1996 JEEP CHEROKEE Complaints

WHILE LEAVING HOME FROM WORK, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHUTTER AND FAIL. I MANAGED TO GET HOME AT A SPEED OF 40MPH SINCE I NOTICED THAT AT A HIGHER SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD TRY TO STALL. THE NEXT DAY I TRIED TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN ON. I CALLED A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS THRU CELL PHONE TO SHAKE A BIT THE CABLES TO COMPUTER COMPONENTS AND CABLES TO DISTRIBUTOR COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE TURNED ON BUT WITH PROBLEMS. I MANAGED TO DRIVE TO MECHANIC SHOP WHERE THE CHEROKEE WAS LEFT FOR TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE DIAGNOSTICS SHOWED A FAULTY COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED. ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN AT A CROSS ROAD AND TURNED OFF. A TRUCK NEARLY STRUCK ME BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET OUT ON TIME. THE MECHANIC HAD TO SHOW UP AT THE SITE AND HAD SOME PROBLEMS STARTING THE CHEROKEE. THE DIAGNOSTICS, ANOTHER BLOWN COMPUTER. THE MECHANIC ORDERED ANOTHER COMPUTER WITH UPGRADE (HAD TO WAIT ABOUT A MONTH) ORIGINAL CRANK SHAFT SENSOR WAS ADDED. ALL SEEMED TO WORK WELL UNTIL YESTERDAY OCT/2/2013 WHEN I WENT OUT FOR A RIDE WITH MY SON AND THE CHEROKEE STALLED AND TURNED OFF. THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS BEFORE. I HAVE SPENT ABOUT $1,000.00 TRYING TO GET MY JEEP CHEROKEE TO RUN PROPERLY AND NOW I'M AFRAID TO TAKE IT OUT TO THE STREET. I HAVE A FAMILY OF 4 AND I WORRY THAT THE CHEROKEE WOULD FAIL ME BY STALLING AGAIN AT A CROSSROAD CAUSING A FATAL ACCIDENT TO ME OR MY FAMILY BECAUSE OF THIS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. ALL CABLES WERE CHECKED FOR SHORTS BUT NOTHING SOLVES THE PROBLEM. I DID SOME RECALL SEARCH BUT NOTHING OFFICIAL ALTHOUGH SOME JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE USERS REPORT THE SAME PROBLEMS FOR THEIR 4.0L ENGINE (MY JEEP CHEROKEE IS ALSO 4.0L) COINCIDENCE? I LOVE MY CHEROKEE BUT FEEL THAT I CAN'T RELY ANYMORE ON IT AS FOR SAFETY. HAD IT FOR ABOUT 6 YEARS WITHOUT PROBLEMS THE FIRST 5 YEARS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT 4:30 AM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, THEN CAME BACK ON, SEVERAL TIMES, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE, WE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, AND IT APPEARED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM NOW IT HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA, AND THEY ARE AWARE OF NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT AFTER CONDUCTING A WEB SEARCH, I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, HOPEFULLY NO ONE WILL BE INJURED BEFORE THIS DEFECT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT. *TR

CHEROKEE BEGAN TO SHAKE VERY VIOLENTLY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS RECENTLY AFTER HITTING MINOR BUMPS AT 55 MPH. SHAKING WOULD NOT STOP OR EVEN SUBSIDE UNTIL CAR WAS PULLED OVER. SHAKING SO VIOLENT IT CAUSED AN EXHAUST LEAK. NEVER AN ISSUE UNTIL RECENTLY - SEVERAL RECENT INCIDENTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING IDLE AT A COMPLETE STOP, A TRUCK CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE, PUSHING THE VEHICLE INTO A FOREGOING VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE FUEL TANK LOCATION COULD BE A GREATER DANGER IF THERE WAS ANOTHER REAR END CRASH. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 183,000.

