Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 57 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1987 Jeep Cherokee. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 57 · page 1 of 3
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AT THIS TIME FOR DIAGNOSTICS TEST. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 86V159000 REGARDING THE STEERING LINKAGES. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THIS VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALLS; 97I002000 CONCERNING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL , RECALL 88V106000 CONCERNING THE POWER ASSIST HYDRAULIC SERVICE BRAKES/RECALL 87V035000 CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES/ 86V159000 CONCERNING THE STEERING LINKAGES, AND 86V160000 CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM DELIVER: HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS. SHE CONTACTED DAIMLER/CHRYLSER, AND THEY STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS DUE TO VIN. *AK
THE CONSUMER NOTICED PINK FLUID ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. THE GASKET AND SEALS WERE REPLACED ON THE TRANSFER CASE. HOWEVER THE LEAK CONTINUED. AFTER PARTS WERE REPLACED AND TRANSMISSION WAS PUT ON DEALERSHIP FOUND A POROUS LEAK IN WHICH A SMALL PIN HOLE WAS IN THE SIDE TOP OF TRANSFER CASE NEAR AIR VENT. THE TRANSFER CASE HAS TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SC
STEERING COLUMN SNAPPED. AS A RESULT, STEERING FAILED. *AK
THIS JEEP IS UNPREDICTABLE BECAUSE IT ACCELERATES FOR NO EXPECTED REASON IT SEEMS TO GET STUCK ON A HIGH THROTTLE IDLE SPEED WHEN I FIRST TURN IT ON. I WOULD TURN IT ON AND IT WILL ACCELERATE AT VERY HIGH REVOLUTIONS , IT SOUNDS LIKE ITS GOING TO EXPLODE, SO I TURN IT OFF THEN ON AGAIN AND IT WILL DO THE SAME THING, I WILL TURN IT OFF AND ON A COUPLE OF TIMES AND MAYBE IT WILL GET BACK TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED, ALL THIS WHILE THE CAR IS IN PARK. AND SOMETIMES I WILL TURN IT ON AGAIN AND IT TURNS ON LIKE NORMAL LIKE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. IF I TURN IT ON AND ITS ACCELERATED AND I TAKE FOR A RIDE IT FEELS LIKE ITS GOING TO TAKE OFF ON ME AND WHEN I STEP ON THE CLUTCH IT MAKES A HISSING NOISE. THIS PROBLEM SUCKS BEACUSE WHEN I TAKE IT TO THE MACHANICS NOTHING SHOWS UP AS A PROBLEM ...BECAUSE IT IS UNPREDICTABLE WHEN ITS GOING TO DO IT. SO I LOOK LIKE THE FOOL TRYING TO SHOW THE MECHANIC WHAT IT MAY DO.
WHEN BRAKING AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. RECALL 87V03500 WAS ISSUED, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL THE KEY WAS TURNED OFF. THE ENGINE WOULD RACE WHILE TRYING TO STOP AND WOULD OVERCOME THE USAGE OF FULL BRAKING. THE ENGINE RACING HAD OCCURRED DURING THE START OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE WOULD BE TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN, THEN WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL. *SCC *JB
STEERING COLUMN WOBBLES AT TILT JOINT . ON LEFT TURNS, STEERING COLUMN LOCKS IN POSITION MAKING CAR UNDRIVEABLE. *NLM
THE CONSUMER WAS SITTING IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE IDLING IN FRONT OF A HOSPITAL ENTRANCE, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. SIX PEOPLE WERE INJURED. *JB
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE AND HIT AN EMBANKMENT. AND ROLL THREE OR MORE TIMES. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE NOTICED THERE WAS SMOKE SEEPING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
WHEN TURNING VEHICLE ON ON FULL THROTTLE CANNOT STOP VEHICLE IF PUT IT IN GEAR. CONTACTED MECHANIC. THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM.*AK
ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *AK
WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AT IDLE SPEED, THE IDLER PULLEY SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND ALMOST HIT THE CONSUMERS HEAD, IT BOUNCED OFF THE CONSUMERS GARAGE WALL AND IMPACTED THE GARAGE CONCRETE FLOOR, THE BEARINGS WITHIN THE IDLER PULLEY FAILED, CAUSING THE PULLEY BOLT THREADS TO BACK OUT OF THE HOUSING. *YD
THE BEARINGS WITHIN THE IDLER PULLEY (NUMBER 53002905) FAILED CAUSING THE PULLEY BOLT THREADS TO BACK OUT OF THE HOUSING, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING WITH THE HOOD UP SLIGHTLY ABOVE ENGINE IDLE SPEED WHEN IDLER PULLEY SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND BECAME AIRBORN. NLM
