Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1981 Jeep Cherokee, most frequently naming the interior & seats category. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 2 NHTSA investigations name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
2 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govVISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
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 WITH A PLASTIC VALVE COVER WHICH HAS 5 GUIDE PINS AND 2 FASTENERS.THE COVER USED IN LATER MODELS WAS RE-DESIGNED TO HAVE 5 ATTACHING POINTS,AND THIS NEW VALVE COVER CAN BE USED ON OLDER ENGINES BY MEANS OF AMODIFICATION KIT.AS EXPECTED, COMPLAINTS OF ENGINE FIRES IN 1985 MODELSDROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, INDICATING THAT THE ADDITION OF THE NEW VALVE COVERMAY HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM.STATUS: IR TO THE MANUFACTURER SENT 12/1/87.PROPOSED ACTION: OPEN AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.===
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.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
WHEN INSTALLING THIS AFTERMARKET SEAT SLIDER, THE FIRST BOLT TIGHTENED TWISTED OFF SO EASILY IT COULD HAVE ONLY BEEN THE EQUIVALENT OF A GRADE#1 BOLT. I AM CONCERNED THAT IN ANY TYPE OF COLLISION OR ROLLOVER., THE SEAT WOULD SEPARATE FROM THE SLIDER ALLOWING THE OCCUPANT TO BE THROWN OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ITEM WOULD FAIL IN A SIMPLE ROLLOVER FROM THE WEIGHT OF THE OCCUPANT ITSELF IRREGARDLESS OF VEHICLE SPEED. *AK
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 59.9 |
| 2021 | 150 | 4 | 0 | 64.9 |
| 2020 | 278 | 3 | 0 | 61.9 |
| 2019 | 1,611 | 11 | 0 | 60.1 |
| 2018 | 680 | 7 | 1 | 59.9 |
| 2017 | 1,325 | 6 | 1 | 58.7 |
| 2016 | 1,403 | 9 | 2 | 60.8 |
| 2015 | 1,780 | 11 | 4 | 61.1 |
| 2014 | 2,639 | 13 | 3 | 59.2 |
| 2006 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 27.2 |
| 2001 | 229 | 8 | 1 | 60.7 |
| 2000 | 369 | 7 | 1 | 61.4 |
| 1999 | 366 | 8 | 1 | 61.0 |
| 1998 | 398 | 11 | 1 | 59.0 |
| 1997 | 390 | 10 | 2 | 63.1 |
| 1996 | 447 | 10 | 1 | 61.9 |
| 1995 | 608 | 11 | 9 | 67.7 |
| 1994 | 519 | 9 | 9 | 66.5 |
| 1993 | 418 | 7 | 15 | 66.7 |
| 1992 | 113 | 5 | 9 | 69.5 |
| 1991 | 233 | 9 | 6 | 67.7 |
| 1990 | 270 | 9 | 6 | 66.8 |
| 1989 | 191 | 6 | 3 | 66.4 |
| 1988 | 97 | 4 | 3 | 61.9 |
| 1987 | 57 | 9 | 7 | 67.9 |
| 1986 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 67.6 |
| 1985 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 65.4 |
| 1984 | 7 | 7 | 4 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | 1 | 3 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 1981Viewing | 1 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 1980 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1978 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1973 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.