1997 Jeep Cherokee Latches & Locks Problems

1997 JEEP CHEROKEE HOOD UNLATCHED AND FLIPPED UP STRIKING THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER HIT THE MEDIAN BARRIER BECAUSE HE COULD NOT SEE. *KB OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-90-0800. *JB

REAR HOOD LATCH THINKS THAT THE BACK HATCH IS OPEN WHEN IT IS SHUT. COULD THIS BE RELATED TO THE INVESTIGATION OF THE HOODS OPENING ON THEIR OWN? *NM

FAILURE OF DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LATCH, THE FASTENERS HAVE RIPPED THROUGH THE METAL OF THE DOOR CAUSING AN UNEXPECTED DOOR OPENING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS...THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM FOR GRAND CHEROKEE'S, THERE ARE VERY FEW DRIVER'S DOOR THAT HAVE NOT FAILED...MY OPTIONS FOR REPAIR OF A POORLY DESIGNED COMPONENT ARE QUITE FEW AND NO ONE IS SHARING ANY INFORMATION...WITHOUT METAL TO SECURE THE LATCH TO THE DOOR I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO USE A BUNGIE CORD (NOT OSHA RATED...AT ALL) UNTIL THE DOOR CAN BE WELDED SHUT...THEN I HAVE A THREE DOOR TRUCK WITHOUT A WAY TO EASILY EXIT THE VEHICLE... THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER.

(1)PRIOR TO BEGINNING A TRIP, MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE FLUIDS UNDER THE HOOD AND THEN CLOSED THE HOOD. I DROVE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS WITH NO PROBLEMS. (2)THEN WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 68 MPH, GOING DOWNHILL, THE HOOD SUDDENLY FLEW OPEN AND CRASHED INTO MY WINDSHIELD. BOTH THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LATCHES FOR THE HOOD HAD FAILED. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE ROAD, EXCEPT FOR A TINY AMOUNT OF THE WHITE LINE THAT I WAS ABLE TO SEE BELOW THE HOOD THAT WAS NOW RESTING UPON THE WINDSHIELD. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN AS WELL AS NAVIGATE, USING THE WHITE LINE, AND GET THE CAR SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. I HAD THREE SMALL GIRLS IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, WHO WERE ALL VERY FRIGHTENED. WITH THE HELP OF SOME PASSING MOTORISTS I WAS ABLE TO FORCE THE HOOD BACK INTO PLACE, THOUGH THIS WAS QUITE DIFFICULT SINCE THE HINGES WERE NOW HYPER-EXTENDED. I SHOVED THE HOOD INTO PLACE AND CONFIRMED (SEVERAL TIMES) THAT IT SEEMED TO BE SECURE ENOUGH TO CONTINUE. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO MY DESTINATION, THOUGH I WAS QUITE FRAZZLED BY THE TIME I ARRIVED. (3)THE HOOD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL AND THE HINGES ON BOTH SIDES. WE STRAIGHTENED THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE PROBLEM. IT IS MADE OF METAL THAT IS TOO SOFT AND BENDABLE FOR IT'S INTENDED PURPOSE. PER THIS DATABASE, OUR MODEL OF JEEP IS KNOWN TO HAVE HOOD LATCHES THAT FAIL. I AM VERY UPSET THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL PUT INTO EFFECT YET. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND THE CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND COULD HAVE EASILY ENDED IN A TERRIBLE CRASH. LUCKILY EVERYTHING WORKED OUT AND NO ONE WAS HURT, EXCEPT FOR A MINOR COMPLAINT OF A CAR SEAT HURTING A LEG (IT PROTECTED MY DAUGHTER FROM GETTING THROWN IN OR FROM THE CAR). PLEASE CONSIDER HOW DANGEROUS THIS CAN BE WHEN THE VISION OF THE DRIVER IS BASICALLY COMPLETELY BLOCKED BY THE HOOD COVERING THE WINDSHIELD. I BELIEVE THAT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY HOOD LATCHES SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. *NM

HOOD WAS RECENTLY OPENED FOR NORMAL CHECKS OF ENGINE. THE HOOD DID SHUT ALL THE WAY. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 5 MILES AT THE SPEED OF ABOUT 45 THE HOOD CAME UNLATCHED AND FLEW UP. THE HOOD IS UNREPAIRABLE, HOOD AND HINGES MUST BE REPLACED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH HOOD UNEXPECTEDLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT HOOD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. *AK

WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH WHEN HOOD FLEW OPEN CAUSING CONSIDERALBLE DAMAGE TO HOOD AND HINGE MECHANISM. NO PERSONAL INJURIES.*AK

THE HOOD LATCH FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE HOOD TO OPEN, HIT THE ROOF AND CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD.*JB RELATED INVESTIGATION EA-02-029.

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HATCHBACK DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. DEALER NOTIFIED REPAIRED AND REPLACED. TS

WHILE DRIVING THE HOOD UNLOADS OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVERS VIEW AND DAMAGING THE VEHICLES HOOD. *TS *NLM

HOOD FLEW OPEN AT 70 MPH, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH HOOD CAME UN LATCHED AND DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SEE.*AK

HOOD BECAME UNATTACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. CABLE MUST HAVE SNAPPED. VISION WAS BLOCKED BY HOOD. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE DRIVER CAN'T SEE WHERE TO GO. *AK

METAL AROUND DRIVER'S DOOR LATCH HAS RIPPED AWAY, LEAVING LATCH SITTING WITH NO SUPPORT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH HOOD POPPED OPEN, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. JEEP HAS BEEN TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH HOOD OPENED UP W/O WARNING. HOOD WAS NOT TAMPERED WITH, AND OPENED UNEXPECTEDLY THROUGH BOTH SAFETY LATCHES. DEFECT AFFECTED CONSUMER'S VISIBILITY ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH ALMOST LED TO AN ACCIDENT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, THEY SAID THAT OWNER DID NOT LUBE THE LATCHES, THEREFORE THE DEALER/CHRYSLER IS NOT AT FAULT. *AK *ML

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRUNK LATCH. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE TRUNK FLEW OPEN AND THEIR DOG ALMOST FLEW OUT. THE TRUNK LATCH WAS DISCOVERED BROKEN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK

SAFETY LATCH FOR HOOD FAILED DUE TO CORROSION, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.

OPENED UP THE HATCHBACK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DOOR FELL DOWN, ALMOST STRIKING THE PERSONS THAT WERE UNDER THE HATCHBACK. *AK