2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Battery issues

13045 Views 139 Replies 23 Participants Last post by Mark_, 3 mo ago

TinasJeepCherokee

Discussion Starter · Jan 22, 2022

I purchased my Jeep brand new and had no issues until this week. My battery drained and unable to start. I had towed to dealership and they said the battery just needed a full charge. Granted it has been a very cold start to winter here in Ottawa ON but still I never expected my Jeep with less than 18000 km not to start. I was charged 98 dollars to charge the battery. This morning I went to start my jeep and again it won’t start. I am so frustrated I don’t know if I should just go and buy a brand new battery somewhere else or have it towed again to the dealership and ask them to find out what is going on with my jeep. I purchased extended warranty for seven years on this vehicle. Should this be happening to a less then two year old brand new jeep? Any advice would be appreciated. I’m feeling so frustrated and have lost all trust with the dealership 😱

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Mark_

· #3 · Jan 22, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
I purchased my Jeep brand new and had no issues until this week. My battery drained and unable to start. I had towed to dealership and they said the battery just needed a full charge. Granted it has been a very cold start to winter here in Ottawa ON but still I never expected my Jeep with less than 18000 km not to start. I was charged 98 dollars to charge the battery. This morning I went to start my jeep and again it won’t start. I am so frustrated I don’t know if I should just go and buy a brand new battery somewhere else or have it towed again to the dealership and ask them to find out what is going on with my jeep. I purchased extended warranty for seven years on this vehicle. Should this be happening to a less then two year old brand new jeep? Any advice would be appreciated. I’m feeling so frustrated and have lost all trust with the dealership 😱

Hey Tina, welcome to the forum

Oh man that sucks ! Some dealerships...

You will need to talk to the service manager this time. Tell them you need a new battery under warranty and that they also need to credit you the $98 for a wrong diagnosis. I'm not sure they'll agree to this but you can try. Get them to confirm they won't charge you for diagnostics again before you bring it in.
Chances are you have a defective battery.

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Mark_

· #13 · Jan 22, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
I don’t know what they did all I know is I got a call from the service manager that said my battery was severely dead and they re-charged it and now I’m going to have to pay because it’s not covered under warranty

I am telling you they see that I am a woman and they see me coming a mile away that they’re going to screw me over that’s the way I feel sometimes with these dealerships

I will bring it up with him when I talk to him on Monday and will update here what he says. The thing is he is not even a mechanic he’s just a service manager. So so frustrated 😩

Which 'top of the line battery' are you going for ? Curious because they are not easy to find in Canada.
And is your extended warranty a bumper-to-bumper type, or powertrain only ?

Mark_

· #16 · Jan 23, 2022

Flybynightcru said:
You would have been better off paying them to install the new battery, purchased from someone else of course, than pay them to charge up a bad battery. Ask smart questions, so you seem like a car savvy woman, like did you load test the battery? May I see the printout of the health status from the test? If you ask things like that, I guarantee he won't be treating you like that anymore. All are legitimate questions that someone with knowledge of the process can easily answer, and produce the documents...😎

Most if not all Jeep dealerships use the GR8 battery tester/charger. They hook up the battery to the GR8, it checks all the basic functions and if state of charge is low, it will go into charge mode until 100% charge is achieved. Then, it will do the battery diagnostics. Problem with the GR8 machine and most other testers : they often miss a bad Cherokee battery. We've had countless members here report that a dealership said a battery tested good, only to test bad the next time when it did fail again.
I'm pretty sure the battery will now fail their test (with GR8 or any other tester).
According to your first post, this a 2020 with only 18,000 Kms on the clock (11K miles), so it's still covered under your basic 3 year/ 60,000 Km warranty, which covers the battery.

Edit to add : this is the GR8 machine they use : Midtronics GR8 Series Diagnostic Battery Chargers

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Mark_

· #23 · Jan 23, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
View attachment 218065

There is my receipt all is OK. Lol

Yep GR8 tested. Problem here is that 'passed' doesn't always mean good battery, not for a Cherokee battery anyway.

You didn't answer my question about the warranty : are you still covered under the 3 year / 60,000 Km bumper-to-bumper warranty ? If so, they must install a new battery, for free, then hopefully get them to credit you that bogus $98 charge.

Reactions: 3

Mark_

· #24 · Jan 23, 2022

dedelec said:
Hello from St-Zotique, Québec.
This is a bummer, i would go to a Costco. They have a good AGM battery and not that expansive.

https://tires.costco.ca/Batteries/SearchResultsByVehicle?lang=en-ca&batteryType=Automotive&Year=2020&Make=Jeep&Model=Cherokee&Engine=V6-3.2L-Gas~V6-3.2L-Gaz

There is one in Gatineau, near you.

