blueseasons

Just got a letter from Chrysler asking me to go to a web site and put my VIN in.
Got a message saying they didn't recognize it and said to call a Toll Free number. I called it. It wouldn't go through three times. Got a recording telling me that. Then it was answered twice. Then call was dropped twice. Got a busy signal once. I finally got through and I have been on hold for 45 minutes. They actually didn't tell me I was on hold. After choosing to continue in English, it went to directly to sappy music. Pretty poor.
Anybody experience anything better than this?

Bustedback

Nope. My local dealer called me and scheduled a time for me to bring my Jeep in for the recall. Pretty painless.

dave1123

I just today received my letter and from the sound of this, I think I'm going to my dealer first. My letter already has my partial VIN on it, but says the dealer won't have the parts until Sept 15th. I JUST installed a U-Haul hitch a week ago because my dealer said the WJ's didn't need them and the recall was just for ZJs and XJs. An under-the-bumper hitch doesn't meet their criteria for crash protection. Only the thru-the-bumper does and they will install one FREE OF CHARGE plus give you a $100 prepaid Visa card. Does that mean I get a new bumper as well, or are they going to cut my old bumper to fit? I'll let you know later what transpires.

SeriousOffroad

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

I don't recall.

blueseasons

I was on hold for an hour. From then on it went well. The man at Chrysler actually made contact with the local JEEP dealer. Got them on line and I scheduled with them. Mine has no hitch. They are going to add one, but it's not for towing. They are not adding the wiring harness and the other stuff that's included in the "tow package" . Thats what i was told, or I read it. If you have a hitch already, they will inspect it to see if it meets the crash criteria. If it doesn't I think they might offer to replace it. I have never taken my Jeep to the local dealer so I don't have a relationship with them. I am not sure if they would have called me. Actually it's a DODGE dealer. Apparently they work on Jeeps , but don't sell them.
I recently had a PCM installed by a Jeep Dealer, but they are in a town 15 miles from here. The independent mechanic I had didn't have good experiences with the local DODGE dealer, so he had them take care of the PCM. My letter read like Daves did and i to was under the impression the recall didn't involve WJ's.

madmanmarty

Just got my notice on my wife's '04.

dave1123

I JUST LEFT the dealer. I stopped by to check what's going on and they said an aftermarket hitch is fine as long as it meets their criteria for protection. They took mine in for the inspection and told me it was fine. Then they were on hold for 30 minutes with Chrysler trying to get a labor Op number so they could get paid for the inspection and get me a number to include with my statement to get my Visa card. They finally gave me a printout and told me they'd call me when they get the number. It seems I was the first to get it done at their dealership and they had to call to figure out how to handle it. It seems Chrysler sent out the letters before telling the dealerships what they were going to do. Figures. At least my jeep's VIN was on the computer list for the recall.

My jeep was in the way of incoming cars so I didn't get to ask them about the older Cherokees, but I guess you have to get the letter to know for sure. I know it's for Grands 93-04 and Libertys.

I'll keep you posted on what transpires.

sycoglitch

Last I heard, XJs Weren't involved in the recall. Our gas tanks are higher and are bumper is actually metal with the frame real there too

dave1123

Yes, but so are the ZJs. A real frame, that is. I think the bumpers are plastic, though. I don't remember. All I know is I got tagged in an intersection with my ZJ and all it did was punch a hole in a Liberty's front bumper with my hitch ball! LOL!

One other thing that makes me curious. The Mopar hitch they want to put on the WJ comes thru the bumper with a plate to give access to the safety chain hook points. Does that mean you get a new bumper too?

sycoglitch

Not sure. But as for the tanks, the XJ sits higher up iirc than the ZJ and definitely more than the WJ

94zj318

I got a letter, the Customer Satisfaction Notifcation... I have an '02 GC WJ... I am confused, it even offers a $100 Visa prepaid card if we get our Jeeps inspected. I don't even have a trailer hitch. I'm just gonna wait until September when they have all of the parts, because I have to put mine in the shop for a few other things as well.

JPXJMOAB

I've done the recall. The hitch receiver hangs just below the bumper so no modifying to the bumper is done. The hitch itself is not as tall as a regular hitch and sits higher up. I will warn everyone; if your bumper brackets are either rusty, or a bolt breaks off, or are decently bent. You will need to buy and are responsible for the cost of the new bumper brackets. (Around $150 with labor) in the long run, it's a safety recall... Do it. Plus it's a free recovery point

Bearstream

I have a class 3 hitch on my '03 GC Laredo that was mfd by Hidden Hitch. Question is, if Jeep replaces it,will the Mopar OEM have the same weight class rating as the one I have now? Anybody else out there using a class 3 rated by Hidden Hitch?

Bearstream

Hey Dave1123, I wanted to ask you what brand and rating is your hitch, since it passed the safety inspection, I was curious what they were looking for in terms of pass/fail? I'd sure hate to lose my class 3 hitch only to find out the Mopar OEM doesn't meet my tow weight requirement, that would be a whole new safety issue for me.

dave1123

My hitch is a full rated class 3 hitch by U-Haul with a max pull load of 8000 lbs. I'm not going to tow anything, I just wanted the protection and a recovery point. I installed a Rugged Ridge pulling shackle insert and secured it with a grade 8 bolt and jamb nut. I safety-wired the shackle pin so it can't be easily removed or stolen. I paid $195 complete for the hitch and $32 for the shackle and insert. I didn't get the lighting package with the hitch, so that saved on the cost. BTW, I spray painted the U-Haul label, LOL!

The safety inspection is just to confirm that it's not rusted or have bolts broken so it will absorb an impact enough to meet their requirements. If it's good enough, they give you a form to send in to claim a $100 prepaid Visa card that can't be used at an ATM or redeemed for cash. I used one from Goodyear for gas. If you don't already have a hitch, they will put one on free of charge, as long as the vehicle doesn't need repair to mount it.