1993 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Recalls & Reliability

571 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1993 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 15 defect investigations. It scores 21/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports.

571Complaints
21/100Trouble index
7Recalls
130,625Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 1993 sits among all Cherokee years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Brakes & stability 161 complaints (28%)
“Rotors rusted causing them to separate from the drum resulting in loss of control and near accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Cherokee
Body & structure 106 complaints (19%)
“Driver's side door hinge failure, difficulty closing door, worn out door latch. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Cherokee
Transmission & drivetrain 50 complaints (9%)
“Manual transmission reverse gear is difficult to get into with out a delay.also clutch slave cylinder is defective and needs replacement. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Cherokee
Electrical 43 complaints (8%)
“Power windows first stopped functioning on the passenger sides, which then proceeded into all the windows. The problem then circulated in power lock, radio, fog light, and dome light functionality. Now upon ignition of the vehicle a wire under the dashboard burns and smokes.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Cherokee
Engine 40 complaints (7%)
“Exhaust manifold cracked resulting in underhood exhaust fumes and inability to pass state inspection.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Cherokee
Speed control 38 complaints (7%)
“Engage in reverse, gas pedal stuck, lost control of vehicle, resulting in accident. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Cherokee

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 32 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 130,625 miles. Half of those reports fall between 108,000 and 193,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (7)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 09E025000 2009

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…

Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 09E012000 2009

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…

Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 06E026000 2006

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…

Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 99V340000 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE…

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE ROTORS WITH ROTORS THAT ARE COATED WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 97I002000 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL REGULATION 573. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. DRIVERS CAN MISTAKENLY…

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SHIFT INTERLOCK ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OF THESE VEHICLES.

STEERING 97V069000 1997

DURING ASSEMBLY OF THE FRAME, A FILLET WELD THAT JOINS THE INNER STEERING GEAR ATTACHMENT REINFORCEMENT TO THE FRAME RAIL, WAS OMITTED.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR CRACKS IN THE FRAME RAIL. VEHICLES THAT SHOW CRACKS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH REINFORCEMENT PLATES. VEHICLES THAT ARE FOUND TO BE FREE OF CRACKS WILL HAVE A SLOT…

EQUIPMENT 93V037000 1993

THE TIRE AND WHEEL SPECIFICATION INFORMATION ON THE CERTIFICATION LABEL INDICATES A MINIMUM TIRE SIZE LARGER THAN THE TIRE ACTUALLY FITTED TO THE VEHICLE. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS."

Fix: PROVIDE CORRECT CERTIFICATION LABELS TO VEHICLE OWNERS FOR APPLICATION TO THE VEHICLES.

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

BRAKE ROTOR DISC/HUB SEPARATION RQ98023 opened November 13, 1998 · still open

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

CHRYSLER CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL, 98V-005, ON JANUARY 5, 1998, INVOLVING APPROXIMATELY 225,000 1993 GRAND CHEROKEE, 1990-91 CHEROKEE, WRANGLER AND COMANCHEE, AND 1989-91 EAGLE PREMIER AND DODGE MONACO.THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS OF THESE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE SEVERE CORROSION IF OPERATED FOR AN…

Model years named: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995

Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires EA12005 opened 2012, closed 2014

Led to recall campaign 13V252000.

SUDDEN ACCELERATION DP02005 opened 2002, closed 2002
DOOR HINGE EA01005 opened 2001, closed 2002
DOOR HINGE SQ00009 opened 2000, closed 2001
BRAKE ROTER DISC/HUD SEPARATION EA99014 opened 1999, closed 2000

Led to recall campaign 00V136000.

STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY RQ97004 opened 1997, closed 1998

Led to recall campaign 93V210000.

BRAKE DISC/HUB SEPARATION EA97001 opened 1997, closed 1998

Led to recall campaign 98V005000.

BRAKE DISC/HUB SEPARATION PE96053 opened 1996, closed 1997
VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION DP95007 opened 1995, closed 1995
REAR AXLE SHAFT SEPARATION PE95049 opened 1995, closed 1996
DRIVESHAFT/UNIV.JOINT FAIL EA93025 opened 1993, closed 1994
DRIVESHAFT/UNIV.JOINT FAIL PE93057 opened 1993, closed 1993
STEERING GEARBOX BLT FAILS PE92083 opened 1992, closed 1993
BRAKE PERFORMANCE PE92080 opened 1992, closed 1993

Technical service bulletins

25 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and engine — are on file for the 1993 Jeep Cherokee. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 1993 Cherokee TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

1995peak 164 in 19972018

Questions buyers ask

Is the 1993 Jeep Cherokee reliable?

The 1993 Jeep Cherokee drew 571 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 21/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).

What are the most common 1993 Jeep Cherokee problems?

The top reported problems for the 1993 Jeep Cherokee are brakes & stability (161 complaints), body & structure (106), and transmission & drivetrain (50).

At what mileage do 1993 Jeep Cherokee problems show up?

Owners most often report 1993 Jeep Cherokee problems around 130,625 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 108,000 and 193,000 miles.

Does the 1993 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?

7 recall campaigns apply to the 1993 Jeep Cherokee. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 1992 Cherokee All Cherokee years 1994 Cherokee →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.