Five problems related to engine belts and pulleys have been reported for the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
While backing out of a parking space, I heard a loud snap and the suddenly lost the power steering. I could not make it home and had the vechicle towed to a local service station. The aaa tow truck man noticed that the serpentine belft was off the pulley. The power steering pump bracket snapped off the engine block. The head to one of the bolts on the bracket sheered off, leaving the stud in the engine block (probably needs to be drilled out or rebored). I plan to replace the part with the same aluminum dealer part, but I am very concerned about the related safety issue. I had my wife, infant and 3-yr old son in the car. If this would have happened at highway speeds or on a sharp turn, the results could have been disastrous. The dealership claims that this is a typical problem and the bracket can break. This is unacceptable!.
While backing out of a parking space, my wife heard a loud snap and suddenly couldn't steer the vehicle. She was able to make it home, where I discovered the serpentine belt was off the pulley. . Upon further inspection the next day, the mount that holds the power steering pump onto the engine block had snapped in 3 places. I have since found more information on the internet that this has happened to others. I am replacing it with the same dealer part; however, if the part itself is defective, this could have disasterous results if it happened while on the road. . Read more...
Fracturing of defective power steering bracket lead to sudden and complete loss of power assist; serpentine drive belt also slipped off of pulleys, rendering generator, water pump, and other mechanical devices inoperable.
Bracket snapped at idler pulley rupturing serpentine belt causing loss of power steering and overheating before engine shutdown.
Intermittently when brakes are applied vehicle revs to a high rpm. Also, while making a turn, vehicle will stall out and die. Dealer has inspected vehicle several times, and has not been able to correct problem. There was a crack in the bracket for the power steering pump which disabled the fan belt. Consumer states vehicle has experienced electrical problems.