[Dave Z]

https://www.stellpower.com/news-2021/mack-pros-every-…e-l-to-be-tested/

A recent release from Stellantis claims that every single Jeep Grand Cherokee L (and, eventually, ever Grand Cherokee) will be tested on the new Mack Avenue plant’s enclosed 2,000-foot track. The three-minute test simulates real-world driving conditions, with faux potholes, manhole covers, rumble strips, cobblestones, speed bumps, and gravel. An electro-servo shaker, the first of its kind in North America, will provide another 2 minutes, 40 seconds of testing reproducing the buzz, squeak, and rattle track, followed by 3-5 minutes of testing for more aggressive conditions.

Finally, an inline water test will cover every vehicle made in the Mack plant, with 600 nozzles delivering water at 30 psi for 3 minutes; following that, a nine-position water test will simulate different terrains and weather conditions....

 

[Adventurer55]

They have several videos on the GCL assembly. Watched them all. I encourage everyone to watch them. Very impressed with what they are doing at Mack.

 

[valiant67]

In my opinion, things like this will do more to elevate Jeep's image as a premium make than the separate showrooms (which feed into the same F&I and repair facilities as the other brands)..

 

[Zagnut27]

Just from the complaints I’ve heard here regarding squeaks and rattles in various vehicles…especially Chargers, Challengers, and 300’s…I’d say this is a fantastic idea and hopefully will end up spreading to the different brands.

Driving my 11 year old Mustang the other day, with 136k miles on it, I noticed how quiet it is…no squeaks or rattles, despite the crappy roads it’s been subjected to over the years. But then I remembered that my Liberty, at 18 or so years with 180k miles also did not have any squeaks or rattles either…remarkable since those weren’t all easy miles by any stretch. I don’t know if either would hold up to the water nozzle testing, but I do know both survived multiple hurricanes and such with no interior leaks.

Long story short, this is something that I noticed about my own vehicles, and I am very impressed with how they’ve held up. So testing in this manner I think is a very good idea.

 

[Dave Z]

Our Neon had no squeaks and rattles when we passed it to the next owner at something like 120,000 miles. However... it came from the factory with maladjusted windows. (Either that or the dealer messed 'em up during prep.)

Our 300C has some issues in the upper dashboard area which I've addressed with foam triangles. It quiets down whenever the dealership has it. I've been out with them on broken roads, etc., and it behaves perfectly. Screwy. if I had my way, the dashboard would be taken apart and put back together with cloth or something between the plastics. It sounds like styrofoam under load. I don't know if that would have been caught.

Those vibration machines are amazing.

This is the kind of treatment once reserved solely for Imperials, but much more demanding.

 

[saltydog]

I have to say my 2020 Ram has been great so far.

My 2001 PT and 2009 Journey were very quiet and no rattles.

My 2014 Ram, 2012 & 2016 T&C had many many rattles.....

 

[MoparJoe]

I've had 4 modern Challengers and never noticed squeaks or rattles ... just that the back tires didn't last as long as I wanted ....

 

[Chase300]

 

[tlc]

My 2016 Dart with 80,000 is squeak & rattle free so far.

 

[blackstratus]

My 2018 Charger has not been terrible but not perfect either. The dash rattle is the most annoying along the window on the left side by the speaker. I can hit the dash and hear something in there not tight. Also I have the Harmon Kardon system and the back package tray has been worked on a few times for rattles but each time they seem to mess it up more than fix it. So i gave up and have been dealing with it. The summer heat makes for no rattles but the winter when its below 20 degrees which is quite often in Wisconsin, it rattles. Otherwise the car itself has been great, no complaints what-so-ever. No suspension/engine/electrical issues knock on wood. About to turn 75,000 miles here this weekend.

 

[turbonetic]

My charger w/ HK sound also had a rattling rear package tray, look up a fix on the forums. It was rattle free otherwise but had a scrub noise from the steering column when it was cold.

 

[Adventurer55]

Our Commander has 216,000 miles on it. The interior may have not been "fit for human consumption", but to this day, tough as nails and rattle and squeak free. Honestly, I go from a black Ram 1500 one minute to a black GCL the next. Price is about the same, but I wouldn't be able to get a Hemi in my price range for the Jeep. I get kinda choked up watching those videos about the GCL. Very proud that there is so much automobile heritage at that sight.

 

[ShawnP]

2015 Ram (Warren Truck build) has had only one door squeak. A lil WD-40 and boom it's gone.

 

[page2171]

Our 2012 Grand Caravan developed some rattles shortly after we got it, which was disappointing since the 2002 Grand Caravan it replaced was rattle free at 300k miles. The 2012 has added more rattles and some squeaks since then. On the bright side, the wind noise on the highway drowns out most of the other noises.

 

[HEMI345]

 

[ShawnP]

If this track works out?

Will other plants get?

 

[FreeLantz]

Didn't Chrysler do this years ago and put a little sticker on the window that said the vehicle would have 10-15 miles due to factory testing? I seem to remember that from the 90's and 2000's.

 

[Dave Z]

Didn't Chrysler do this years ago and put a little sticker on the window that said the vehicle would have 10-15 miles due to factory testing? I seem to remember that from the 90's and 2000's.

I think they did but it wasn't quite as intensive.

 

[redhed]

Didn't Chrysler do this years ago and put a little sticker on the window that said the vehicle would have 10-15 miles due to factory testing? I seem to remember that from the 90's and 2000's.

I remember chrysler touting customer equivalent miles during testing. Some models still suffered from quality lapses after the fact.

 

[valiant67]

I remember chrysler touting customer equivalent miles during testing. Some models still suffered from quality lapses after the fact.

Think of these as two different types of testing and how they would affect the different JD Power studies.
The 'customer equivalent miles' testing is to put a lot of miles on prototype or early production design to increase dependability and will mainly uncover design issues,

Sampling (or even 100%) testing of vehicles off the line is to improve initial quality - to find the design or assembly issues.