And if i recall, they can install it for you for minimal charge. Or have it install by a near by mechanic. That will be a lot cheaper than your dealer.

Good luck.

I think there are 4 Costcos in the Ottawa area, plus one in Gatineau. Canadian Tire has the same battery (different label but same battery) for about the same price, for those without a Costco membership. But OP here is probably under 3/60 basic warranty, so the battery is covered.

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Mark_

· #31 · Jan 24, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
I got the one from canadian tire. I am going to upload pics i took of the old battery

Hmmm. Well, if you bought a battery, I doubt the dealer will pay for it. For warranty claims, the dealership has to provide the parts. Keep the Canadian Tire battery on ice (so to speak) for now, and don't tell the dealership you bought one. Tell them your current battery has failed yet again after they charged it and said if was still good. It's not good, they need to replace it, and basic warranty (NOT your extended warranty) will cover it. The problem with extended warranties is that you have to pay a deductible at every visit (usually it's $100), but NOT under your basic 3 year / 60,000 km warranty.

Once they replace your battery (with their own), you can return the one at Canadian Tire. I hope... Just FYI : the Mopar replacement battery is the exact same as the one you got at Canadian Tire.

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Mark_

· #32 · Jan 24, 2022

I posted before I saw your latest post. Well too late I guess, you've already installed the CT battery...

Reactions: 1

Mark_

· #34 · Jan 24, 2022

@TinasJeepCherokee

Uh-oh. Just noticed something. CT sold you the wrong battery. You need an AGM, they sold you a regular flooded battery instead. Your original Mopar battery is AGM, so that's what you need. If you drive the Cherokee with this non AGM battery, you'll quickly run into battery problems.

This is the CT battery you need : https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...-size-94r-h7-l4-battery-800-cca-0109420p.html

So... this might give you the opportunity to simply return it and get a refund.

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Mark_

· #41 · Jan 24, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
What? When you go on canadian tire and you put in my jeep engine type those 2 batteries come up. They were out of stock with the one you posted but had 1 of these left and he told me it works for my engine type

Yeah there's a twist to this story. I'll go ahead and guess you have the 2.4L 4 cylinder engine, right ? If so... up until 2018 model year (included), the 2.4L engine did not have ESS (engine stop/start), so it didn't require an AGM battery. As of 2019 model year and going forward, the 2.4Ls do have ESS so an AGM battery is mandatory. Many clerks, even battery fitment guides at different stores haven't read that memo... and are still offering regular flooded batteries for that engine.

Bottom line : tell CT you have ESS with your 2.4L engine, you need the AGM, and their fitment guide is wrong. If they argue, tell them to phone a Jeep dealership to confirm...

Edit to add : and if you don't have the 2.4L engine, just know all (2019+) engines require the AGM battery because they all have ESS.

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Mark_

· #43 · Jan 24, 2022

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Flybynightcru said:
Oh Mark, we're slacking brother!!! I had to go back and read the whole thread, and see that nobody asked her the specifics about her Cherokee. That's usually your first question...LOL!!!🤪😎

Yeah I double-checked, but then realized it made no difference which engine is in there. 2019+ all 3 engines have ESS

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Mark_

· #45 · Jan 24, 2022

Flybynightcru said:
Therefore requiring the AGM. That's what I thought too. Looking at the CT website now, and sure would like to know what the difference is between the 2.4 ,"EDE B" and the 2.4 "ED8 B"??? I've sure never seen that before...I guess it doesn't matter, since it still shows the same two batteries, the correct AGM, and the standard flooded 94R. Weird!!!😎
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/auto.../jeep/cherokee/2020.html?engineConfigId=23589

I've seen a lot of battery fitment guide issues with the Cherokee, even at Costco and Autozone. It's far from a perfect system, car owners can't even trust major resellers anymore :-/

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Mark_

· #48 · Jan 24, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
I refuse to get the 2.4 L because that’s what was in my dodge dart and it was a piece of **** so when I got the jeep and they said you can get the four-cylinder 2.4 L engine I said no way I want something better and he says I did a 2 L the 2.4 L are the 3.2 L V6 and that’s the one I got

Ok. But as stated above, the engine makes no difference for the battery you need. It just makes it even weirder that a battery fitment guide still has it wrong for the V6, because V6 Cherokees have had ESS since 2015 model year, so they've required an AGM battery since then.

