2001 Jeep CHEROKEE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
229 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
59,650 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: . 104 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor is the most frequently named component, appearing in 32 of 229 complaints (14.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 58 | 25.3% |
| Steering behavior | 29 | 12.7% |
| Engine operation | 6 | 2.6% |
| Transmission and shifting | 5 | 2.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 5 | 2.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 1.7% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor | 32 |
| Seats | 18 |
| Suspension | 12 |
| Air Bags | 11 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 11 |
| Electrical System | 9 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 9 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 8 |
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor: 32; Seats: 18; Suspension: 12; Air Bags: 11; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 11; Electrical System: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 8
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 26 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 15 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 22 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 14 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 19 |
| 150,000 and above | 8 |
Under 25,000: 26; 25,000 to 49,999: 15; 50,000 to 74,999: 22; 75,000 to 99,999: 14; 100,000 to 149,999: 19; 150,000 and above: 8
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (26). 125 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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4 |
| 2001 | 33 |
| 2002 | 51 |
| 2003 | 29 |
| 2004 | 27 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 10 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
2000: 4; 2001: 33; 2002: 51; 2003: 29; 2004: 27; 2005: 9; 2006: 8; 2007: 5; 2008: 10; 2009: 9; 2010: 4; 2011: 6; 2012: 4; 2013: 10; 2014: 8; 2015: 4; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 2; 2020: 1; 2021: 1
Pattern summary
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 58 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 29 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 6 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 10018791 · 2003-05-16 (May 16, 2003)
FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS ARE WARPING APPROXIMATELY EVERY 10,000 MILES. THIS CAUSES THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PULSE AND THE STEERING WHEEL TO ROTATE A FEW DEGREES LEFT AND RIGHT DURING BRAKING. JEEP'S WARRANTY SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDES BRAKE ROTORS AFTER 12,000 MILES, LEADING ME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN OR MATERIAL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE ROTORS. ROTORS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN THE BRAKE PADS. *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10018791 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10018807 · 2003-05-16 (May 16, 2003)
THE ROTORS ARE WARPED ON MY JEEP AFTER LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY INCLUDING THE STEERING WHEEL. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DEFECT THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF. TOO BAD THEY WON'T ADMIT IT. HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE BECOME A RECALL. *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 19,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10018807 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10017034 · 2003-05-05 (May 5, 2003)
FRONT END OF VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. DRIVER MUST COME TO A NEARLY COMPLETE STOP IN ORDER TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT'S BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO SEVERAL DEALERS, UNDERGOING OVER $1,000 IN REPAIRS, BUT NOTHING HAS SOLVED THIS PROBLEM. BEGAN AT 18,000 MILES AND CONTINUING NOW AT 58,000 MILES. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017034 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10107142 · 2005-01-10 (January 10, 2005)
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ENGINE STALLED. WHILE SERVICING THE VEHICLE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT STALLING WAS DUE TO FLOODING OF THE ENGINE.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10107142 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10163495 · 2006-07-26 (July 26, 2006)
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE LOW BEAM STOPPED WORKING. BOTH PROBLEMS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE EITHER PROBLEM.
Owner-reported narrative. 50,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10163495 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10011994 · 2003-03-18 (March 18, 2003)
WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION DECELERATED EVEN WHEN THE DRIVERS FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT ALSO BECAME HARD FOR THE DRIVER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10011994 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10142907 · 2005-11-16 (November 16, 2005)
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE COMPUTER SHOWED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION JERKED WHILE IN MOTION AND CHANGING GEARS. HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN, BUT THE REPLACEMENT STARTED SMOKING. THE DEALER REPLACED AN OIL SEAL AND THE SMOKING CONTINUED. AFTER THE TRANSMISSIONS WERE REPLACED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO STAY ILLUMINATED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10142907 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10232752 · 2008-06-30 (June 30, 2008)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM ALARM KEPT SOUNDING IN THE VEHICLE. THE ALARM, HORN, AND ALL THE LIGHTS WOULD ACTIVATE. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 30-45 MINUTES BEFORE THE FAILURES WOULD STOP. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE DEALER PLACED A KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE KEY BECAME STUCK. THE DEALER ALSO INSTALLED A NEW COMPUTER, WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE COMPUTER WAS…
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10232752 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10297685 · 2009-12-31 (December 31, 2009)
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN 2001 JEEP CHEROKEES ARE AWFUL IT STARTS OUT AS THE GAUGES, THEN THE DOME LIGHT, THEN TO EVERYTHING ELSE COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10297685 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10070160 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)
WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED YOU CAN SMELL GAS FUMES, WITHIN MINUTES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE IS TAKEN INTO DEALER. DEALER TESTS IT AND SAYS IT A LEAK. THEY CAN'T FIND IT AND THEY RESET THE LIGHT. WITHIN 2 WEEKS THE SAME THING HAPPEN. THEY REPLACED THE GAS CAP A FEW TIMES AND CHANGED A GASKET ABOVE THE FUEL TANK. THIS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. JUST RECENTLY THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER TWICE IN A MONTH. THE DEALER SUGGESTED TRADING IN THE VEHICLE AND CHANGED THE GAS CAP AGAIN. THE LAST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN THEY SUGGESTED …
Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10070160 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10534002 · 2013-08-07 (August 7, 2013)
NO INCIDENT YET, JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHEN I WILL RECEIVE MY RECALL LETTER TO TAKE TO A DEALERSHIP TO GET THE FRAME MOUNT HITCH TO PROTECT MY FAMILY AND GAS TANK FROM A REAR END CRASH? *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10534002 at NHTSA ↗