Your vehicle report
1989 Jeep Cherokee
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 191
- Received Jan 1995 to May 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up53 complaints · 28% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring15 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking14 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #96V260000Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with antilock brake system (ABS). The antilock brake system (ABS) hydraulic control unit can experience excessive brake actuator piston seal wear which could cause pump-motor deterioration.
- Recall #91V003000There may be hydraulic fluid contamination from condensation formation that can plug the ABS brake booster pump filter; stress corrosion of the master cylinder snap ring has been traced to chlorine leaking from the low pressure hydraulic hose which may cause it to break; front brake hose to tire interference which may cause failure of the brake hose.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 17 fires, 16 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 35 |
| 1996 | 26 |
| 1997 | 44 |
| 1998 | 23 |
| 1999 | 15 |
| 2000 | 17 |
| 2001 | 7 |
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 191 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 53 | 28% | – | NHTSA recall #96V260000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 15 | 7.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 14 | 7.3% | – | NHTSA recall #90V177000 |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 11 | 5.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 4.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 6 | 3.1% | – | |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 6 | 3.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 6 | 3.1% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 2.6% | – | |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 5 | 2.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 2.1% | – | NHTSA recall #91V003000 |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 4 | 2.1% | – | |
| Jeep Cherokee stalls while driving | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 3 | 1.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #96V260000December 27, 199652,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with antilock brake system (ABS). The antilock brake system (ABS) hydraulic control unit Can experience excessive brake actuator piston seal wear which could cause pump-motor deterioration.
If this occurs, the ABS function would be lose and reduced power assist would be experienced during vehicle braking. The instrument panel warning lights will signal system impairment and the base manual brakes will remain functional.
Remedy
Dealers will test the vehicle's ABS and repair as necessary. The warranty on all ABS components will be extended to 10 years or 100,000 miles (except for the brake actuator piston assembly and the pump-motor assembly which will have a lifetime coverage). Owners will be reimbursed for previous ABS component repair costs.
NHTSA recall #91V003000October 2, 199133,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
There may be hydraulic fluid contamination from condensation formation that Can plug the ABS brake booster pump filter; stress corrosion of the master cylinder snap ring has been traced to chlorine leaking from the low pressure hydraulic hose which may cause it to break; front brake hose to tire interference which may cause failure of the brake hose.
Contamination of the hydraulic fluid Can causemalfunctioning of the anti-lock brake system; low pressure hose leakage causesloss of brake fluid and also results in corrosion and failure of the mastercylinder snap ring, resulting complete brake failure; failure of the front brakehose due to hose to tire interference will cause failure of one half of thebrake system resulting in a longer stopping distance than expected.
Remedy
Replace ABS low pressure hose; rebuild master brake cylinder; inspect, service interference problems, and replace front brake hose as necessary.
NHTSA recall #90V177000October 2, 1990165,000 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control: cruise control
Malfunction of fuel injection system throttle postition sensor could cause intermittent high engine idle speed immediately after starting engine.
High engine idle when car is first placed in gear couldresult in unexpected acceleration.
Remedy
Replace throttle position sensors with sensors that would send correct signals to the fuel injection system.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1989 Jeep Cherokee.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN