A disgruntled Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo owner has launched an online petition regarding the dealer fitment of a ParkView reversing camera.
EMAILING PRACTICAL MOTORING earlier this week, Mr Robert Bradbery an owner of an MY14 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and the chief complainant, says: “The supplied MY14 Grand Cherokee Laredo camera is not a Jeep product consistent with the ‘ParkView’ factory supplied camera. It is totally ineffective in bright sunlight, dusk and night time situations. It provides an unsafe environment in those periods whereas the higher-spec factory installed rear camera’s are clear and without fog and distortion.”
According to Jeep Australia’s Grand Cherokee Buyer’s Guide, the 2014 Grand Cherokee Laredo comes standard with a ParkView reversing camera but that it would be a dealer-fitted item and not a factory-fitted item as per the rest of the range.
An online petition initiated by Mr Bradbery had attracted 100 signatures and statements from Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo owners in the three days since it was launched.
Practical Motoring has contacted Jeep Australia but so far hasn’t received a reply. We’ll update this article with any response we receive, but, in the meantime, if you own an MY14 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and have a dealer fitted camera, we’d like to know what you think.
Jeep grand cherokee Laredo my 14
I totally agree with mr Bradbury and would like to sign the partition as I keep getting fobbed of by the dealer with there cheap unacceptable inferior camera every time the door is opened, most people press the camera and it is fitted that badly and cheap that it gets pushed up inside the tail gate and the view is all distorted and every thing else that Mr Bradbury mentions — com on JEEP AUSTRALIA BE FAIR TO YOUR–CUSTOMERS –—with out us you have no sales
Barry Burrows
Hi Barry, Sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind taking some photos and sending them to me? We might be able to help. isaacb (at) practicalmotoring.com Thanks in advance. Cheers Isaac (editor).
Jeep GC MY14 3.0l diesel Laredo
Completely agree with other posts re the poor quality of my Laredo rear camera. Mine has already been pushed up into the plastic surround by an unsuspecting user trying to lift the tailgate. The camera has parking guidelines that are not centred on the screen; it has poor low-light and bright sunshine performance, and picture resolution is relatively low. The display is rather jerky at times and doesn’t always display smoothly. It was was retrofitted by the dealer and is not the Parkview model advertised (which doesn’t have the guidelines). This is a very cheap product which lets down an otherwise OK vehicle.
I bought a jeep! Yeah i bought a jeep wd cheap reverse camera, im very dissapointed buying a laredo 2014 worth 40 thousand plus wd a reverse camera probably bought in ebay for $30 or even more cheaper than that, if i could just turn back tym i rather buy kia or outlander or any cheap car on the market than laredo wd unsafe camera esp during night tym
It is the ongoing horror stories like these that continue to put me off buying a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Well, just brought a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Sport and guess what… I don’t come out of the deal with a reversing camera at all!
Apparently Jeep in US is installing reverse sensors instead, and ParkView cameras can be fitted at the Aussie dealership – but only if customer pays additional $500. Or you can wait while they swap bumpers over, pull the parking sensors out, and fit the ‘standard’ camera (no parking guide, no beeps) at no cost – but God knows how long you have to wait, as there seem to be supply problems with the camera.
All in all, leaves a sour taste that they don’t just do what it says in the glossy sales brochure..
We bought a 2014 4X2 Laredo model this year and this happened to us as well. The Laredo base model did not come with a standard reverse camera, but I quote from “Motorworld Australia, Chadstone saying that the camera is a duly required in Australia for all SUV (to minimise risk of on running over a child when reversing the car) and they said they were supplied with a Jeep “standard” reverse camera” to be fitted on the Laredo models”. We complained the issue to them and after a few runnings around on the issue, they agreed to have the reverse camera to be refitted with a “superseeded reverse camera “, as they said.
Other useful link to read on (to support your case if you have bought a base Laredo model fitted with poor quality reversing camera):
http://www.change.org/p/chrysler-group-llc-jeep-australia-supply-my14-grand-cherokee-laredo-owners-with-the-advertised-parkview-tm-rear-camera-as-supplied-to-the-jeep-grand-cherokee-ltd-and-overland-models-2
Hi Ken, We’ve contacted Fiat Chrysler about this matter several times now and always been told they’re ‘working on something’. We’ll keep pushing and let you know as soon as we know what that ‘something’ is.
Hi PracticalMotoring,
I bought my Jeep from Motor world Brighton and still waiting for the reverse camera. Initially i was promised that they will fit an original reverse camera but at the end they fitted a substandard $20 camera. Its so bad that i can not see anything inthe night time.
I have lodged a complaint with Fiat Chrysler about this but nothing happened. I also getting same advise that they are working on someting. I am so frustated that i am not sure what to do. Please advise what else can be done.
I have the same issue when i bought MY14 Grand Cherokee Loredo and the dealer Napean Motor Group(Debbie principal owner) Penrith Western Sydney is unwilling to co-operate….I contacted Jeep Australia today 12.11.2014 and the customer service represantative was so rude that i just hanged up,could not bother listening to her BS
I bought a Jeep WK model GC Laredo (diesel) in May 2014. The reversing camaera is standard but not factory fitted. They had a 3 month delay on camera and it was dealer (Bayside Jeep Frankston Vic) fitted in July. I needed it for a caravan trip to FNQ. The camera is a shocker at night. no comparison to unit in Honda CRV we traded. Complaints fall on deaf ears. Otherwise car is a fantastic tow vehicle.
Hi Roger – to improve the rear visibility you can have an auto electrician install an additional light that comes on when the vehicle is in reverse. Many different lights are available these days thanks to LED technology. Yes, the GC’s camera should be better, but that might be a fix instead.
I agree with all the following responses to the reversing camera jeep Australia should replace these cameras as they are a safety hazard of a night time can’t recognise anything at night except for a blurr
Bought a 2014 Jeep Laredo new, have had numerous problems latest being, reverse camera doesn’t work, no radio/phone connections, the screen is flashing “please insert update usb” air con is blowing hot air and the heaters are coming on randomly, has been into Jeep workshop and they have to order a whole entire internal unit!! This will take apparently 6-8 weeks. I have made an official complaint to jeep customer care, as I live in NQ and am expected to drive around in 38 degree temps with no aircon with the heaters coming on randomly which I cannot turn off, they turn off randomly after about 15-20 mins. it is like driving around in an inferno. Apparently cannot offer me a courtesy car as it is safe to drive!!! Will never buy a jeep again.
Hi George Here
I also have the same issues with the unit
I also have issues with the fitment. My family continually keep pushing it back inside the housing rendering it inoperative. I have pried it out that many times that the lens finally broken. The dealer wants an arm and a leg for a replacement.
Yep, I bought a Jeep in 2013. Same problem. Suttons at Brookvale actually delivered it without a camera and I had to complain. They then installed this piece of crap. Totally useless.
I have just bought a 2013 and when I asked the dealer about the camera he told me that it was just turned off, hubby picked it up and had been told they were looking in to it , I feel I may have been sharfted