94zj318

Hi All,

My dad just traded his 2005 WK GC Laredo with the 4.7L V8 for a 2014 WK2 GC Limited 3.6L with 54k miles. It's got the 8.4AN radio, the single sunroof, and the 20" wheel-and-tire option. We got a pretty good deal on it.

When we first test-drove the Jeep before we bought it, everything seemed to check out okay, with no issues. However, someone else interested in the same Jeep took it for a weekend test drive right after we first test-drove it. They came back with it and said they didn't want it.

We bought the Jeep Friday, and when driving it home, my dad noticed that the brake pedal seemed mushy, and the brakes just didn't feel right. We took the Jeep to dinner on Friday night, and the BRAKE light came on in the instrument cluster.

We took the Jeep in on Saturday afternoon to be looked at, and while we were driving it, the brake pedal was going all the way to the floor, and the Jeep didn't want to stop, but we still made it to the dealer. Keep in mind the dealer we bought the Jeep from was a used car dealer, but was connected to a Jeep dealer, so the dealer took it up to their Jeep dealer.

We get a call today (Monday) from the dealer that they determined the brake booster had failed, and was going to be replaced free of charge. We should have the Jeep back by tomorrow (Tuesday). My questions are as follows:

1.) Has anyone heard of a WK2 brake booster suddenly going bad? The dealer tells us that they "don't typically fail".
2.) Could the people who test-drove the Jeep after us slammed on the brakes too hard and broken the brake booster, possibly on purpose to try to defeat the ABS system?

Any help would be appreciated! It really sucks to buy a vehicle and have something wrong with it in less than 24hrs after we bring it home, but at least it'll be fixed.

dave1123

On my 2000 WJ, the brake light just tells you when the parking brake is on or the fluid is low. It's entirely possible the other driver was trying to "test" the ABS system and the overpressure popped a brake pipe so you were loosing fluid. The dealer is right about the booster not normally failing, however they may be telling you that to make you think they're spending money on it to satisfy you.

The brakes in my WJ always felt mushy but they tell me that's the way they're supposed to feel. Without power on, they are solid. I grew up with Chevys and the brakes always felt solid with power brakes. I don't really like the jeep's brakes because the pedal seems to travel a lot before anything happens. With my Chevys, about 1.5" of travel and you can feel them start to grab.

94zj318

We just got the Jeep back from the dealer today and the brakes feel much better. I haven't driven it yet, but my dad has, and he can tell a difference.

My 'BRAKE' light is on on my WJ, and I know the front calipers are hanging up and need replaced, but I thought 'BRAKE' meant that there was a problem with the parking brake, since it doesn't engage, even when pulled up. I guess maybe I need to check my brake fluid level, LOL.

But anyway, the WK2 has been fixed and is braking better than ever. I don't understand why people try to defeat the ABS. If I were the dealer, I would've noticed the issue when the people brought it back from a test-drive, and not allow them to test-drive a vehicle from my dealership again. The dealer told us that they bought a 2016 Ford Explorer (which IDK why they even were looking at this one if they could afford a brand new Explorer). Oh well... the dealer we bought it from wasn't a Jeep dealer, but the owner of the dealership also owns a Chevy and a Jeep dealer, and so they took the Jeep up to the Jeep dealer to have the issue fixed. That Jeep dealer has been selling Jeeps in my area for well over 30 years now, so they are very reputable.