2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit transmission / engine question

[JimPghPA]

Someone local has a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit with the 6-cylinder engine (not a hemi), and 8 speed automatic transmission. He has 75,XXX miles on it. He said it is always shifting into too high of a gear to try to get the maximum gas mileage, and has no torque. I asked him if it has sport mode and he said yes, but if he uses that it winds out first with way too high RPM's and then slams shifts into second and practically gives you whiplash.

He is very unhappy with the way this vehicle performs, and says it is very hard to use to pull out onto a highway with. And where he works is an area with a major fast road that is often used.

I asked him about the size of the tires and he said it has 20-inch rims with OEM size tires.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what should be checked for problems that could cause these symptoms?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or information about what could be causing this problem and or what to fix.

 

[The Critic]

Sounds like normal operation.

But if there are any updated calibrations available for the powertrain, it may be worthwhile to pursue.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Agree with The Critic to check for available updates. Also, disconnecting the battery may force the transmission to relearn according to his driving style.

 

[meep]

I would expect better from the pentastar in normal mode. somethings not right.

how old are the plugs? When was the air cleaner last changed? Consider 2 tankfuls of Techron fuel system cleaner. Is he actually getting into the throttle like he means it to accelerate in normal mode?

transmission has enough miles on it that I’d also be looking at a drain/fill to refresh the add pack.