Problems · by component

1996 Jeep Cherokee service brakes, hydraulic problems

80 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Jeep Cherokee cite service brakes, hydraulic, 18% of all 450 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.

Complaints
80
18% of all complaints
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“WHILE BRAKING THERE WOULD BE A GRINDING NOISE, THEN VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK BRAKE ROTOR SEPARATED WHILE VEHICLE IN OPERATION. VEHICLE , SOUDS LKE METAL RUBBING METAL. *TC”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 3, 2004Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10089912
“REAR BRAKES LOCKED ON AT LEAST 25 OCCASIONS. USUALLY HAPPENS IN FIRST FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING, AND WHEN WET. BRAKES WERE REPAIRED BY DODGE/JEEP DEALER 2 MONTHS AGO STILL LOCKED. CHECKED BY CERTIFIED MECHANIC LAST WEEK, COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. YESTERDAY MORNING AT ABOUT 9:00 A.M. DURING STEADY RAIN, APPLIED BRAKES AT 55 MILES PER HOUR TO SLOW VEHICLE FOR CAR IN FRONT THAT HAD APPLIED BRAKES. BRAKES LOCKED AND VEHICLE FISH TAILED TO RIGHT, SPUN AT LEAST TWICE, TIPPED OVER AND HIT GUARD RAIL AT LEAST TWICE. I WAS EXTRACTED FROM VEHICLE WITH ONLY MINOR CUT TO HAND AND GLASS IN NOSTRIL. VEHICLE IS TOTALED. EARLIER LAST YEAR OUR 25 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED, WHERE SHE CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. SUBSEQUENT TO ACCIDENT YESTERDAY, I TALKED WITH TWO OTHER OWNERS OF SAME TYPE VEHICLE WHO EXPERIENCE SAME PROBLEM ON A REGULAR BASIS. REAR BRAKES LOCK, ESPECIALLY FIRST THING IN MORNING AND WHEN THEY ARE WET. CERTIFIED AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC SUGGESTED A COMPONENT THAT CONTROLS HYDRAULIC FLUID TO ALL BRAKES EQUALLY COULD BE THE PROBLEM. WOULD APPRECIATE STATISTICS ON THIS PROBLEM IF AVAILABLE,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 13, 2002Service brakes, hydraulicCrash reportedODI 769687
“THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS HAS SERERE CORROSION, CAUSING THE WEAR SURFACE TOO SEPARATE FROM THE HUB. THIS CORROSION DIDN'T HAPPEN OVER NIGHT BUT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. RECALLS HAVE OCCUR IN OTHER STATES, THIS STATE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED ALSO.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 4, 2002Service brakes, hydraulicODI 763823
“SLID OUT OF CONTROL AFTER SLOWING DOWN ON HIGHWAY, CAR PULLED LEFT AND WOULD NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. ROTORS HAVE BEEN RESURFACED TWICE AND THE CAR STILL VIBRATES WHEN SLOWING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2002Service brakes, hydraulicCrash reportedODI 759007
“CONSUMER HAD FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 00V-136, THE DEALER STATED THAT CONSUMER NEEDS TO RETURN OLD BRAKES BEFORE CONSIDERING REIMBURSEMENT, BUT CONSUMER DOES NOT HAVE OLD BRAKES. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 14, 2001Service brakes, hydraulicODI 563869
“LAST PROBLEM WITH ROTORS WAS IN NOVEMBER 1999, 59,000 TOTAL MILES. FRONT ROTORS WARPED CAUSING PULSATION OF BRAKE PEDAL. REPORTED THE HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM TO THE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, 1-800-992-1997. WAS TOLD THAT BASED ON MY VEHICLE'S VIN # NO RECALL WAS WARRANTED. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT OTHER 1996 JEEP CHEROKEES HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME REASON AND I FIND IT APPALLING THAT ALL JEEPS WITH ROTOR PROBLEMS HAVEN'T BEEN RECALLED YET. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE? A FATAL ACCIDENT, LIKE THE FIRESTONE ONES, FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE. NO VEHICLE SHOULD BE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH ROTORS EVERY TWO YEARS. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT ME REGARDING THIS.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 16, 2001Service brakes, hydraulicODI 750609

Showing 6 of 80 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

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

2 recalls on this component

Service brakes, hydraulic

Free remedy

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.

Service brakes, hydraulicReported Mar 13, 2006NHTSA 06E022000

Service brakes

Free remedy

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, OR WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS CAN EXPERIENCE SEVERE CORROSION IF OPERATED FOR AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD IN THE "SALT BELT." IF THE ROTORS ARE NOT REPLACED, THE CORROSION CAN EVENTUALLY COMPROMISE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE STAMPED STEEL CENTER HUB SECTION OF THE ROTOR.

Service brakes, hydraulicReported May 10, 2000NHTSA 00V136000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

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