THE ACCESSORIES WIRE [BROWN IN COLOR] OVERHEATS AND MELTS CAUSING THE SOCKET ASSEMBLY AND THE IGNITION SWITCH TO ALMOST CATCH ON FIRE. THAT ONE WIRE ON 1987 AND EARLY MODELS HAPPENS ALOT. I RESEARCHED A NUMBER OF JEEPS IN SALVAGE YARDS LOCALLY. JEEP MUST HAVE DISCOVERED THE DEFECT LATER MODELS HAVE AN EXTRA RED WIRE ON THAT SOCKET TO TAKE UP SOME OF LOAD ON THAT WIRE. I HAVE'NT FINISHED MY RESEARCH YET TO FIND WHAT YEAR THEY ADDED THE EXTRA WIRE. *AK
THE VEHICLE SLIPPED INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR. NLM
WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, BEARING WITHIN THE IDLER PULLEY FAILED, THE PULLEY BOLT THREADS BACK OUT OF THE HOUSING, THE IDLER PULLEY SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND TORPEDOED PASS OWNER'S HEAD, PULLEY COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED ANYONE IN ITS PATH. *CJ
BOTH REAR BUMPER BRACKETS COMPLETLY RUSTED OUT & REAR BUMPER DISCONNECTED FROM RIGHT BRACKET & HANGING ONLY BY ONE BRACKET & DRAGGING ON GROUND BEHIND VEHICLE AS IT WAS MOVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE BUMPER COULD HAVE FALLEN OFF AND PRESENTED A SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD TO FOLLOWING VEHICLES.
CONSUMERS SON WAS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY FRONT RIGHT TIRES TREAD COMPLETELY PEELED OFF, CONSUMERS SON BRIEFLY LOST CONTROL OF AUTO, NO INJURY WAS SUSTAINED, TIRES ONLY HAD 8-10000 MILES- THEY WERE FIRESTONE TIRES SIZE P205R/7515 FR360.*AK *SLC
BOUGHT FULL SET OF TIRES 2 YEARS AGO. OVER ONE YEAR I HAD 6 FLAT TIRES FROM PUNCTURES, ONE OF WHICH PUNCTURED THE TIRE SO BAD AS TO MAKE IT UNREPAIRABLE. FOUR OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE DRIVING ON NORMAL ROADS, THE OTHER TWO ON GRAVEL ROADS. SO CALLED 'ALL TERRAIN' TIRES SHOULD NOT BE SO PRONE TO PUNCTURING. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/15 )
BALL BEARING BUSHINGS RESTRAINED BY METAL BAND IN STEERING COLUMN BOTH SEPARATED AS WELL AS ELONGATE ALLOWING BALL BEARINGS TO FALL OUT, RESULTING IN STEERING LOCKING, POPPING NOISES AND LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. CAN BE EASILY DETECTED BY JIGGLING THE STEERING WHEEL, STEERING WHEEL WITH MOVE UP AND DOWN AND SIDE TO SIDE ONCE BEARINGS HAVE DISLODGED. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AFTER THE THIRD INCIDENT, SO I VISITED A JUNKYARD, I INSPECTED 7 JEEP CHEROKEE'S STEARING COLUMNS AND 2 HAD THIS PROBLEM. MY LAST INCIDENT WITH THIS PROBLEM WAS IN FEBRUARY 2000, I DISPOSED OF THIS VEHICLE IN APRIL 2000 DUE TO THIS REOCCURING PROBLEM. *AK
POSSIBELE ENGINE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE LOST SPEED AND OVER HEATED, CATCHING FIRE AND RSULTING IN TOTAL DAMAGE. YH
1. ACCELERATOR STICKS INTERMITTENTLY, HAVE TO RESTART JEEP SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IT TO IDLE DOWN. IF I AM TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD IT WILL ACCELERATE BY ITSELF UP TO 3500 RPM MAKING BRAKING DIFFICULT. HAVE TO PULL OVER AND RESTART JEEP UNTIL IT UNSTICKS ITSELF. 2. HAVE NOTICED REALLY LOOSE FRONT END FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT IT FROM DEALER. I REPLACED A TRACKING ARM AND FRONT SHOCKS, NOW IT IS MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE AT LOW SPEED TURNS, I READ UNDER NHTSA DEFECTS THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS STEERING PROBLEM. *AK
SPEED CONTROL WOULD ENGAGE BY ITSELF WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHED 50-55 MPH, AND ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT RELEASE UNTIL VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED OF NHTSA RCALLS # 87V-022 000, EQUIPMENT/SPEED CONTROL; AND 87V-035 000 : THROTTLE LINKAGES & ACCELERATOR. MANUFACTURER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER EITHER RECALL DUE TO VIN. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH TOOK FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE THROTTLE STAYED OPEN, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. *AK
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.
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