Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
Owners filed 1,429 complaints about the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee with NHTSA between Dec 1996 and Mar 2024. The most-cited component is power train (477).
Complaints
1,429
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
208
Reported by owners
Fires
18
Reported by owners
Injuries
146
People reported injured
Deaths
25
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
6
93
194
162
389
157
90
38
21
15
16
20
13
11
20
10
18
77
44
15
8
4
2
1
1
1
0
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 93 |
| 1999 | 194 |
| 2000 | 162 |
| 2001 | 389 |
| 2002 | 157 |
| 2003 | 90 |
| 2004 | 38 |
| 2005 | 21 |
| 2006 | 15 |
| 2007 | 16 |
| 2008 | 20 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2010 | 11 |
| 2011 | 20 |
| 2012 | 10 |
| 2013 | 18 |
| 2014 | 77 |
| 2015 | 44 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Power train
477 reports132 crashes4 fires1 related recall
“TAKATA RECALL. SINCE OWNING MY 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4.0, I'VE REPLACED NEARLY EVERY SINGLE PART ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ON THIS VEHICLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED JUST TRYING TO DRIVE IT. THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE FINE 1 MINUTE, THE NEXT IT IS PUTTING ITSELF IN NEUTRAL OR DRIVE AND I'VE NEARLY DIED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. NOW, THE JEEP IS CODING MORE CODES THAN EVER. ALSO, AS OF FEW DAYS AGO, I HAVE NO REVERSE IN IT. I NEARLY HIT ANOTHER CAR TRYING TO BACK OUT OF A SPACE AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN REVERSE DECIDED TO NO LONGER WORK. I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP FIXING THESE ISSUES AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT'S HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE MODELS. ALSO, MY BACK PASSENGER DOORS HAVE DECIDED THEY WON'T OPEN FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. YOU CAN ONLY OPEN THEM FROM INSIDE. WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENED AND I WAS TRAPPED, NOBODY COULD GET IN THROUGH THE PASSENGER BACK 2 DOORS BECAUSE THEY WON'T OPEN. AS FAR AS TRANSMISSION, MAYBE I'LL LIVE THROUGH ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH TRANSMISSION CHANGING GEARS ON IT'S OWN, BUT MAYBE I WON'T EITHER. THANK YOU.”
Service brakes, hydraulic
213 reports12 crashes3 related recalls
“WHILE DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND MAKING SLIGHT TURNS THE 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WILL VIBRATE AND BOUNCE. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL BEGIN TO PULL AND THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE FEELS LIKE IT IS COMING OFF OR BOUNCING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND THREE INDEPENDENT SHOPS FOR THIS PROBLEM OVER A 2 YEAR PERIOD. ALL OF HAVE FELT THE PROBLEM AND HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT IS COMING FROM. I HAVE SO FAR REPLACED THE ENTIRE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM, ALL FRONT BUSHINGS, SHOCKS, TIRES, FRONT U BOLTS, AND HAD THE WHOLE SYSTEM INSPECTED BY AT LEAST 10 DIFFERENT MECHANICS. ALSO THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE THEY ARE RIDING ON A WARPED ROTOR. WHEN BREAKING THE PEDAL PUSHES BACK AT THE DRIVER AND MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE BREAKING. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO BEEN LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER AND THE AFOREMENTIONED SHOPS. TO DATE NO SOLUTION HAS BEEN FOUND AND THE PROBLEM KEEPS GETTING WORSE. I FEAR THAT EITHER OF THESE PROBLEMS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR FAILURE LEADING TO INJURY OR DEATH. *JB”
Fuel system, gasoline
130 reports5 crashes3 fires2 related recalls
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V252000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, STRUCTURE). THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS FOR CHRYSLER'S BUY BACK PROGRAM DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S REFUSAL. THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT COMPLETE THE BUY BACK PROGRAM DUE TO THE CAMPAIGN'S EXPIRATION. THE CONTACT WAS NOT PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER FROM THE VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES WITH WHICH HE SPOKE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Electrical system
104 reports2 crashes5 fires
“JEEP DEVELOPED COMMUNICATION ISSUES, DASH DISPLAYED "NO BUS." ONE MORNING I STARTED THE JEEP AND WENT TO SHIFT TO GEAR AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. TOOK IT UP THE ROAD AND BACK THINKING I HAD A COMMUNICATION ISSUE TO DIAGNOSE, THE DRIVERS AIR BAG DEPLOYED TURNING ON MY ROAD. SEEMED TO HAPPEN WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE.I LEARNED ABOUT THE RECALL CORROSION IN AIR BAG MODULE MAY LEAD TO INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT. I DROPPED MY VEHICLE OFF TO NYE DODGE JEEP RAM IN ONEIDA NY. REPAIR ORDER WAS MADE NOV 14TH 2019. I WAS GIVEN A 1-800 NUMBER TO CALL, PLACED 4 CALLS BEFORE MY CASE WAS ESCALATED CORRECTLY. MADE NUMEROUS CALLS TO THE 800 NUMBER AND EVENTUALLY ON 12/5 MAYBE 12/6 AN INSPECTOR CAME AND INSPECTED MY VEHICLE. WITH BASICALLY NO PROGRESS AFTER A MONTH AND A HALF I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE. WITH A COUPLE MORE CALLS TO THE 800 NUMBER AND BEING TOLD WERE "ON HOLD" WITH CHRYSLERS END MY VEHICLE IS STILL NOT FIXED AND THE 800 NUMBER CALLS ALL END WITH WELL LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE WITH YOUR CASE TO CALL YOU, THEY HAVE YET TO CALL GOING ON 3 WEEKS. I WAS TOLD THE AIRBAGS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM CHRYSLER. LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION OR TO AT LEAST GET THE MODULE…”
Engine and engine cooling
92 reports3 fires
“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 148,000.00 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. *JS”
Structure
91 reports5 crashes2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE THE VEHICLE, THE REVERSE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V252000 (FUEL SYSTEM; GASOLINE, STRUCTURE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000. UPDATED 07/13/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BACK UP LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING, AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. UPDATED 07/20/16”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.