1998 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Recalls & Reliability
553 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 11 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 17/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 125,375 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1998 Jeep Cherokee has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1998 sits among all Cherokee years
What owners report
“Front rotors failed prior to recall notice 00v-136, consumer request reombursement. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Cherokee
“Car went from park position with motor running to reverse, resulting in hitting a wall at 10-15mph, which then jumped back in forward position.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Cherokee
“Front defrost has broken 4 times, dealer fix each time, cannot discover root of problem. Electrical system required 3 visits to dealer.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Cherokee
“After recall repair 00v-105 of the air bag control module the air bag indicator illuminated, consumer returned the vehicle to dealer for additional repair but they refused repairs. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Cherokee
“Fuel tank sending unit failed causing the vehicle to run out of gas at 1/4 of a tank. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Cherokee
“On hot days the front brakes lock up and would not release, causing linings to smoke. When the air conditioner is on, the compressor kicks in at night while driving with the headlights on. When filling the gas tank, the filler pipe makes a slurping sound, causing the gasoline to slush back and…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Cherokee
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 93 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 117,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 70,000 and 151,843 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (11)
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 AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO.…
Fix: AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
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…
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET AIRTEX ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS INSTALLED FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN 1997-2004 JEEP WRANGLER; 1997-2001 JEEP CHEROKEE; 1997-2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE; AND 2000-2003 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLES. THE PLASTIC ELECTRICAL GROMMET…
Fix: AIRTEX WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 25, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AIRTEX CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT 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.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. WATER AND/OR ROAD SALT IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE COULD LEAD TO CORROSION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE AND LOCATE THE NEW MODULE ON THE TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE. THE FRONT SEAT BELT SHOULDER TURNING LOOP ANCHORS WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND ARE NOT PROPERLY HARDENED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SEAT SHOULDER BELT TURNING LOOP ON THESE VEHICLES.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM RESERVOIR DIAPHRAGM CAN SPLIT OR TEAR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE BOOSTER DATE CODE AND ANY BOOSTERS WITH THE SUSPECT MANUFACTURING DATE RANGE WILL BE REPLACED.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 13V252000.
Technical service bulletins
80 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 1998 Jeep Cherokee. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1998 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 1998 Jeep Cherokee reliable?
The 1998 Jeep Cherokee drew 553 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 17/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 1998 Jeep Cherokee problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Jeep Cherokee are brakes & stability (101 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (74), and electrical (62).
At what mileage do 1998 Jeep Cherokee problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Jeep Cherokee problems around 117,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 70,000 and 151,843 miles.
Does the 1998 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?
11 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 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.