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1985 problems

FaultScore report

1985 Jeep Cherokee problems

Owners have filed 24 complaints about the 1985 Jeep Cherokee with NHTSA between 1995 and 2003. The largest single group is the seat belts.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Jeep Cherokee

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Not graded

Too few complaints, or too short a model run, to compare fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

Complaints

Crashes reported

Fires reported

Injuries reported

1 complaint reports a death.

How 1985 compares with every other Jeep Cherokee

Click any bar to open that year's report.

1 1 1 1 8 24 26 72 118 287 368 297 175 571 618 732 584 496 553 516 508 329 18 3,965 2,662 2,046 1,927 992 2,418 382 214 73 4 5

73 78 80 81 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 06 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 26

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 1985 Jeep Cherokee

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Seat Belts 6 25.0%

Doors, Latches & Locks 2 8.3%

Seats 2 8.3%

Tires 2 8.3%

Body & Structure 2 8.3%

Brakes 2 8.3%

Transmission & Drivetrain 2 8.3%

1 crashes, 0 fires

Engine & Cooling 2 8.3%

Other & Unspecified 1 4.2%

Equipment & Accessories 1 4.2%

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1 4.2%

Airbags 1 4.2%

1 crashes, 0 fires

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Mar 1995 peak 8 Jul 2003

NHTSA investigations into the 1985 Jeep Cherokee

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

PE89151 Opened 11 Aug 1989 Closed 11 Dec 1989 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SAFETY BELT RETRACTOR

===

EA88009 Opened 16 Nov 1987 Closed 9 Jan 1990 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

ANALYSIS:MANY OF THE REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE PLASTIC VALVE COVER OR THE\TV GASKETING MATERIAL LOSES ITS STRUCTURAL AND/OR SEALING INTEGRITY DUE TOTHE HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMC 258 ENGINE.TESTINGPERFORMED BY A LOCAL FLEET CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THAT UNDER NORMAL DRIVINGCONDITIONS, MOTOR OIL LEAKS IN THE VICINITY OF THE #3 OR #4 CYLINDERS (OVERTHE EXHAUST MANIFOLD) CAN RESULT IN A FIRE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO DESTROY AVEHICLE.AMC HAS ISSUED NUMEROUS TSB'S REGARDING THE PROPER/IMPROPER METHOD OF SEAL-ING THE VALVE COVER-HEAD INTERFACE.1981-84 AMC 6-CYLINDER ENGINES AREEQUIPPED WI...

EA88005 Opened 23 Oct 1987 Closed 28 Mar 1989 VISIBILITY

ELEC. REAR WINDOW

ANALYSIS OF THE COMPLAINTS AND ODI EXAMINATION OF VEHICLES SUGGESTS THATIMPINGEMENT OF THE TAILGATE LOCK DUST COVER AGAINST THE KEY MAY EITHERINDUCE OR CONTINUE UNINTENDED UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE TAILGATE WINDOW.STATUS:CHRYSLER RECALLED BY LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 19, 1987.HOWEVER,WE BELIEVE THAT THE SELF EXAMINATION CALLED FOR IN THE RECALL NOTICE DOESNOT MEET WITH THE INTENT OF THE LAW.CHRYSLER HAS BEEN REQUESTED TOREEXAMINE THE RECALL BY LETTER DATED 11/20/87.

PE88001 Opened 23 Oct 1987 Closed 28 Jan 1988 POWER TRAIN

FIRES CAUSED BY CLTCH LK

NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN DETECTED.===

Recalls on the 1985 Jeep Cherokee

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 1989030 7 Mar 1989 1,153 units in Canada

Brakes

VEHICLES WITH 2.1 LITRE TURBO DIESEL ENGINES HAVE BRAKE SYSTEM VACUUM TANKS WHICH MAY DEVELOP LEAKS DUE TO BUMPER IMPACT. SUCH LEAKAGE CAN CAUSE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST AND AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CORRECTION: BRAKE VACUUM TANKS WHICH ARE MORE CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING BUMPER IMPACT WILL BE INSTALLED ON AFFECTED VEHICLES.

Recall 1984141 7 Nov 1984 115 units in Canada

THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN E-CELL TIMER UNIT INTERFERING WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND POSSIBLY PREVENTING THE ENGINE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE WHEN THE DRIVER HAS REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. LOSS OF ACCELERATOR CONTROL COULD RESULT IN VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Recall 1984139 7 Nov 1984 96 units in Canada

THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN IMPROPERLY TIGHTENED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT UPPER PINCH BOLT. THIS CONDITION COULD POSSIBLE RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Filed 20 Oct 1998 NEW York, NY 1 killed

STRUCTURE

VEHICLE ROLLOVER DURING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH.(ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).

NHTSA complaint #522290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 8 Jul 1996 Stockbridge, MI Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DURING FRONTAL IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE.

NHTSA complaint #986592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 28 Jun 1995 Ventner, NJ Crash 1 injured

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

DIFFERENTIAL FAILED, CAUSING WHEELS TO LOCK UP ,RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT/INJURY.

NHTSA complaint #967938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Filed 2 Jul 2003 Guasti, CA

TIRES

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NORMAL SPEED REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AND TREAD SEPARATED, DAMAGING THE STRUCTURAL UNDERBODY FLOOR PANEL OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #10026488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 2 Jul 2003 Guasti, CA

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NORMAL SPEED REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AND TREAD SEPARATED, DAMAGING THE STRUCTURAL UNDERBODY FLOOR PANEL OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #10026488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 9 Jun 2003 Shawnee, KS

TIRES

WHILE DRIVING TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #10022661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 21 Apr 2003 Denton, TX

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

THE FIREWALL BEHIND THE MASTER CYLINDER RUSTED AND CAUSED THE CYLINDER TO BECOME UNSTABLE THUS AFFECTING THE OPERATION AND PERFORMANCE OF VEHICLE'S CLUTCH. *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10017217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 27 Mar 2001 Oxford, IN

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WOULD BE MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN WHEEL. BRAKES WERE SPARKING WITHOUT BEING APPLIED. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO SHAKE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP , AND MECHANIC FOUND THAT BRAKE PIN BROKE LOOSE AND GOT CAUGHT.

NHTSA complaint #884398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 24 Mar 1999 Livermore, CA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SEAT BELT SHOULDER RESTRAINT PART FAILURE DURING NORMAL USE

NHTSA complaint #704872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 20 Oct 1998 NEW York, NY 1 killed

STRUCTURE

VEHICLE ROLLOVER DURING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH.(ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).

NHTSA complaint #522290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 13 Sep 1998 Lyme, NH

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT

HEATER CONTROLS BURN WIRING AND FANS BECOME INOPERATIVE.

NHTSA complaint #540852 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 14 Jan 1998 Fort Collins, CO

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LOCK

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH AND HIT A PATCH OF ICE IN THE ROAD , RAN INTO MEDIA LATCH CAME LOOSE AND DOOR FLEW OPEN.

NHTSA complaint #820652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 3 Oct 1997 Fullerton, CA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT PRIOR TO RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #510025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 6 Mar 1997 Rialto, CA

SEATS

FAILURE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT, THE SEAT HAS BECOME DETACHED FROM THE FRAME OR THE TRACK OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE SEAT ON TWO OCCASIONS.

NHTSA complaint #807514 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 22 Jul 1996 Austin, TX

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILURE.