10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,960 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1998 Jeep Cherokee:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #25

Apr 122012

Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • 156,000 miles
I just found out I have a cracked manifold, my driver side door has broken put a new part in it and now that is broken, I have also had to put a new transmission in it with only $148,000 miles. In 2006 I had to fix the gas tank because it was broken too. Is this not a recall problem"???" any of these, I have had the Jeep since 2000 and I bought it when it had 20,000 miles on it. Please help because this is 2012 and I only have 156,000 miles on it now. Thank you.

- Seymour, TN, USA

problem #24

Jul 092003

Cherokee

  • miles
While driving and parking in dirty track. Got out of the vehicle to move something on the road and suddenly vehicle took off and smash eda big rock, causing front damage. Dealer notified

- Parma Heights, OH, USA

problem #23

May 262003

Cherokee

  • 117,000 miles
The vehicle was serviced because the serpentine belt had to be changed. Upon leaving with the vehicle the consumer noticed that the vehicle could be put into any gear without pressing any button on shifter..

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #22

May 152003

(reported on)

Cherokee

  • miles
The vehicle jumped out of park and into reverse. Cause was unknown.

- Mastic Beach, NY, USA

problem #21

May 072003

Cherokee

  • 76,000 miles
The vehicle jumped out of gear while driving. The dealer was notified.

- Martinsville, IL, USA

problem #20

Jan 242002

Cherokee

  • miles
There was a transmission leak at the drivers side of the vehicle. The transmission pan gasket had to be replaced.

- Glendale Heights, IL, USA

problem #19

Dec 152001

Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission slips, when placing it in park, it slips back into reverse, in other words it does not lock in place. He was told that his vehicle is not in recall. Vehicle continues to exhibit problems with the transmission. Consumer had placed vehicle in park when it started moving backwards, transmission had slipped into the reverse position.

- Santa Ana, CA, USA

problem #18

Sep 212001

Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission jumped into reverse and dragged owner ten feet, resulting in hitting a stack of hardwood lumber.

- Brazil, IN, USA

problem #17

Feb 062002

(reported on)

Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While driving 65 mph transfer case, and transmission failed within four hundred miles of each other. When transmission failed smelled oil burning.

- Perry, ME, USA

problem #16

Jan 012000

Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
I was sitting in traffic when vehicle made loud noise coming from rear end. It had not been shifting badly or making any unusual noises. I had the transmission serviced at allen samuels Chrysler Jeep on hwy 3 houston, Texas in June. They changed transmission fluid and never inidcated any thing else needed to be done to the transmission..

- Laporte, TX, USA

problem #15

Nov 052001

Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmision failure caused veh. To continue to move while shift was in (P) park position.

- Conyers, GA, USA

problem #14

Feb 011999

Cherokee

  • miles
Car went from park position with motor running to reverse, resulting in hitting a wall at 10-15mph, which then jumped back in forward position.

- Osterville, MA, USA

problem #13

May 072001

Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The consumer placed the vehicle into park and exited the vehicle, the consumer then noticed that the vehicle began to roll backswards, the vehicle hit a garage and caused damage to the vehicle and the garage door.

- Elkton, VA, USA

problem #12

Aug 302001

(reported on)

Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Vehicle rolled backwards and caused accident, while key was in ignition and gearshift was in park. Consumer stated that previously the vehicle jumped to reverse from park and he was able to stop it from rolling.

- Washington, IL, USA

problem #11

Jun 082001

Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While vehicle was parked, with the engine running, gear in park, it went from park to reverse and crashed into a Ford F150 pickup.

- Buena Park, CA, USA

problem #10

Jul 052001

(reported on)

Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission shifting sticks and then thug's into position and vehicle drives.

- Palmdale, CA, USA

problem #9

Nov 232000

Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
03/27/00 transmission not shifting, skipping gears and whining.

- Shelton, WA, USA

problem #8

Nov 082000

Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Vehicle thumps and jerks when starting to go or getting ready to stop. When this happens consumer expierences loss of power, and gears get stuck. Consumer says transmission is starting to miss.

- West Bend, WI, USA

problem #7

May 142000

Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
When shifting forward one position to overdrive without thumb button pressed, shift lever went forward to reverse, causing vehicle to lose control at high speed which resulted in a crash with injuries sustained. This is the second time this happened to the driver. The first incident was aprx 2 months prior and was not reported because driver thought she may have had thumb button pressed in. She changed the way she was shifting to overdrive so that thumb was not resting on button and thought that would solve the problem. Apparently it did not. Vehicle rolled twice as a result of crash. May also be related to intermittent problem of key being stuck in ignition. Solution was to repeatedly press thumb button on shift lever until key would finally release. Please advise owner of any findings.

- Fort Richardson, AK, USA

problem #6

Feb 011999

(reported on)

Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission malfunction;occassional gear slippage. Mgm

- Atascadero, CA, USA

Read the next 5 complaints »