forward. I smashed the brake to the floor, but the jeep lurched forward a 2nd time. I lifted my foot for a split-second & again pushed the brake pedal as hard as I could, but the jeep lurched forward a 3rd time & hit the van in front of me. My daughter was in the car with me & felt the jeep lurching/jumping forward as well. Not to mention, she heard me saying that I couldn't get the jeep to stop. I am certain I was not pressing the accelerator simultaneously because my foot was firmly/solidly on the brake pedal. If I had been on the gas, I would have hit the van much harder/faster. Now, I will be responsible for paying for the damages done to the van, as well as paying for higher insurance premiums. The truth is, I am not at fault; the jeep is.

Filed Mar 31, 2008 · Electrical, Engine · 106,000 miles · KY

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep grand cherokee. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power without warning. The dealer test drove the vehicle and it stalled. The cause of the failure could not be determined. The current and failure mileages were 106,000. Updated 4/16/08 *cn the consumer stated applying the gas pedal does not help the vehicle move. The vehicle jerks and the gauges move around. The cam sensor, crank sensor and fuel filter have all been replaced to no avail. Updated

Filed May 20, 2004 · Engine · 5,000 miles · IL

When driving at any speed check engine light appeared on the dashboard, then, vehicle jerked and lost power. The consumer had the vehicle was towed to the dealership on two occasions, but problem recurred.

Filed Sep 12, 2003 · Brakes · 3,000 miles · OR

When braking, the pedal felt soft and intermittently the driver would simultaneously apply the accelerator pedal. This caused the vehicle to lurch forward. The dealer was notified and informed the consumer that the brake pedal was a normal characteristic of the vehicle. Nothing was said concerning the brake and the accelerator pedal being too close. *ph the dealer verified that the 2003 models had softer brake pedal than the previous year models. The pedal was so low that it was easy to hit the gas pedal. *scc