So just to be sure we're on the same page : CT sold you the wrong battery, you absolutely need an AGM. They will refund it because you can show them their guide is wrong.

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Mark_

· #51 · Jan 24, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
Then I won’t be able to drive because I will have no battery they don’t have the AGM battery in stock they are sold out everywhere 😱😩

When can you visit the dealership ?

Mark_

· #54 · Jan 24, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
I’m sure after the two dealerships get my messages they Will be contacting me because I wasn’t very nice when I left a message
I can go to the dealership tomorrow it’s just 10 minutes away but it’s not gonna be a pleasant conversation because I told him I don’t want this happening again you should just put in a brand new battery and he says you don’t need to this battery is just fine so he lied to my face

Ok, go to that dealership with your CT battery installed, and bring the original battery with you so they can test it. Show them your test pictures as well.

Make sure they commit to replacing the battery under bumper-to-bumper warranty (battery IS covered), so at no charge to you.

If/when they replace the battery, you can then go back to CT and ask for a refund, stating their battery guide is wrong, that your Jeep absolutely needs an AGM because of Stop/Start.

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Mark_

· #57 · Jan 24, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
OK if I do this how can I be certain that the dealership is it going to just charge up this battery and put it back in my car instead of giving me a brand new one
I don’t trust anyone 😩

What you need to do is walk in , tell them your battery died, again, right after they said it was 'good'. Show them your test pictures with the CT tester. Then, ask them to test the battery again, at no charge, because you've already paid $98 for a test that didn't show the correct result. If they argue, tell them the battery died on you after they tested it, so you're entitled to a new free test, to prove it is bad. If they refuse to test it for free, leave, go to another dealership...

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Mark_

· #58 · Jan 24, 2022

And FYI : the CT battery will be Ok for a short while, but issues will start at some point. Can't tell you when you'll have issues because we just don't have enough data/experience with this situation, but you're probably good for a few weeks. And I just don't know what CT's return policy is...

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Mark_

· #62 · Jan 24, 2022

Here's a good article on what might happen if you install a regular (flooded) battery in an ESS vehicle. One important detail in there : they mention some ESS vehicles can detect battery type while others can't. I don't know if the Cherokee's system can detect this or not. But it's a good read and highligths the fact that you absolutely need an AGM battery, even if you don't use ESS. They got my attention with the possibility of having your vehicle warranty voided (!!), Gulp.. So yeah, drive with the CT battery until you get this resolved with a dealership.

batteryworld.varta-automotive.com

Consequences of fitting the wrong battery for start-stop systems

Installation of a wrong battery or normal starter battery in a car with start-stop technology increases the risk of premature battery failure.

batteryworld.varta-automotive.com

In the event you hit a brick wall with dealerships and you just want to buy your own battery : go up this thread and you'll see Costco sells an Energizer group 94R (H7) AGM as well. But... you should be able to get one from a dealership, for free...

@Flybynightcru : JeepCares doesn't cover Canada...

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Mark_

· #69 · Jan 24, 2022

AZJeeper said:
I remember seeing a JeepCACares, but that person is no longer active. However, there is this:

Is JeepCares a legit Jeep Customer Service account?

Sorry but in the age of scammers, you never know! Lol Is it ok to DM JeepCares if they ask you to in a post? Are they direct Jeep reps? Thanks all! Just like to know who I’m dealing with. 🙃

www.jeepgarage.org

Yep, Jeep customer care, via phone. Not sure how efficient they are, could be worth a shot if a dealership refuses to honor warranty repairs.

Mark_

· #73 · Jan 24, 2022

TinasJeepCherokee said:
I went to the dealership with the dead battery. He called and told me he charged the battery and it passed 😱😱😱😱. He did say though that since this time it was out of the car the technician said half the battery is swollen. What the heck does that mean ?? So he told me that he is going to find a dead battery in the dealership then when he does he will put it in my Jeep so it will spit out a dead code so he can claim it under warranty

Then he said he’s going to refund me the $98 but still doesn’t know how the battery lost so much in two days or why it is swollen.

i am even more confused than before. How does a battery get swollen. Can you see it in this picture ??

View attachment 218115

Swelling can occur when the electrolyte freezes, and the electrolyte freezes easily when a battery is heavily discharged. So a discharged battery in frigid conditions = permanent damage.
I don't understand how their GR8 can say 'good battery' here, because it is obviously not...

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Mark_

· #79 · Jan 25, 2022

YES. Great news..

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