ALL OF A SUDEN THIS VERY BAD SHAKING PROBLEM HAS OCCURED AT ABOUT 50 MPH. VERY UNSAFE. MY CETIFIED ASE MECHANIC HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE PROBLEM FOR OVER A WEEK NOW - NO LUCK SO FAR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A SLICK SURFACE, AS IT WAS RAINING, LIGHTLY. THE PERSON DRIVING IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SHORT AT A YELLOW LIGHT AND I APPLIED MY BRAKES. MY BRAKES FAILED AND I CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE, MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED, AND MY FRONT END WAS SMASHED. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A TOTAL. MY BRAKES SHOULD HAVE DONE WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO - WORK. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY,AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. SO I PULLED OVER TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND REALIZED I WAS LEAKING OIL PROFUSELY. THEN I REALIZED THE DRIVER SIDE MOTOR MOUNT HAD BROKEN OFF OF THE ENGINE CAUSING A LARGE HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. I HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE OF MY VEHICLE, CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM. I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING TO CAUSE THE MOTOR MOUNT TO BREAK, SO WHY WOULD IT BREAK FOR NO REASON? ANYWAYS, THE LEAKING OIL CAUSED A FIRE BENEATH MY VEHICLE, AND INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. BUT I QUICKLY PUT OUT THE FIRE BY A CONTAINER OF WATER I HAD IN MY VEHICLE. I HAD MY 13 YEAR OLD BROTHER WITH ME AND THANK GOD HE OR MYSELF WAS NOT INJURED. BUT IT CAUSED US GREAT FEAR AND STRESS. *TR

SPORADIC GAS LEAK FROM FUEL PUMP HOOKUP ON GAS TANK AT STARTUP. COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED EXCEPT AT RANDOM OCCURRENCES. *JB

WITH TIME THE BLOWER MOTOR WIRING HARNESS (WHICH IS TOO SMALL FOR THE AMPERAGE) IN THESE VEHICLES INVARIABLY HEATS UP AND MELTS OR BURNS. THE MELTING OF THE HARNESS AND CONNECTOR BEHIND THE BLOWER SPEED SELECTOR SWITCH IN THE DASH AND THE BURNING OF THE SWITCH ITSELF OCCURED IN MY VEHICLE, ALLONG WITH THE FAILURE OF THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR, BUT IN MANY VEHICLES THE RESISTOR IS THE FIRST TO BURN AND FAIL. I HAVE LOOKED AT OVER 20 OF THESE VEHICLES RANGING FROM 1991 TO 1996, AND 30000 TO 220000 MILES, AND EVERY SINGLE ONE ONE THEM HAD THESE COMPONENTS MELTED AND BURNED TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING USABLE, AND MAKING ONE WONDER HOW MANY OTHER VEHICLES HAVE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED BECAUSE OF THIS FAULT. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES ALSO SHOWED ASSOCIATED WIRES BURNED OR MELTED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. AN ASSOCIATED SYMPTOM IS THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR CEASES TO FUNCTION, OR (IN THE CASE OF RESISTOR FAILURE, WILL USUALLY WORK ONLY ON HIGH SPEED). THIS SHOWS A DEFECT THAT MAY TAKE TIME TO MANIFEST, BUT WILL ALWAYS OCCUR EVENTUALLY IN EVERY VEHICLE UNLESS THE BLOWER IS NEVER USED. THE BLOWER SWITCH TO RESISTOR WIRING HARNESS AND SWITCH CONNECTOR/PLUG ARE NOT EVEN AVAILABLE FROM DEALERS, BUT THE SWITCH ITSELF AND THE RESISTOR ARE AVAILABLE AS AFTERMARKET ITEMS. HOWEVER, IF REPLACED, THESE WILL FAIL TOO, UNLESS THE WIRING IN THIS CIRCUIT IS REPLACED WITH HEAVIER GUAGE WIRING OR SOMEHOW PROTECTED FROM HIGH AMPERAGE. AS EVIDENCED BY HUNDREDS OF RELATED COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET FORUMS, THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN FIRES, AND POTENTIALLY LOSS OF LIFE. LUCKILY MY FIRE WAS MINOR, DID LITTLE DAMAGE AND WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED. HOWEVER, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO RESOLVE THE ACTUAL PROBLEM PROPERLY, SINCE OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS WILL SOONER OR LATER DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEMS, AND AVAILABLE AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE NOT IMPROVED OVER THE ORIGINALS. *TR

CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING WITH NO WARNING. STALLS ON FREEWAY OR IN CITY DRIVING. THIS IS AN INFAMOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT ON 96 JEEPS. VERY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE ENGINE CUTS OUT COMPLETELY WHILE IN MOTION. REQUIRES PULLING OVER WITH ENGINE NOT RUNNING TO RESTART ENGINE. JEEP THEN WILL REPEATEDLY DIE AFTER RE-STARTING. SINCE ENGINE DIES WHILE IN MOTION, CARS BEHIND ARE IN REAL DANGER OF COLLIDING WITH MY VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX WITH NORMAL MECHANICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING. ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. THIS ISSUE IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN ONLINE BLOGS FOR JEEPS WITH THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM WITH STALLING WHILE IN MOTION POSES A GREAT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. JEEP/CHRYSLER IS AWARE AND DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. *TR