1994 Jeep CHEROKEE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
339 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
115,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1994 model year. Data snapshot: . 25 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Structure:Body:Door:Hinge And Attachments is the most frequently named component, appearing in 99 of 339 complaints (29.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 48 | 14.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 16 | 4.7% |
| Steering behavior | 10 | 2.9% |
| Engine operation | 9 | 2.7% |
| Fuel system concerns | 6 | 1.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 3 | 0.9% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure:Body:Door:Hinge And Attachments | 99 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor | 27 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 |
| Structure:Body:Door | 21 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 15 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | 15 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 14 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 10 |
Structure:Body:Door:Hinge And Attachments: 99; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor: 27; Vehicle Speed Control: 23; Structure:Body:Door: 21; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 15; Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 14; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 10
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 3 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 3 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 6 |
| 150,000 and above | 9 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 3; 75,000 to 99,999: 3; 100,000 to 149,999: 6; 150,000 and above: 9
150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (9). 314 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 66 |
| 1996 | 63 |
| 2000 | 71 |
| 2001 | 54 |
| 2002 | 36 |
| 2003 | 23 |
| 2004 | 10 |
| 2005 | 4 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
1995: 66; 1996: 63; 2000: 71; 2001: 54; 2002: 36; 2003: 23; 2004: 10; 2005: 4; 2007: 4; 2008: 1; 2010: 1; 2011: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 3
Pattern summary
Structure:Body:Door:Hinge And Attachments leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 48 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 16 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10003128 · 2003-01-21 (January 21, 2003)
I APPLIED MY BRAKE, AT A 2MPH TO YIELD TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, BUT FAILED TO STOP. EVEN WITH SNOW, WITH THAT SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD ANY PROBLEM STOPPING. AT TIMES, YOU HEAR CRUNCH ON FRONT WHEELS WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHILE DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACE, IE SNOW, ICE EVEN AT VERY VERY SLOW SPEED
Owner-reported narrative. 96,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003128 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10041778 · 2003-10-14 (October 14, 2003)
MY 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE FRONT PASSENGER ROTOR BROKE INTO TWO PIECES BECAUSE OF EXCESS RUST. WHEN I BRAKED THE CAR PULLED VERY HARD TO THE LEFT. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS FOR ME TO BRAKE. WHEN I LOOKED UP RECALLS FOR 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE'S, CARS PURCHASED AND REGISTERED IN VIRGINIA ARE NOT PART OF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V340000, BUT MARYLAND AND DC CARS WERE ON THE RECALL LIST. I LIVE 5 MILES FROM MARYLAND/DC. YOU SHOULD PUT ALL STATES ON THIS RECALL. I COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE OR DIED YESTERDAY. *LA
Owner-reported narrative. 30 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041778 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10009299 · 2003-02-25 (February 25, 2003)
THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY JERKED AND DID NOT ACCELERATE PAST 20 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TWICE. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 105,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009299 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10024273 · 2003-07-18 (July 18, 2003)
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH RECALL REPAIRS THAT WERE PERFORMED ON THE FLOOR SHIFTER. IT HAD ACTUALLY MADE IT WORSE ON THE SHIFTER BECAUSE THE CONSUMER HAD A HARD TIME SHIFTING GEARS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. *AK IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PLACE THE SHIFTER FROM REVERSE INTO PARK AND WOULD END UP IN NEUTRAL. *SCC *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10024273 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10145831 · 2005-12-21 (December 21, 2005)
DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 97V069000 CONCERNING THE STEERING GEAR BOX. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE CONTACT WILL HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT HIS OWN EXPENSE.*AK UPDATE 1/11/2006 - *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10145831 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10223937 · 2008-04-04 (April 4, 2008)
CONSUMER REQUESTING INFORMATION ON A 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE. CONSUMER STATES THAT SHE WAS REAR ENDED AT A STOP LIGHT AND WAS PINNED IN THE SEAT BY THE STEERING WHEEL. SHE WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. *KB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10223937 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10781739 · 2015-10-13 (October 13, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK CASE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 164,000...UPDATED 02/01/16 *BF UPDATED 02/05/16*LJ, 04/19/18 *JB *JS
Owner-reported narrative. 164,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10781739 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 507730 · 1996-08-20 (August 20, 1996)
ENGINE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 507730 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10409104 · 2011-06-27 (June 27, 2011)
FOR AT LEAST A YEAR NOW THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO HAVE YOU RECALL JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES YEARS 1993-2004. THEY SAY THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 64 DEATHS DUE TO THIS DEFECT. JUST YESTERDAY, A FAMILY OF 4 WAS OUT ON A DRIVE WHEN THEY WERE REARENDED. THE JEEP BURST INTO FLAMES. THE PAPERS AND NEWS CHANNELS SAY THE GAS TANK WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE AND IT JUST COULDN'T BE STOPPED. THE ENTIRE FAMILY, TWO CHILDREN, AGES 4 AND 11, AND THE PARENTS WERE KILLED IN THIS ACCIDENT. I MYSELF DRIVE A 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND MY…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10409104 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10605495 · 2014-06-24 (June 24, 2014)
LAST YEAR THE NHTB ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE 1994 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE'S ISSUE WITH THE GAS TANK PLACEMENT. IT WAS STATED EACH EFFECTED JEEP WOULD RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION FROM CHRYSLER TO INSTALL A TRAILER HITCH IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT THE GAS TANK FROM ERUPTING. EACH TIME I CALL CHRYSLER/JEEP AT THE 1-800 NUMBER, I RECEIVE "THE PARTS ARE ON ORDER AS WELL AS THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF PARTS". THIS HAS GONE ON FOR 11 MONTHS NOW WITH NO RESOLUTION IN SITE. HOW LONG IS CHRYSLER ALLOWED TO PUT OFF INSTALLING THE TRAILER HITCHES ON THE VEHICLE…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10605495 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 503416 · 1996-04-19 (April 19, 1996)
ROUTING OF WIRING HARNESS UNDER WHERE LEFT FOOT RESTS CAUSED INSULATION TO BE WORN AWAY, SHORTING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/CAUSING FIRE. *DH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 503416 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 879435 · 2001-01-31 (January 31, 2001)
WIRING HARNESS UNDER DASH HAS CORRODED, CAUSING WIRES TO MELT. DEALER IS INSPECTING VEHICLE.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 879435 at NHTSA ↗