1998 JEEP CHEROKEE Complaints

THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BECAUSE THE SERPENTINE BELT HAD TO BE CHANGED. UPON LEAVING WITH THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE PUT INTO ANY GEAR WITHOUT PRESSING ANY BUTTON ON SHIFTER. *NLM .*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HAS BECOME UNSAFE DUE TO BOLT SECURING FRONT LEFT OF SEAT TO VEHICLE BEING TOO SMALL FOR HOLE AND EVENTUALLY WORE THROUGH. NOW DUE TO STRESS FAILURE FROM POOR DESIGN THE SEAT IS UNREPAIRABLE. BASED ON OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE, IT APPEARS FRUITLESS TO ASK DEALER FOR APPROPRIATE REPAIRS AT NO COST. THIS POOR DESIGN SHOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN ADDED EXPENSE TO OWNER. *JB

DRIVERS SEAT OF 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE CLASSIC FAILED. LEFT FRONT ATTACHMENT RAIL NUT WORKED IT'S WAY THROUGH THE RAILING CAUSING FRONT LEFT PART OF SEAT TO DISLODGE ITSELF FROM SEAT TRACK, WHICH ALLOWED SEAT TO FALL BACK AND TO THE RIGHT. NUTS WHICH ATTACH SEAT TO TRACK ARE SMALLER THAN BOLT HOLES CAUSING NUTS TO WORK THROUGH BOLT HOLES RESULTING IN SEAT TRACK AND SEAT BASE FAILURE. I EXPLAINED TO DEALER THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. DEALER DID NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF A NEW BASE, WHICH COST $350.00. THE NEW BASE INCLUDED LARGER ATTACHMENT NUTS WITH A NOTE STATING DO NOT USE OLD ATTACHMENT NUTS. THE NOTE AND LARGER ATTACHMENT NUTS REINFORCES THE FACT THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THESE ATTACHMENT BOLTS, BUT REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR REIMBURSE CONSUMERS FOR THEIR EXPENSES RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. *NLM

WHEN THE GAS GAUGE WAS AT A QUARTER TANK, THE VEHICLE STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *JB

BRAKES FAILED AT 20 MPH. REAR-ENDED VOLVO STATION WAGON. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT I NEEDED BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED. CHEROKEE HAD LESS THAN 14,000 MILES ON IT. FIVE MONTHS LATER JEEP RECALLED ROTORS. BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ORIGINAL OEM PARTS (IE. ROTORS) THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST ME IN DISPUTING INSURANCE RATE INCREASE OR COST OF ROTOR/BRAKE REPLACEMENTS. ***NOTE*** JEEP IS ON THIRD SET OF ROTORS AND IS IN NEED OF YET ANOTHER AS THESE ARE WARPED. AND JEEP IS NOT AT THE 100,000 MILE MARK YET! *NLM

THE GAS GAUGE DOESN'T SHOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE MOST OF THE TIME. THE GAUGE FLOATS BACK AND FORTH FROM EMPTY TO HALF EMPTY, OR DOESN'T REGISTER THE PROPER AMOUNT WHEN I PUT GAS IN THE TANK. *NLM

AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. *NLM

THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO START IT, THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE GAS TANK WHICH HAD DISINTEGRATED AND CLOGGED UP THE FUEL LINES.*JB

POWER WINDOW MECHANISM FAILED, PRESENTING A SAFETY ISSUE BY IMMOBILIZING THE WINDOW. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS REVEALED THAT JEEP HAS RE-DESIGNED THE MECHANISM BY REPLACING A FAILURE PRONE PLASTIC COMPONENT WITH A METAL COMPONENT. HOWEVER, NO RECALL OR NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THE FAILURE PRONE PARTS, AND JEEP ALSO CHARGES FOR THE RE-DESIGNED REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY. I BELIEVE THIS COMPONENT IS ESPECIALLY LIKELY TO FAIL DURING AN ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY A ROLLOVER TYPE OF ACCIDENT, WHERE THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO A SUDDEN DOWNWARD FORCE. I HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE OLD AND REVISED COMPONENTS AND CAN EMAIL THEM IF DESIRED. I ALSO HAVE RETAINED A FAILED ORIGINAL COMPONENT. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ON JEEP CHEROKEES. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HIT A DEER, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK