Problems · by component

1996 Jeep Cherokee engine and engine cooling problems

55 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Jeep Cherokee cite engine and engine cooling, 12% of all 450 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
55
12% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“ALL OF A SUDEN THIS VERY BAD SHAKING PROBLEM HAS OCCURED AT ABOUT 50 MPH. VERY UNSAFE. MY CETIFIED ASE MECHANIC HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE PROBLEM FOR OVER A WEEK NOW - NO LUCK SO FAR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 21, 2013Suspension, Engine and engine coolingODI 10513044
“CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING WITH NO WARNING. STALLS ON FREEWAY OR IN CITY DRIVING. THIS IS AN INFAMOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT ON 96 JEEPS. 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 JEEPS 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. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 1, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 10453707
“AT A SLOW ROLL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN GEAR THE ENGINE WILL IDLE DOWN THEN DIE. IT RESTARTS IMMEDIATELY BUT WILL STALL AGAIN UNLESS MORE THROTTLE IS GIVEN. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT MAKING IT HARD TO PINPOINT THE EXACT CAUSE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2008Engine and engine coolingODI 10225533
“I HAVE A 1996 PRE-OWNED JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON ITS CATYLIC CONVERTER AT LEAST A YEAR AGO. I HAD CALLED AGAIN TO HAVE MY CAR ON THE LIST. MOST RECENTLY, I CALLED ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN FEBRUARY TO DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY ONLY RECEIVED THE BACK-ORDER PART ONCE EVERY 3 WEEKS IF THEY WERE LUCKY. WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE RATTLING NOISE. WELL, LAST WEEK MY CAR HAD TWO EPISODES OF SHUDDERING WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. THIS WEEK, MY ENGINE CCHECK LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS COULD VERY MUCH BE DUE TO THE CONVERTER BY A SERVICE PERSON. MY CAR WAS ALREADY AT A CRITICALSTAGE OF NEEDING THE REPLACEMENT. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO WAIT UNTIL MY ENGINE NEEDED REPLACING. SO WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE ?*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 26, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10186205
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DUE TO BACK PRESSURE AND RATTLING IN THE ENGINE. ON AUGUST 25, 2006 THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM. THE RECALL WAS NOT IN THE NHTSA DATABASE. THE CONTACT SENT THE BILLING INFORMATION TO THE MANUFACTURER, WHO DENIED REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE THE WORK WAS DONE AFTER THE RECALL. ON MAY 4, 2006 THE WORK WAS COMPLETED BEFORE THE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED. UPDATED 01/10/07. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 5, 2006Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10175195
“ONE DAY MY JEEP WAS GETTING NO BACK PRESSURE, TURNED AROUND MY CHECK IN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK IT STARTED TO SMOKE AND THEN EVENTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE LUCKILY I GOT OUT. FIRE DEPT HAD TO PUT FIRE OUT. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 9, 2006Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10167753

Showing 6 of 55 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.