1996 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Recalls & Reliability
584 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 10 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 21/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports.
Typical
Where 1996 sits among all Cherokee years
What owners report
“Brake rotors failed prior to recall notice 00v-136, consumer request reimbursement. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Cherokee
“Second instance where fluid has leaked out of transfer case causing major damage to the case.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Cherokee
“While going in reverse noticed rubbing grinding noise. Dealer replaced engine and transmission but noise continued.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Cherokee
“1. Electrical short under left side dash, main wire bundle going to fuse box rubbed against bolt and wore through wire causing a short. 2. Neutral safety switch gone bad. 3. Driver's side seat rail broke somewhere and seat rocks around. 4. Rear leaf springs have a negative arch in them causing rear…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Cherokee
“Defective paint. Paint has "spyder" cracks on 100% of the engine hood and on 25% of the remainder of the vehicle. These cracks have increased in number and size since purchase of vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Cherokee
“Power steering failure, causing loss of accesory belt causing overheat, battery running low bracket broke in half.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Cherokee
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 89 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 140,226 miles. Half of those reports fall between 103,000 and 181,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (10)
U.S. DRIVE RIGHT IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1994-1996 JEEP CHEROKEE VEHICLES IMPORTED FROM JANUARY 2007, THROUGH APRIL 2011 FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT,"…
Fix: U.S. DRIVE RIGHT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND MAIL KITS ALONG WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY A QUALIFIED MECHANIC OF THEIR CHOICE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER…
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.
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.
U.S. DRIVE RIGHT IS RECALLING 107 MY 1994-1998 RIGHT HAND DRIVE, 4-WHEEL DRIVE JEEP CHEROKEE VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 101, 'CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS;' NO. 108, 'LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED…
Fix: U.S. DRIVE RIGHT WILL MAKE ALL THE REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS. A REPRESENTATIVE WILL TRAVEL TO THE CUSTOMER'S LOCATION AND MAKE THE MODIFICATIONS ON SITE. THE RECALL WILL BE PERFORMED ON A REGIONAL…
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.
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST,…
Fix: AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT…
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.
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…
THE WEB MOUNTED REAR SEAT BELT INBOARD ANCHOR POSITIONS MAY NOT ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED LOAD OF FMVSS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."
Fix: DEALERS WILL ADD A WASHER TO EACH REAR INBOARD SEAT BELT ANCHOR ATTACHMENT.
THE FASTENERS WHICH SECURE THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT FUSE TO THE POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER MAY HAVE AN IMPROPER CLAMP LOAD.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR FUSE WITH A FUSE LINK AND ANY DAMAGE TO THE POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER WILL BE REPAIRED.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 13V252000.
Technical service bulletins
50 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and engine — are on file for the 1996 Jeep Cherokee. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1996 Cherokee TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Jeep Cherokee reliable?
The 1996 Jeep Cherokee drew 584 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 1996 Jeep Cherokee problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Jeep Cherokee are brakes & stability (113 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (66), and engine (64).
At what mileage do 1996 Jeep Cherokee problems show up?
Owners most often report 1996 Jeep Cherokee problems around 140,226 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 103,000 and 181,000 miles.
Does the 1996 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?
10 recall campaigns apply to the 1996 Jeep Cherokee. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.