Two problems related to steering tie rod assembly have been reported for the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
While driving at different speeds and making slight turns the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee will vibrate and bounce. The steering wheel will begin to pull and the front right tire feels like it is coming off or bouncing. I have taken it to the dealer and three independent shops for this problem over a 2 year period. All of have felt the problem and have no idea where it is coming from. I have so far replaced the entire front brake system, all front bushings, shocks, tires, front u bolts, and had the whole system inspected by at least 10 different mechanics. Also the brakes feel like they are riding on a warped rotor. When breaking the pedal pushes back at the driver and makes it very difficult to control the breaking. This problem has also been looked at by the dealer and the aforementioned shops. To date no solution has been found and the problem keeps getting worse. I fear that either of these problems can cause a major failure leading to injury or death.
The problems that are being recalled on the Dodge durango are the exact same problems that I experienced with my 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee with only 55,770 miles on it. The steering was so sloppy and the vehicle leaned very hard and easily that on a turn, it felt very very dangerous. I got quotes at the dealership which were astronomical, so I decided to look elsewhere. Fearing roll over dangers on this vehicle, I decided to get some front and rear addco sway bars, which at the time were the strongest sway bars. After getting the sway bars via courier, I priced around and took them to four wheel parts located at 2500 marine Ave. #1, redondo beach, CA 90278. I explained the problems to them. I explained that I wanted safer shocks and I didn't want the vehicle to roll-over, so they took things apart and found that the tie rods were junk. They repaired everything and charged me $2536. 44 on 05/07/03, invoice # 42-045575, and that doesn't include the price of the sway bars. After the work was done, I found that the vehicle has a lot tighter turning radius and it doesn't drift or push into the next lane in a turn any more. Basically, it felt like a brand-new vehicle and I paid the bill to prove it. I have the entire work order in front of me.