This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The Jeep will start to shake whenever you hit a bump really bad shaking. Also whenever you come to a stop after driving 10 miles the most, the car will not turn on again for about 20 minutes. At some point I rocked the car from side to side and after that it will start. Also too the steering column seems loose. My shocks like it don't even have any
The contact owns a 1996 Jeep Cherokee. While driving various speeds, the speedometer seized without warning and the vehicle began to decelerate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was not available.
While driving at aprox. 40-45 mph, the Jeep would start to shudder. Eventually it would shut off. The Jeep would then crank but not start. I had this problem happen for about four times. Three of the times the Jeep was towed to a repair shop. Twice the PCM unit was replaced and twice the crank position sensor was also replaced. The last repair was 1 month and a half ago. Two days ago, the Jeep stalled again down the road. I was traveling with my wife and children. We almost lost our lives. A 16 wheeler almost collided with us due that I could barely manipulate the Jeep because it turned off on me. I tried to do some visual inspections under the hood. I had one of my sons to wiggle the PCM (computer) while I cranked the starting switch. At one point the Jeep managed to start again. Then it stalled the moment my son stopped wiggling the PCM. I had another tow truck pick up the Jeep and send it back to the mechanic. Chrysler has not corrected this issue on the PCM and perhaps might not do it until one day someone gets seriously hurt. Videos on youtube show other Jeep Cherokee owners having the same problem 1996-2001.
Vehicle began stalling when coming to an abrupt stop or being jarred by a bump or pot hole. Gradually progressed to randomly stalling when applying any pressure to brakes or any slight jarring. All power is lost at this time along with any control of steering and accelerating until vehicle is turned on again. Recently vehicle repeatedly and intermittently stalls without any pattern during acceleration or deceleration at any speed without any braking or jarring. It then catches on its own and regains power.
While leaving home from work, the vehicle started to shutter and fail. I managed to get home at a speed of 40mph since I noticed that at a higher speed, the vehicle would try to stall. The next day I tried to turn on the vehicle but it would not turn on. I called a certified mechanic and received instructions thru cell phone to shake a bit the cables to computer components and cables to distributor components. The vehicle turned on but with problems. I managed to drive to mechanic shop where the Cherokee was left for testing and repairs. The diagnostics showed a faulty computer. The computer was replaced. About three months later, the vehicle stalled again at a cross road and turned off. A truck nearly struck me because I couldn't get out on time. The mechanic had to show up at the site and had some problems starting the Cherokee. The diagnostics, another blown computer. The mechanic ordered another computer with upgrade (had to wait about a month) original crank shaft sensor was added. All seemed to work well until yesterday Oct/2/2013 when I went out for a ride with my son and the Cherokee stalled and turned off. The same symptoms as before. I have spent about $1,000 trying to get my Jeep Cherokee to run properly and now I'm afraid to take it out to the street. I have a family of 4 and I worry that the Cherokee would fail me by stalling again at a crossroad causing a fatal accident to me or my family because of this electrical failure. All cables were checked for shorts but nothing solves the problem. I did some recall search but nothing official although some Jeep Grand Cherokee users report the same problems for their 4.0L engine (my Jeep Cherokee is also 4.0L) coincidence? I love my Cherokee but feel that I can't rely anymore on it as for safety. Had it for about 6 years without problems the first 5 years.
- Aguadilla, PR, USA
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I was driving down the highway, and all of a sudden I heard a loud noise. So I pulled over to the nearest gas station and realized I was leaking oil profusely. Then I realized the driver side motor mount had broken off of the engine causing a large hole in the engine block. I have taken great care of my vehicle, changed the oil every 3,000 miles, and then this happens at random. I didn't hit anything to cause the motor mount to break, so why would it break for no reason? anyways, the leaking oil caused a fire beneath my vehicle, and inside the engine compartment. But I quickly put out the fire by a container of water I had in my vehicle. I had my 13 year old brother with me and thank god he or myself was not injured. But it caused us great fear and stress.
With time the blower motor wiring harness (which is too small for the amperage) in these vehicles invariably heats up and melts or burns. The melting of the harness and connector behind the blower speed selector switch in the dash and the burning of the switch itself occured in my vehicle, allong with the failure of the blower motor resistor, but in many vehicles the resistor is the first to burn and fail. I have looked at over 20 of these vehicles ranging from 1991 to 1996, and 30000 to 220000 miles, and every single one one them had these components melted and burned to the point of not being usable, and making one wonder how many other vehicles have caught fire and burned because of this fault. Some of these vehicles also showed associated wires burned or melted in the steering column. An associated symptom is that the blower motor ceases to function, or (in the case of resistor failure, will usually work only on high speed). This shows a defect that may take time to manifest, but will always occur eventually in every vehicle unless the blower is never used. The blower switch to resistor wiring harness and switch connector/plug are not even available from dealers, but the switch itself and the resistor are available as aftermarket items. However, if replaced, these will fail too, unless the wiring in this circuit is replaced with heavier guage wiring or somehow protected from high amperage. As evidenced by hundreds of related complaints on internet forums, this is a serious problem that could result in fires, and potentially loss of life. Luckily my fire was minor, did little damage and was quickly extinguished. However, I'm not sure how to resolve the actual problem properly, since oem replacement parts will sooner or later develop the same problems, and available aftermarket parts are not improved over the originals.
Car stalls while driving with no warning. Stalls on freeway or in city driving. This is an infamous manufacturing defect on 96 Jeep. Very hazardous because engine cuts out completely while in motion. Requires pulling over with engine not running to restart engine. Jeep then will repeatedly die after re-starting. Since engine dies while in motion, cars behind are in real danger of colliding with my vehicle. This issue is almost impossible to fix with normal mechanical problem-solving. Engine light does not come on. This issue is well documented in online blogs for Jeep with this problem. This problem with stalling while in motion poses a great threat to public safety. Jeep/Chrysler is aware and does not acknowledge the problem.
The contact owns a 1996 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph with the air conditioner activated on high, smoke began to emit from the ignition switch. The air conditioner was turned off in order to stop the smoke from emitting. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 61,015.
I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee. The heater started making a funny noise so we bought a new blower motor. Then we bought a new resistor. We still could not get the speeds to work in the heater. So we then bought a switch. Well we come to find out that the switch harness was burnt to a crisp. I called the parts store and they don't carry them, so I then called a dealer. The dealer told me they don't just sell that harness I had to buy the entire one for everything in the Jeep. Then told me to go cut one out of a junk yard. I called my local junk yard and the guy went and cut three harnesses out. One that was a 1996, one that was a 1995, and both of the ends were burnt just like mine. He then cut one out of an even older one, and the wires were thicker than the ones on mine, and different colors. I tried hooking it up and it doesn't work. I believe that should be a recall and it should have to be replaced by the company. The company should also sell individual harnesses.
While operating the vehicle I kept smelling burning plastic. The heater fan quit and when I jiggled the switch it started to operate at high fan only and would not let me set it to low. Then it quit working and I removed the switch to replace it. I found that the wiring harness was melted. I am now concerned about the danger of replacing the switch. I am not sure if I can replace the melted part of the wiring harness. I also noticed that the switch has 5 connections but only 4 wires were connected to it.
My mother-N-law purchased a 1996 Cherokee, and the check engine light was on. So she took it to the emission place to get it checked and it failed the test, so she took the emission papers and the vehicle to the auto shop, and the mechanic stated that the car should have never been sold to her, so what should she do at this point.
- the contact stated that while driving behind the 1996 Jeep Cherokee at 60 mph, she noticed smoke coming from under the vehicle. The contact flashed the lights to get the attention of the driver. The driver pulled to the shoulder, got out of the vehicle and backed away. The vehicle began to burn, and had to be towed. The contact did not know the cause of the fire. The fire department was called and they extinguished the fire. The contact had not received a police or fire department report. There were no injuries.
The electronic system malfunctions. When this happens driver has no indication of the feul level and has no turn signals. The dealer has repaired the vehicle four times. The manufacturer has been notified.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Tolleson, AZ, USA