Jeep Grand Piece of Junk?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Style, Handling, Ride & Comfort.

Cons: Too many bugs for a brand new vehicle (Read for details).

The Bottom Line: 
I would still recommend the Grand Cherokee, but I think there are better SUVs to choose from.

Author's Review
Like most of you out there who are considering leasing or buying a brand new vehicle, we don't just buy anything without doing a little homework first. Let's just say that I did do my homework but just not enough. I've read many reviews from sources such as MotorTrend, Consumer Reports, Edmunds,etc. on many different SUVs in the marketplace. There are so many out there that unless you know more or less what you're looking for, you'll just become even more confused. I've browsed at the Murano and Pathfinder from Nissan; the Toyota 4Runner, the Acura MDX (which needless to say are generally the best rated vehicles in reliability according to just about every source.) I've also looked at the European SUVs...the VW Toaureg and BMW X5 for example, and I've especially looked at the domestic SUVs since I do admire some American cars and trucks from Ford, GM, and Daimler Chrysler. I finally chose the Jeep Grand Cherokee although a couple reviews that I have read stated that the reliability is below average. I thought maybe that belief was still based on problems from the older Grand Cherokee models such as bad brake rotors and other uncommon nuisances. Apparently, it looks like that Daimler Chrysler hasn't made much improvement on the newest model.
I recently sold a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer that I had purchased a couple years ago. It gave me no problems whatsoever, but with its age and high mileage I decided to lease a brand new 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I figured at the time, "Well, I better sell this thing before it gives me problems." Guess what?...Big mistake. I should have kept the Mercury since it was already paid for and didn't give me any hassle. Anyway, I decided to try leasing because, "Hey, why not!?" The money I can get from selling my 9 year old vehicle can be applied to a brand new one without such a hefty down payment, and it would still keep my monthly payment lower than if I was to finance it.
So what happened with my brand new, fresh smelling Jeep Grand Cherokee? The same night I picked it up and drove it home, there was a rattle coming from the front near the bottom of the windshield. I took it to service twice, because at first they thought it was the roof racks that needed to be tightened. I had my doubts when the service department told me that, but I figured they probably know what they're talking about. Of course the noise continued, but the problem was solved the second time after I took it back to service, and they finally realized that something was loose on the plastic panel located underneath the windshield wipers. I thought to myself that it wasn't a big deal despite the inconvenience.
"AFTER ALL, I HAVE A BRAND NEW VEHICLE AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, RIGHT?"...WRONG!
The stereo stopped functioning at around 300 miles on the odometer. Some days it works and other days it doesn't.
I have to take it to service again for that, and this morning my wife couldn't even start the damn thing. She was late to work and had to have her sister pick her up to take her, because I was already at work and couldn't reach her in time to take her myself; Talk about a major inconvenience! Once I got home, I checked everything inside and out of the Jeep to see if there was anything that was left on or open during the night. Nothing turned up, because the vehicle would also say if the lights were left on or if one of the doors was still open. Everything appeared normal with the power when I stuck the key in the ignition, and the funny thing is that even the damn stereo was working at that moment, but when I tried to turn the engine it made a "click, click" sound. I thought maybe the alternator suddenly went bad, but I decided to try to jump start it anyway, and it worked immediately. That was very weird.
So what's my point after all of this? (And I do apologize for this lengthy story). If you have an old car that you're thinking about selling so that you can have a new one... well, all I can say is unless your old car becomes a money pit in repairs then don't sell it. If you do decide to buy a brand new vehicle then I would definitely suggest a Toyota/Lexus or Honda/Acura since they are the top rated in reliability. Those sources of reviews are helpful and can save you time and money at the end.