14 of the
553 complaints about the 1998 Jeep Cherokee are about the
lighting — 3% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
175,500 miles.
IT STARTED WITH THE LIGHTS TURNING OFF WHEN I HIT A BUMP. THE WHOLE JEEP WOULD GO DARK. INSTRUMENT PANEL, OVERHEAD LIGHTS, DRIVING LIGHTS, ALL OF THEM! THEN AFTER PARKING THE JEEP, DAY OR NIGHT, THE ALARM SYSTEM WOULD GO OFF ALL BY ITSELF. THE DOOR SWITCHES LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THEN THERE WAS THE RADIO THAT WOULD TURN ON AND OFF BY ITSELF. THEN THE WINDOWS DECIDED TO STOP GOING UP AND DOWN. WHEN I WOULD START THE JEEP THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES WOULDN'T MOVE, TURN ON. SO, I WOULD TURN OFF THE JEEP AND RESTART IT. SOME OF THE GAUGES, WOULD TURN ON BUT OTHERS, WOULD NOT, LIKE THE FUEL TANK GAGE, SPEEDOMETER GAGE. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, THERE WOULD BE A PUDDLE OF WATER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. I STILL TO THIS DAY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT TO HAPPEN EVERY DAY AND EACH TIME IT WAS TURNED ON. THEN THERE IS THE TRANSMISSION AND REAR END THAT STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. IT STARTED TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR AND THE REAR END MADE A NOISE. I HAD ALL THE OIL LEVELS CHECKED OUT, BUT STILL IT WOULD HAPPEN. I DO RECALL GETTING A FLYER IN THE MAIL, REGARDING A RECALL, BUT IT ALSO SAID THAT THE DEALER, DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHY WOULD YOU SEND OUT A FLYER THAT YOU HAVE NO WAY OF FIXING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET THE PART'S? ! AND ARE YOU EVEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE WORRY YOU PUT ME THROUGH? IT BECAME ANOTHER REASON TO PARK THE JEEP. HOW COULD YOU DO.THIS, TO SO MANY PEOPLE? WITH ALL THESE STRANGE THINGS HAPPENING TO THE JEEP, I HAD TO DO WHAT WAS BEST FOR MY SAFETY, AS WELL AS, THOSE WHO WERE ON THE ROAD DRIVING AROUND ME. I JUST COULDN'T LIVE WITH MYSELF, KNOWING THAT I COULD HAVE COST SOMEONE OR MYSELF INJURY OR DEATH, BY HAVING THE JEEP ON THE ROAD KNOWING IT WAS HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS. IT HAS NOW BEEN CLOSE TO THREE-YEARS SINCE THE LAST TIME I DROVE IT.
NHTSA complaint #10746163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 231,000 milesCromwell, INCrash1 injured
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK HEADED SOUTH ON I-69 IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA. I HAD JUST PASSED THE INDIANA STATE ROAD 14 UNDERPASS WHEN A SEMI TRUCK TIRE AND RIM (THE WHOLE THING) CAME OFF A SEMI TRUCK AND ROLLED ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC WHERE MY JEEP HIT IT. IT HIT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY JEEP. DIRECTLY IN THE FRONT BUT THE RIGHT HALF OF THE BUMPER/FRONT END. THE TIRE THEN WENT UNDER MY CAR WHERE IT FORCED ME TO SLIDE IN TO THE CEMENT MEDIAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY HITTING MY DRIVER SIDE FRONT BUMPER AT ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR OR SO. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.
NHTSA complaint #10671740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Deerborn, MI
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH
WHEN TURNING ON HEADLIGHTS, CONSUMER HAS TO WIGGLE SWITCH TO GET HEADLIGHTS TO COME ON. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES BEFORE HEADLIGHTS COME ON, VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALER.*AK CONSUMER STATES AT TIMES,THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILS TO ACTIVATE UPON STARTING THE ENGINE. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #8013116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Elgin, IL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS
RECALL 00V136000 REPAIRS HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE RECALL PROBLEM. ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES SINCE FIRST TAKEN INTO DEALER FOR RECALL. *AK BATTERY FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. DASH GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO CLUSTER HARNESS FAILURE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. FOG LAMP SWITCH FAILED. THE FRONT PINION SEAL WAS LEAKING. THE BUCKLE FOR REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT BROKE.
NHTSA complaint #8011077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Iowa City, IA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT
TURN LIGHT SIGNAL DOES NOT CANCEL ON RIGHT TURNS AND TURN LIGHT SIGNAL DOES NOT FUNCTION ON RIGHT TURNS
NHTSA complaint #741559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
West Hempstead, NY
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS
WHEN CONSUMER BACKS OUT THERE ARE NO BACK UP LIGHTS. ALSO, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT IS VERY LOOSE. THE LOOSE GEARSHIFT IS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA complaint #864533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LOS Angeles, CA
INTERIOR LIGHTING
THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT VIBRATES. YH
NHTSA complaint #551041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LOS Angeles, CA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
GLOVE BOX LIGHT IS INOPERATIVE. YH
NHTSA complaint #551041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SAN Diego, CA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTION. YH
NHTSA complaint #609274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fries, VA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN HEADLIGHTS GET DIM. ALSO, WHEN CONSUMER PUTS THE HEAT ON AND WHEN VEHICLE GETS WARM, HEADLIGHTS GO DIM.
NHTSA complaint #838169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tidioute, PA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS DIMMED, AND CONSUMER WAS AFFECTED BY THE LOW LIGHTING ON THE ROAD.
NHTSA complaint #836753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Omega, GA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
WHENEVER THE AIR CONDITIONER IS TURNED ON, THE HEAD LAMPS WOULD GO DIM. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER & PROBLEM COULD NOT BE FOUND. IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS IN USE. TAKING VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER.
NHTSA complaint #833775 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Linden, MI
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHTS DIM WHEN AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR CYCLES.
NHTSA complaint #700868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
North Broo, MA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHT FLICKER CONSTANTLY WHEN DEFROSTER, A/C, HEATER ARE ON CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.
NHTSA complaint #542236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.