1996 JEEP CHEROKEE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CHANGED THE UPPER AND LOWER RIGHT BALL JOINTS. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE SHAKING HAD BECOME WORSE AND THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 120,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000. UPDATED 02-04-08. *KB

I HAVE THREE RHD JEEP CHEROKEES AND THEY ARE FOR US POSTAL DELIVERY. 1994, 1995-, AND 996. I HAVE CALLED JEEP & CHRYSLER CORPORATION ASKING THEM IF MY VEHICLES ARE FMVSS CERTIFIED ,AND THEY REFUSED TO ANSWER ME. THEY SAID I NEED TO BE A SENATOR OR A CONGRESSMAN TO ASK THAT QUESTION?? I ASKED FOR RIGHT HAND DRIVE CRASH TEST INFORMATION, AND THEY HUNG UP THE PHONE. I E-MAILED THEM, AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS A CORPORATE ISSUE AND RHD JEEPS FOR DIDN'T NEED TO MEET SAFETY REGULATIONS?. I TALKED TO THE DOT, AND THEY STATED THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY RHD VEHICLES BUILT AND SOLD IN THE USA. WAS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE? THE DOT DIDN'TT KNOW? ONE WOMAN AT DOT ASKED ME WHAT SIDE OF THE ROAD DO WE DRIVE ON IN USA? THE EPA KNEW ABOUT THEM, BUT FOR SAFETY INFORMATION I WAS TOLD TO GO BACK TO DOT. CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING HE PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THEN DEPRESS AND PRESS IT AGAIN IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE CORRECTLY. BECAUSE OF THIS THE VEHICLE WAS GETTING POOR GAS MILEAGE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURE . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113618, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114466.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, I KEPT SMELLING MELTING PLASTIC. IT LASTED A COUPLE MONTHS BEFORE IT WENT OUT. I LOOKED TO SEE SEVERAL TIMES TO FIND IT AND NEVER DID. IT WOUND UP BEING THE HEATER CONTROL SWITCH AND WIRING HARNESS MELTING. I DECIDED TO GO TO THE JUNKYARD TO GET THE HARNESS AND SWITCH AND I FOUND OUT FROM LOOKING AT 8 DIFFERENT JEEP CHEROKEES RANGING FROM 1986 -1997 THEY ALL HAD THE HARNESS AND SWITCH MELTED IN THEM. I THEN REALIZED IT WAS MORE THAN JUST MY JEEP THAT HAD THIS ISSUE. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING BEHIND THE 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE AT 60 MPH, SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FLASHED THE LIGHTS TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER PULLED TO THE SHOULDER, GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND BACKED AWAY. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO BURN, AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT RECEIVED A POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DUE TO BACK PRESSURE AND RATTLING IN THE ENGINE. ON AUGUST 25, 2006 THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM. THE RECALL WAS NOT IN THE NHTSA DATABASE. THE CONTACT SENT THE BILLING INFORMATION TO THE MANUFACTURER, WHO DENIED REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE THE WORK WAS DONE AFTER THE RECALL. ON MAY 4, 2006 THE WORK WAS COMPLETED BEFORE THE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED. UPDATED 01/10/07. *JB

MY 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE HAS THE GEN3 SEAT BELTS. WHILE THEY HAVE NOT YET FAILED, I WANT JEEP/DODGE TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE GEN4 BELTS. I HAVE THREE CHILD RESTRAINTS IN THE BACK SEAT AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE BELTS RELEASING IN A CRASH IS UNFORTUNATELY VERY HIGH. AS A SAFE KIDS CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN, AND A PARENT, THIS CONCERNS ME GREATLY AND I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE GEN3 BELTS. CURRENTLY OWNERS MUST PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THESE UNSAFE BELTS REPLACED. *JB

I ONE DAY WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ONE DAY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL BACK PRESSURE I COULD NOT CLIMB HILLS AND STARTED TO SMOKE BUT BEFORE I COULD MAKE IT HOME MY CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE AND EVENTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE LEAVING STRANDED WITH NO VEHICLE IN SITE I THEN CALLED THE POLICE DEPT THEY HAD TO PUT OUT. THEY SAID I WAS LUCKY TO GET OUT. *NM

ONE DAY MY JEEP WAS GETTING NO BACK PRESSURE, TURNED AROUND MY CHECK IN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK IT STARTED TO SMOKE AND THEN EVENTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE LUCKILY I GOT OUT. FIRE DEPT HAD TO PUT FIRE OUT. *NM

1996 JEEP CHEROKEE, EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILED AT WELD POINT, NOT ABLE TO REPAIR DUE TO POOR METAL USED BY MANUFACTURER. THE EXHAUST MUST BE REPLACED, JEEP MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, REFUSES TO ADMIT IT IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. MECHANICS WILL TELL YOU IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH JEEPS. EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILURE IS EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND CAN LEAD TO MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITHIN IN THE ENGINE IT'S SELF AND THE CONVERTERS. *NM