1978 Jeep CherokeeProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1978 Jeep Cherokee, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls2Free fix at dealers Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem1Service brakes, hydraulic

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 6, 1999. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1978 Jeep Cherokee has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

1Service brakes, hydraulic

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic	1	0

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1978 Jeep Cherokee recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Visibility: glass, side/rear

Recall 87V-178 · Nov 23, 1987 · 180,000 vehicles

Risk. WINDOW COULD CLOSE ON A CHILD OR OTHERS RESULTING INPERSONAL INJURY.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Vehicle speed control: springs

Recall 78V-003 · Dec 9, 1978 · 1,995 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Jeep.

Best & worst years

1978 vs. every other Cherokee year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cherokee median. How we score

0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 7 17 21 57 97 19127023311341851960844739039836636922917 2,6521,7941,4151,3426921,68333718352 3 9

'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'06'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

In owners' words

What Cherokee owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

BRAKES ARE LOCKING UP ON WET ROAD. WHEN TRYING TO STOP IMMEDIATELY THE RIGHT REAR BRAKES LOCKS UP; UNCONTROLLABLE. CONTACT DEALER WORKED ON IT THREE TIMES. AFTER FORTH REPAIR ATTEMPT, THE LEFT REAR IS NOW LOCKING EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT WITH SPEEDS AS LOW AS 20 MPH.
Complaint 850143 · Oct 6, 1999

Own a 1978 Cherokee?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.