Problems · by component
1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee latches/locks/linkages problems
25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee cite latches/locks/linkages, 2% of all 1,342 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
25
2% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the latches/locks/linkages
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH FRACTURED AND ALLOWED THE DOOR TO OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 315,977.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THE DOOR ONLY STAYED CLOSED BY BEING TIED SHUT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
“PROBLEM... DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD OR STOPPED AT LIGHT OR IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN OR ON EXPRESSWAY... IT WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING, SOMETIME IT WOULD RESTART IMMEDIATELY, SOMETIMES NOT!!!... EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS DEVELOPED, WHICH I WAS LUCKY!!! 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, 4.0 , 6 CYL.... SPENT 6 MONTHS DOING REPAIRS/ REPLACEMENT PARTS AND MANY ,MANY DOLLARS SPENT TRACKING DOWN PART AFTER PART. USING DIAGNOSTICS MACHINE TO DETERMINE FAULTY PART... PROBLEM WAS THE POWER CONTROL MODULE ( PCM OR ECU SAME PART) WAS DEFECTIVE AND EITHER WAS MISREADING CODES OR GIVING OUT BAD CODES TO PARTS (LIKE TO THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR OR THE COIL, OR THE 01 OR 02 OX SENSORS OR IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON). NOT SURE HOW IT WORKS BUT YOU GET MY DRIFT. SINCE SIGNING UP WITH CNET.COM, HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA WITH THE SAME ISSUE ON JEEP WITH DIFFERENT YEARS (1994/2000) AND MODELS. TO SEARCH... LOOK UP JEEP STALLS OR JEEP FIXED AND YOU WILL SEE OTHER TOPICS AND FORUMS AROUND THAT TOPIC AND YOU WILL ALSO SEE WHERE THE MANUFACTURE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM EITHER. ANOTHER POSSIBLE RECALL ISSUE IS THE SCREWS THAT HOLD THE PCM MIGHT BE TOO LONG…”
“THIS COMPLAINT WAS SENT BY A WEB USER VIA E-MAIL. WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPENED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, BECAUSE CONSUME R WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION NOTICED THAT THE DOOR LATCH INSIDE THE DRIVER'S DOOR BROKE OFF FROM DOOR FRAME BY ITSELF, WAS HANGING, AND NOT CONNECTED. WHEN TRYING TO SHUT THE DOOR IT WOULDN'T SHUT. CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. CONSUMER TOOK IT TO A BODY SHOP, AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $1636.75 TO REPLACE THE DOOR AND LATCH. *AK *TC”
“WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR POPPED OPEN AND WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE CONSUMER THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AFTERMARKET BODY SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE WELD, WHICH WAS VERY THIN THAT CAUSED THE LATCHES TO POP OFF INSIDE THE DOOR. *AK *SC”
“I HAVE A 96 GRAND CHEROKEE LTD 4X4 WITH 115K MILES. SINCE IT TURNED 65K MILES I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND DRUMS 3 TIMES. I HAVE WATER LEAKS IN THE SEAT BELT WELLS, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW, AND THE BELTS ARE WET WHEN IT RAINS. TODAY, WATER IS POOLING IN THE FLOOR OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WATER POURS FROM JUST ABOVE THE ACCELERATOR. MUST BE FROM A/C?THE REAR DOOR HATCH HAS JAMMED IN LOCK POSITION. THE ELECTRONIC MILEAGE/ FUEL READOUT (ON CEILING MODULE) FLUCTUATES WILDLY AND IS INACCURATE. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT OUT AT 64,975 MILES. NOW HAVE A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, QUOTED $1200 BY DEALER TO REPAIR. I HAVE GONE THROUGH STOCK 3 RADIOS, TUNER PROBLEMS. MASSIVE A/C PROBLEMS IN PAST. I PAID A NON DEALER TO REPAIR IT, THE REPAIRS HELD FOR 30 DAYS AND SAME PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. THEN HAD DEALER REPAIR AND IT WAS A RECALL ITEM SO WAS COVERED AFTER I'D PAID FOR 2 PREV REPAIR JOBS AT $1100 TOTAL. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT AT 90K MILES. REPLACED SO MANY OTHER PARTS, I'D HAVE TO REFER TO THE SERVICE RECORDS FOR MORE DETAILS. THIS LIST IS ONLY FROM MEMORY. TOTAL COST OVER 3 YRS....AROUND $4000! OH, AND THE REAR HATCH/DOOR PAINT IS FADED AND DULL,…”
Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.