im not sure whats more naive, buying a jeep and expecting it not break or or expecting a motor dealer to help you.
SIMON, who asked that his surname not be used due to his occupation, says he wasn’t told his new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee had been damaged and repaired. He wants a refund and, while Jeep hasn’t agreed, it is “more than happy to work with (him) to reach a suitable outcome”.
Noisy engine
LAURA Puig and Jim Chitsos say they have taken their 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee back 14 times in six months for a noisy engine. Jeep says it is a “commonplace characteristic” of that engine and claims the owners “attest to this”. The owners disagree and still want a refund.
Noise and mirrors
PETER Curran says his 2013 Chrysler 300 SRT8 has many problems including a ticking sound from the engine and faults with the side mirrors. Jeep says “all required repair work has been carried out under warranty”. Mr Curran says this is not the case and he still wants a refund.
Won’t start
MATTHEW Good says his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Blackhawk fails to start. It happened in November, February, April and May. He says there have been failed attempts to fix the fault and he wants a refund. Jeep told Public Defender last night it would contact the customer.
Unable to tow
KARL Boos says his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee cannot safely tow a three-tonne caravan and that he has a statutory declaration from an expert to this effect. He says the vehicle is not fit for a normal purpose and wants a refund. Jeep said last night it would get in touch with the customer.
Water Pump
COURTNEY Murray had her 2012 Jeep Patriot serviced regularly but not by Jeep. A week after the warranty ran out, Jeep had a special on servicing. Jeep found the water pump was leaking but wouldn’t fix it because it didn’t do all the servicing. Now it is “happy to work with this customer”.
Leaking roof
CORY McMillan found his 2013 Jeep Wrangler’s roof was leaking. He says he took it to get fixed and Jeep said keep driving it until new seals came in. During the recent storms water got in, causing extensive damage. Jeep said it wouldn’t fix it. Now it says it’ll repair it as “a standard warranty claim”.
Skye’s limit was brake failure due to frame flaws
WHILE driving her Fiat down a steep hill at Mount Ousley in February, Skye Rowan applied the brake. She says the steering wheel shook violently and so did the brake pedal as the brakes made a grinding noise.
She thought it was a one-off but it happened again when her husband was driving.
When part of the engine was replaced in March, the dealership discovered a section of the metal frame had not been welded together properly.
Ms Rowan has now been without the car for 11 weeks. She has been given a hire car but has also purchased another car in case the rental is taken back.
She has been seeking a refund but, before Public Defender’s involvement, Fiat and the dealership said a replacement would be provided instead.
Yesterday, Ms Rowan again told the dealer this was unacceptable. I said the same to Fiat, which is part of the same company as Jeep.