JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE · model year

1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

1250 NHTSA complaints, 156 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1996JEEPGRAND CHEROKEE carries 1250 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 156 crashes, 26 fires, 119 injuries, and 8 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 GRAND CHEROKEE is power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch with 160 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor (62) and power train:automatic transmission (53). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 6 investigation files overlapping the 1996 GRAND CHEROKEE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

1250
Complaints
156
Crashes
26
Fires
119
Injuries
8
Deaths

Total Complaints

1250 filings

Crashes Reported

156 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH160
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR62
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION53
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP49
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM38
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR38
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP31
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY30
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE30
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL28
UNKNOWN OR OTHER28
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM28
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE23
SUSPENSION21
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL20

Recent Complaints

20240209ENGINE

The contact owns a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The vehicle was able to restart immediately on some occasions and restarted after a while on other occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. Several independent mechanics replaced the fuel filter and the fuel pump and installed an unknown computer software on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

20240209FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The vehicle was able to restart immediately on some occasions and restarted after a while on other occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. Several independent mechanics replaced the fuel filter and the fuel pump and installed an unknown computer software on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

20230523SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that prior to purchasing the vehicle, he researched online and became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 98V006000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and the contact was informed that the responsibility was on the consumer and the call was disconnected. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

20210319SERVICE BRAKES

THE INSPECTION RECALL ON MY 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH PCM AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER SPECIFIED IN THE DEFECTIVE ISSUE WITHIN THE RECALLS ISSUED. THIS HARMS THE DRIVER, PEDESTRIANS, OTHER PASSENGERS AND MOTORISTS. THE TECH WHERE I WENT TO HAVE RECALL WORK PERFORMED ORDERED PARTS (SEE ATTACHMENT), BUT NOTHING WAS INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE. ONLY "INSPECTED." THE TECH WAS TOLD OF DETAILED POOR PERFORMANCE AND SYMPTOMS OF A BAD PCM. SUCH AS SHIFTING, STALLING, FUEL ECONOMY & HARD TO START. THE JEEP IS NOT OPERATING OPTIMALLY & THIS COULD MEAN THERE ARE. OTHER PROBLEMS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. ALL OF THESE ARE INDICATIONS OF A FAULTY PCM. AS WELL AS THE ABS LIGHT BEING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE PCM IS A "CRITICAL" SYSTEM & NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR FREE, AS IT IS DEFECTIVE AND COULD MINGLE WITH OTHER SYSTEMS AND CAUSE A COMPLETE VEHICLE BREAK DOWN. OR REFUND THE COST TO ME IN FULL, INCLUDING LABOR CHARGES, IF I

20210319FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE INSPECTION RECALL ON MY 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH PCM AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER SPECIFIED IN THE DEFECTIVE ISSUE WITHIN THE RECALLS ISSUED. THIS HARMS THE DRIVER, PEDESTRIANS, OTHER PASSENGERS AND MOTORISTS. THE TECH WHERE I WENT TO HAVE RECALL WORK PERFORMED ORDERED PARTS (SEE ATTACHMENT), BUT NOTHING WAS INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE. ONLY "INSPECTED." THE TECH WAS TOLD OF DETAILED POOR PERFORMANCE AND SYMPTOMS OF A BAD PCM. SUCH AS SHIFTING, STALLING, FUEL ECONOMY & HARD TO START. THE JEEP IS NOT OPERATING OPTIMALLY & THIS COULD MEAN THERE ARE. OTHER PROBLEMS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. ALL OF THESE ARE INDICATIONS OF A FAULTY PCM. AS WELL AS THE ABS LIGHT BEING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE PCM IS A "CRITICAL" SYSTEM & NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR FREE, AS IT IS DEFECTIVE AND COULD MINGLE WITH OTHER SYSTEMS AND CAUSE A COMPLETE VEHICLE BREAK DOWN. OR REFUND THE COST TO ME IN FULL, INCLUDING LABOR CHARGES, IF I

