1985 Jeep Cherokee Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1985 Jeep Cherokee, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts627.3%
- Interior & seats418.2%
- Body & structure29.1%
- Tires & wheels29.1%
- Brakes29.1%
- Airbags14.5%
- Visibility14.5%
- Heating & air conditioning14.5%
- Engine14.5%
- Powertrain (other)14.5%
- Transmission14.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEAT BELT SHOULDER RESTRAINT PART FAILURE DURING NORMAL USE
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT PRIOR TO RECALL.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH AND HIT A PATCH OF ICE IN THE ROAD , RAN INTO MEDIA LATCH CAME LOOSE AND DOOR FLEW OPEN. *AK
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. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
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. *AK
VEHICLE ROLLOVER DURING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH.(ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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. *AK
WHILE DRIVING TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
DURING FRONTAL IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEATER CONTROLS BURN WIRING AND FANS BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. *SD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. *SD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
DIFFERENTIAL FAILED, CAUSING WHEELS TO LOCK UP ,RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT/INJURY. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. *SD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .