Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1996 record →
WHILE COMING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE LOST ITS BRAKES AND POWER STEERING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO A SPIN. THE VEHICLE HAS SEVERE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR OUT, AND DETERMINED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK
CONVERTER CLAMP WAS NEVER INSTALLED ALLOWING HOT PIPE TO SHIFT REARWARD AND RUB AGAINST THE FUEL TANK.
CONVERTER CLAMP WAS NEVER INSTALLED AT FACTORY. CONSTANT NOISE FROM UNDER VEHICLE, HOT PIPE SHIFTED REARWARD AND BEGAN RUBBING AGAINST FUEL TANK.
LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHILE BRAKING, NO PROBLEM FOUND.
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT EVEN AFTER REPAIRS.
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE SIDE WINDOW ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER'S SIDE SHATTERED, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES WINDOW SHATTERED AS THE FRONT DOOR ON DIRVER'S SIDE WAS CLOSED. *SLC
POWER STEERING FAILURE, CAUSING LOSS OF ACCESORY BELT CAUSING OVERHEAT, BATTERY RUNNING LOW BRACKET BROKE IN HALF.
FIRST INSTANCE, WHILE DRIVING SLIPPED ON ICE, HIT HEAD FIRST INTO GUARD RAIL, DRIVER'S AIR FAILED TO DEPLOY, DRIVER SUSTAINED 3 CRUSHED DISCS IN BACK/BROKEN FINGER. IN SECOND INSTANCE, WHILE DRIVING AT 57 MPH, VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER'S AIR BAG, DISTRACTED DRIVER, CAUSING A MAJOR COLLISION. PASSENGER SUFFERED A BROKEN NECK AND DIED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH OUT INDICATION, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATES STALLING OCCURRED DUE TO A FAULTY PCM. *SLC
RADIO FAILED.
PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION.
WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL SWITCH FAILED.
WHILE DRIVING 60-65 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATES.
TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLIPPING WHILE DRIVING. THE COMPRESSION FITTINGS MELTED AND THE TRANSMISSION CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE REPLACED AND THE COMPUTER TO THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO REPLACED. OWNER HAS HAD VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR ON EIGHT OCCASIONS. *AK SINCE TIME OF REPAIR, 1 OF THE COMPRESSION FITTINGS SNAPPED OFF, HOSE WAS HELD IN PLACE BY A SCREW CLAMP. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. *SLC
STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY LOOSE.
REAR TAIL LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS FAILED.
FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR READS EMPTY WHEN TANK IS FULL.
VEHICLE MAKES A GRINDING NOISE WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 45 MPH TO 55 MPH. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED.
COMPUTER FAILED.
REAR AXLE SEAL FAILED.
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED.
WINDOW GASKET FAILED.
FUEL PUMP WENT OUT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN SIX MONTHS THAT THE FUEL PUMP WENT. *AK
JEEP IS THE ONLY 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE DESIGNED WITHOUT REAR HEADRESTS.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH THEY HEARD A GRINDING NOISE WITHOUT ANY WARNING . CONSUMER STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BRAKE PAD. ALSO THAT IT WAS RUSTED AND HAD BROKEN OFF AND CAME APART. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND HAD REPAIRED. *AK
UNSPECIFIED.
TEMPORARY SPARE TIRE CAUSES STEERING PROBLEMS, LOSS OF CONTROL.
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FOR THE STEERING GEAR AND CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT PARTS WILL BE READY IN 3 WEEKS; THEY WERENOT READY, SO CONTACTED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER. ( 97V 069000). *AK
THE FRONT RESTRAINT SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY AROUND THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT. *AK
DURING WINTER WEATHER WATER GETS INTO WHEELS, BEHIND THE SPOKES. THE WATER FREEZES TO ICE, CAUSING STRAIN ON VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING UNTIL ICE MELTS.
STARTED TO NOTICING DROPPINGS AND DOG FOOD INSIDE VEHICLE. LATER FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE MICE ENTERING THE VEHICLE. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THE MICE WERE COMING IN THROUGH FRESH AIR VENTS. THEY ONCE MADE A SCREEN TO COVER IT, BUT IT BEGAN TO CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS, SO THEY NO LONGER USE THE SCREEN. *AK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL REPAIR.
WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE BRAKES WOULD PULSATE AND THE VEHICLE BECOMES UNSTABLE. AT 8,111 MILES THE ROTORS WARPED SO BADLY THAT THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO THE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT 16,000 MILES THE BRAKE ROTORS FAILED AGAIN. THE ROTORS WERE NOT REPLACED AT THIS TIME. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE CAR BACKFIRES AND POPS, EXCESSIVE FUEL IS GOING THROUGH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND IGNITING THE PIPES/FIRE UNDER THE CAR. *AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN ACCELERATION, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
DRIVING 30MPH STARTED APPLYING (ABS) BRAKES SLOWLY; VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW UP; BRAKE PEDAL TO FLOOR; VEHICLE CONTINUED ON. TURNED STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE; HIT CEMENT DIVIDER IN HWY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. TOOK TO DEALER. *AK
VEHICLE VIBRATES AT SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH. DEALER CAN'T FIX PROBLEM. *AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION.
OWNER STATES WHILE PULLING ON TO HIGHWAY VEHICLE WILL NOT CHANGE GEARS, OWNER NOTES THAT THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. VEHICLE ONLY PICKSUP TO 40MPH. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN GARAGE, STARTED MOTOR AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, ENGINE SURGED IN REVERSE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HALF WAY DOWN, THE TRANSMISSION PASSING GEA, CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO GO OINTO PEN THROTLLE POSITION, RPMS, RACED UP TO 800 RPMS. *AK
TAILGATE LIFTS FAILED.
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HIT A TRAILER. PLEASE GIVE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
REAR LATCH FAILED.
NOISE FROM BOTTOM END OF ENGINE BLOCK.
ALTERNATOR FAILED.
TRANSFER CASE FAILED AND REPLACED.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1996 Jeep Cherokee → · Every Cherokee year → · How the figures are calculated →