20210319POWER TRAIN

THE INSPECTION RECALL ON MY 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH PCM AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER SPECIFIED IN THE DEFECTIVE ISSUE WITHIN THE RECALLS ISSUED. THIS HARMS THE DRIVER, PEDESTRIANS, OTHER PASSENGERS AND MOTORISTS. THE TECH WHERE I WENT TO HAVE RECALL WORK PERFORMED ORDERED PARTS (SEE ATTACHMENT), BUT NOTHING WAS INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE. ONLY "INSPECTED." THE TECH WAS TOLD OF DETAILED POOR PERFORMANCE AND SYMPTOMS OF A BAD PCM. SUCH AS SHIFTING, STALLING, FUEL ECONOMY & HARD TO START. THE JEEP IS NOT OPERATING OPTIMALLY & THIS COULD MEAN THERE ARE. OTHER PROBLEMS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. ALL OF THESE ARE INDICATIONS OF A FAULTY PCM. AS WELL AS THE ABS LIGHT BEING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE PCM IS A "CRITICAL" SYSTEM & NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR FREE, AS IT IS DEFECTIVE AND COULD MINGLE WITH OTHER SYSTEMS AND CAUSE A COMPLETE VEHICLE BREAK DOWN. OR REFUND THE COST TO ME IN FULL, INCLUDING LABOR CHARGES, IF I

20200902WHEELS

HANKOOK OPTIMO H724 P225/75 /R15 102 SLWW TIRES - SET OF 4 TIRES PURCHASED NEW ON 5/25/2018. KEPT UP WITH REGULAR TIRE ROTATIONS AND AIR PRESSURE CHECKS. FIRST REPLACEMENT (SIDE WALL DEFECT) 10/21/2019. FLAT REPAIR 2/24/2020 SECOND TIRE REPLACEMENT (SIDE WALL DEFECT) 8/10/2020. THIS IS HIGHLY SUSPECT AND DETERMINABLE THAT THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS AND DEFECTIVE. HANOOK HAS DENIED REMEDY EVEN WITH CITING THE $1.2 MILLION JURY VERDICT + DISCOVERY SANCTIONS I CITED TO DURING MY CONVERSATION WITH THE CLAIMS DIVISION ON 8/10, 9/1 ABD 9/2/2020. ADDITIONALLY, 70,000 MILE TREAD WARRANTY. SELLER HAS DETERMINED THE WEAR RATE IS 46,868 MILES. SELLER'S COMMENT: "THESE TIRES DO NOT LAST LONG" HANKOOK TIRES USA CLAIMS DEPARTMENT ADMITS TO UNUSUAL WEAR BUT INSISTS ITS TIRES ARE "WITHIN NHTSA STANDARDS". SEE HANKOOK V. PHILPOT, 2018 ARK. APP. 546, AT 4-5, 564 S.W.3D 555, 557-58, .HANKOOK'S APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT'S ORDER IMPOSING ATTORNEY'S FEES AS A DISCOVERY SANCTION IN HA

20190916ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO 21 DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHERE IT WAS TESTED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. THE VEHICLE PASSED INSPECTION EVEN AFTER IT WAS TEST DRIVEN BY THE DEALER. WHEN THE CONTACT BROUGHT THE VEHICLE HOME, THE FAILURE RECURRED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN YORK, MAINE DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO FAILURE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED PARKED AT THE CONTACT'S HOME FOR OVER A YEAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

20190723TIRES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE EQUIPPED WITH DAYTON QUADRA ET2 TIRES, SIZE: P225/70R15. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE INSIDE BELT AND THREAD TO SEPARATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DOT NUMBER AND TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 205,000.

Mileage: 205,000

20180503UNKNOWN OR OTHER

RECALL ON THE HITCH.

20180403ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAR USUALLY RUNS FINE COLD BUT WHEN IT GETS TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE IT STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY AND IN DANGEROUS MOMENTS WHILE DRIVING ON ANY ROAD OR FREEWAY AT ANY SPEED. I LOSE ALL POWERED FUNCTIONS LIKE STEERING AND BRAKES. IT WON'T START AGAIN FOR HOURS UNTIL IT HAS COOLED ALL THE WAY DOWN.

Mileage: 165,000

20180403FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

CAR USUALLY RUNS FINE COLD BUT WHEN IT GETS TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE IT STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY AND IN DANGEROUS MOMENTS WHILE DRIVING ON ANY ROAD OR FREEWAY AT ANY SPEED. I LOSE ALL POWERED FUNCTIONS LIKE STEERING AND BRAKES. IT WON'T START AGAIN FOR HOURS UNTIL IT HAS COOLED ALL THE WAY DOWN.

