Problems · by component
1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine and engine cooling problems
137 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee cite engine and engine cooling, 10% of all 1,342 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
137
10% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
11
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V252000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE AND STRUCTURE) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE NOTICE MONTHS PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. ..UPDATED 06/09/14 *BF UPDATED 06/16/2014 *JS”
“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”
“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”
“JEEP HAS BEEN STALLING FOR 2 YEARS AT LEAST. STALLS UNDER ALL CONDITIONS, IDLE, HIGH SPEED, COLD OR HOT OUTSIDE TEMP. RECENTLY THE PAST MONTH IT IS STALLING CONSTANTLY AT THE RATE OF 2-5 TIMES PER DAY, AVERAGE MILEAGE 25 MILES PER DAY. STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ARE BAD, AND IN TRAFFIC CAN BE DEADLY. STALLS IN INTERSECTIONS ARE WORSE AS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO REACT AND GET THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM HEAVY TRAFFIC. BASIC RESEARCH WILL SHOW THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM. *TR”
“ENGINE SUDDENLY CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING, POWER BRAKES AND STEERING WERE IMMEDIATELY LOST, ALTHOUGH LIGHTS AND GAGES REMAINED OPERATIONAL. BATTERY AND GROUNDS TESTED FINE. CAP, ROTOR AND PLUGS ARE ALL NEW, WIRES AND COIL TEST FINE, AND VEHICLE HAS NEW MOPAR CRANK POSITION AND THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS. RESEARCH ON JEEP TECHNICAL SITES FINDS IDENTICAL PROBLEMS BEING TRACED TO FAILURE OF POWER CONTROL MODULE PCM, SOMETIMES ALSO REFERRED TO AS ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM). *TT”
“THIS IS A COMMONLY KNOWN DEFECT WITH THESE JEEPS WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED IF THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT HELD RESPONSIBLE. INFAMOUS STALLING PROBLEM. WHETHER GOING 10 MPH OR 70 MPH, VEHICLE WILL STALL WITH NO WARNING. GENERALLY WILL RE-START AFTER TURNING OFF IGNITION, BUT NOT ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY. ON MY JEEP, I HAVE REPLACED THE COMPUTER MODULE, CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, FUEL PUMP, FUEL FILTERS, MAF SENSOR, DISTRIBUTOR CAP, ROTOR, PLUGS AND PLUG WIRES. I HAVE HAD THE COMPUTER MODULE WIRING HARNESS REWORKED. STILL STALLS, AND I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO PARK THE JEEP FOR SAFETY REASONS. *TR”
Showing 6 of 137 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.