ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON/OFF. ALSO REPLACED TIRE DUE TO DEFECTIVE SIDEWALL AND TRANSMISSION BUSHING. *AK
1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee complaints
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 →
IDLE AIR CONTROL MOTOR UNIT FAILED. MJS
MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.
WHEN DRIVING THE TRUCK ANYWHERE THE TRUCK JUST CUTS OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. SOMETIME THE TRUCK WOULD START BACK UP, AND SOMETIMES IT HAS TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. *AK
STEERING DAMPER FAILURE. *AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
CONSUMER NOTICES THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS BUBBLING.
ENGINE BLOCK FAILED.
OIL PRESSURE SENSOR/GAUGE FAILED.
PROBLEM WITH FRONT AND LEFT REAR DOOR PANELS.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
NOISE IN ENGINE.
SEAT BELT ON RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE FAILED.
HORN BUTTON IS DIFFICULT TO LOCATE.
VEHICLE WAS INVOLED IN A COLLISION AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEIHCLE WAS GOING ABOUT 55MPH. DEALER SAID THAT IT BROKE TWO PROMS OFF THE SENSOR. *AK
AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WON'T GO OFF/ RADIO IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, AND ALL WINDOWS WON'T COME DOWN DUE TO A SHORT WITHIN VEHICLE. *AK
ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION RESULTED IN EAR LAMP/HEADLIGHT/RADIO/CLOCK FAILURE.
VEHICLE JUMPS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE STOPPED AT LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. DRIVER HAS TO TAP THE GAS PEDAL TO ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION.
THE GAS GAUGE IS NOT READING THE LEVEL OFF FUEL LEFT IN THE CAR.
REAR LEFT ROTOR RUSTED/CORRODED, BRAKE PADS ARE NOT TOUCHING ROTOR. BRAKES MAKE LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. ACCORDING TO DEALER, NOT A SAFETY MATTER BRAKES WORKING NORMALLY. REPLACED ROTOR, NOW NEW ROTOR HAS RUSTED/CORRODED. *AK
COMPACT SPARE TIRE WAS POORLY DESIGNED AND CAUSED THE DIFFERENTIAL TO FAIL. INSTRUCTIONS WERE UNCLEAR BUT DRIVER DROVE LESS THAN 40 MILES AT A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 40 MPH BEFORE IR FAILED.
THE OVERDRIVE DROPPED OUT AT 75 MPH TWICE IN A 30 MINUTE PERIOD, CAUSING RMPS TO JUMP FROM 2100 TO 3200.
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT FAILED, CAME ON AND STAYED ON FOR OVER 5000 MILES. PREVIOUSLY TRANSMISSION FAILED/REPLACED. *AK
MOUNTING BOLTS THAT HOLD MOTOR IN ENGINE SHEARED OFF ONTO GROUND, CAUSING MOTOR TO DROP, ONLY INDICATION WAS LOUD NOISE, BOLTS WERE NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED, DEALER REPLACED BOLTS. *AK *SLC
THE JEEP IS HAVING SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ONE AFTER ANOTHER AND THIS COULD BE A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. *AK
WHILE BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED IN REVERSE, HITTING A PILLAR. THE REAR PART OF THE VEHICLE'S BODY WAS ALMOST PUSHED UP TO THE FRONT DOORS FROM IMPACT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL AND HALF OF ROTOR FELL OFF, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, RESULTIN GIN A CRASH/INJURIES. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE BRACKET THAT SUPPORTS THE FRONT RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM TO THE FRONT AXLE BROKE IN THE MIDDLE, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE FURTHER DETAILS.
WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING WASHED THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC CAR WASH AND THE ATTENDANT SHIFTED VEHICLE FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE, VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED BY USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. *AK
DRIVING VEHICLE, STARTED TO BRAKE; FOR NO APPARENT REASON VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, TOOK TO A DEALERSHIP; THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM & WOULD NOT TRY TO FIX PROBLEM. *AK
PROBLEM WITH DOOR PANELS.
SPEAKER INOPERATIVE.
ANTILOCK BRAKES LIGHT STAYS ON.
PROBLEM WITH DOOR PANEL.
LEFT HEAD LAMP FAILED.
PROBLEM WITH STEERING WHEEL.
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKES ARE HEAVILY APPLIED A THIGHWAY SPEEDS. *AK
HOOD LATCH FAILURE, WITH OUT ANY PRESSURE OR WHILE DRIVING THE HOOD WOULD POP OPEN, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR, BUT HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. *AK DEALER ADJUSTED HOOD HINGES AND STOPS AND ALIGNED HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER STATES AT 2342 MILES RADIO SPEAKERS CUT OUT OVER BUMPS. DEALER REPLACED WITH EXHCHANGE UNIT. DOOR TRIM IS COMING OFF ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOORS. *TT
TRANSMISSION FLUID LINE LEAK.
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED.
TIME DELAY SENSOR FOR INTERIOR LIGHTS DEFECTIVE.
DOOR PANEL FAILED.
TRANSMISSION LEAK DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLMENT OF CONNECTOR HOSE TO THE RADIATOR.
ANTILOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED.
DOOR PANEL WARPED.
EXHAUST TAIL PIPE RATTLES.
CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE.
POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED.
POWER WINDOWS FAILED.
FRONT END MISALIGNED/PULLS TO THE RIGHT.
Reading these
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 Grand Cherokee → · Every Grand Cherokee year → · How the figures are calculated →