Mileage: 165,000

20180403UNKNOWN OR OTHER

CAR USUALLY RUNS FINE COLD BUT WHEN IT GETS TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE IT STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY AND IN DANGEROUS MOMENTS WHILE DRIVING ON ANY ROAD OR FREEWAY AT ANY SPEED. I LOSE ALL POWERED FUNCTIONS LIKE STEERING AND BRAKES. IT WON'T START AGAIN FOR HOURS UNTIL IT HAS COOLED ALL THE WAY DOWN.

Mileage: 165,000

20170829STEERING

EXPERIENCED DEATH WOBBLE ON FREEWAY AT 45-55 AND TO REGAIN CONTROL HAVE T0 APPLY BRAKES AND ALMOST COME TO A DEAD STOP. SIX MONTHS AFTER, THE STEERING HOUSING CRACKED FOUND TWO OUT OF THE THREE BOLTS HAD SNAPED THE BOLT CLOSEST TO THE FIREWALL HAD THE BROKEN CASTING STILL TOURQE TO THE FRAME. I LOST THE STEERING ON A TURN IN A 15 MPH ZONE

20170829SUSPENSION

EXPERIENCED DEATH WOBBLE ON FREEWAY AT 45-55 AND TO REGAIN CONTROL HAVE T0 APPLY BRAKES AND ALMOST COME TO A DEAD STOP. SIX MONTHS AFTER, THE STEERING HOUSING CRACKED FOUND TWO OUT OF THE THREE BOLTS HAD SNAPED THE BOLT CLOSEST TO THE FIREWALL HAD THE BROKEN CASTING STILL TOURQE TO THE FRAME. I LOST THE STEERING ON A TURN IN A 15 MPH ZONE

20170829WHEELS

EXPERIENCED DEATH WOBBLE ON FREEWAY AT 45-55 AND TO REGAIN CONTROL HAVE T0 APPLY BRAKES AND ALMOST COME TO A DEAD STOP. SIX MONTHS AFTER, THE STEERING HOUSING CRACKED FOUND TWO OUT OF THE THREE BOLTS HAD SNAPED THE BOLT CLOSEST TO THE FIREWALL HAD THE BROKEN CASTING STILL TOURQE TO THE FRAME. I LOST THE STEERING ON A TURN IN A 15 MPH ZONE

20170507CrashSTEERING

I HAD MY POWER STEERING BRACKET BREAK INTO 3 PIECES, CAUSING ME TO GO THROUGH 2 PULLEYS AND 4 SERPENTINE BELTS BEFORE FIGURING OUT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE "DEATH WOBBLE" A FEW TIMES AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40-50 MPH. IT IS VERY DISTURBING AND SCARY AND FORCED ME OFF THE ROAD. I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY TO GET IT TO STOP.

Mileage: 142,000

20170507CrashSUSPENSION

I HAD MY POWER STEERING BRACKET BREAK INTO 3 PIECES, CAUSING ME TO GO THROUGH 2 PULLEYS AND 4 SERPENTINE BELTS BEFORE FIGURING OUT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE "DEATH WOBBLE" A FEW TIMES AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40-50 MPH. IT IS VERY DISTURBING AND SCARY AND FORCED ME OFF THE ROAD. I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY TO GET IT TO STOP.

Mileage: 142,000

20170401STEERING

FAMILY OWNERSHIP SINCE NEW. RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING THE "DEATH WOBBLE." JEEP TRAVELING ON A HIGH SPEED (ABOVE 60) ROAD STARTS TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY AND IS DIFFICULT/IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OR MANEUVER. JEEP FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL APART. HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. HAVE TO STOP OR SIGNIFICANTLY SLOW DOWN BEFORE SHAKING STOPS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS.

Mileage: 250,000

20170401SUSPENSION

FAMILY OWNERSHIP SINCE NEW. RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING THE "DEATH WOBBLE." JEEP TRAVELING ON A HIGH SPEED (ABOVE 60) ROAD STARTS TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY AND IS DIFFICULT/IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OR MANEUVER. JEEP FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL APART. HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. HAVE TO STOP OR SIGNIFICANTLY SLOW DOWN BEFORE SHAKING STOPS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS.

Mileage: 250,000

Compare 1996JEEPGRAND CHEROKEE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE have?
The 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE has 1250 NHTSA complaints, 156 crashes, 26 fires, 119 injuries, and 8 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE?
The most-complained component for the 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH with 160 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.