no report yet
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Risk. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARDS.
1998 Jeep CherokeeProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 398 owner complaints about the 1998 Jeep Cherokee, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 23, 2024. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1998 Jeep Cherokee has problems
398 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
80Service brakes, hydraulic6 crash/fire/injury
65Power train14 crash/fire/injury
51Air bags15 crash/fire/injury
47Electrical system2 crash/fire/injury
32Fuel system, gasoline1 crash/fire/injury
30Engine and engine cooling
27Structure
23Fuel system, other
18Suspension
13517 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 80 | 6 |
| Power train | 65 | 14 |
| Air bags | 51 | 15 |
| Electrical system | 47 | 2 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 32 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 30 | 1 |
| Structure | 27 | 3 |
| Fuel system, other | 23 | 0 |
| Suspension | 18 | 1 |
| 17 other systems | 135 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
5 recalls
1998 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
Disc: rotor
Risk. THE REDUCED STRENGTH CAN ALLOW THE CAST IRON WEAR SURFACE TO SEPARATE FROM THE HUB, REDUCING THE BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VEHICLE.
no report yet
Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk. SUCH CORROSION CAN LEAD TO ILLUMINATION OF THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT OR COULD ALLOW INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS.
no report yet
Front: anchorage
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.
Show 1 more recall
no report yet
Power assist: vacuum
Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE AN INCREASE IN ENGINE IDLE SPEED AND A LOSS OF POWER ASSIST DURING BRAKE APPLICATION WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
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
1998 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
'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
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1998 Jeep Cherokee, and the recalls they led to.
- Crash Related Fuel Tank FiresLed to recall 13V-252
In owners' words
What Cherokee owners report
Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPEN AROUND NOV OF 2002, WHILE DRIVING ON A WET ROAD IN TAMPA, FL, SPEED ABOUT 35 MPH. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. WHEN I APPLY MY BRAKES, THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP AND I SLID THROUGH THE STOP SIGN, MISSING TWO CARS. THE REAR BRAKES LOCK UP AT ODD TIMES. THE BRAKES…
DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON TWO LANE ROAD AT ABOUT 20 MPH. VEHICLE IN FRONT OF CONSUMER STOPPED, WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STOP VEHICLE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND, CONSUMER 'S VEHICLE HIT OTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR. AFTER ACCIDENT CONSUMER DROVE HOME BUT STILL HAD NO BRAKES, HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE…
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER SWIRLED IN ORDER TO AVOID A PEDESTRIAN AND ANIMAL. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A DITCH. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A MEDICAL TECHNICIAN WAS ON DUTY FROM THE…
Own a 1998 Cherokee?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.