RoadVitals

1988 Jeep Cherokee Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
25
Latest Mar 4, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
26%
of 97 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
3

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Jeep Cherokee submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 25 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistance
Filed Mar 4, 2010
Crash reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO IDLE EXCESSIVELY. THE CONTACT APPLIED BOTH FEET ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. SUDDENLY, THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO A DITCH. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A LOOSE WIRE IN THE THROTTLE BODY SENSOR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE AND THE THROTTLE BODY SENSOR WAS ALSO REPAIRED TWICE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10316792
Incident
Oct 20, 1993
Mileage
30,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 11, 2001
Crash reported

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE RUNNING, CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKE AND PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE. VEHICLE WENT BACKWARD AT HIGH SPEED, AND HIT PARKED VEHICLE. ACCIDENT REPORT STATED VEHICLE WENT 86 FEET, AND HIT PARKED VEHICLE AT 50 MPH. NO INJURIES. $ 2030 DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING AN IDLE PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE PROBLEM CHECKED A NUMBER OF TIMES BY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER DONE TO CORRECT IT, THE IDLING PROBLEM WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED, THE ENGINE WOULD REV AT A HIGH RPM FOR A FEW MINUTES.*SLC

NHTSA ID
897626
Incident
Jul 18, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed May 8, 2001

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS SET ON CRUISE CONTROL AT 60 MPH, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO INCREASE SPEED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE SPEED CONSUMER TRIED THE ON-OFF SWITCH OF THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT, AND ALSO STEPPING ON THE BRAKED HAD NO EFFECT, VEHICLE HAD REACHED 75 MPH CONSUMER REALIZED VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL SO HE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES HE MANAGED TO DRIFT THE VEHICLE ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND STOP IT IN NEUTRAL, CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT INSTANTLY WENT TO FULL THROTTLE CONSUMER TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AGAIN AND HE BEGAN CHECKING THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL EVEN WTH THE ENGINE OFF WAS HOLDING THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL TO ITS MAXIUM CONSUMER PULLED THE TWO VACUUM LINES OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL CONTROLLER AND THIS THEN RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR TO WHERE HE COULD RESTART THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID
561105
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 16, 2001

AFTER STARTING VEHICLE RPM'S GO UP TO 3000, AND WILL NOT GO DOWN. IF VEHICLE IS PUT IN DRIVE AT THAT TIME, VEHICLE WILL TAKE OFF LIKE A ROCKET. CONSUMER HAS TO SHUT OFF VEHICLE AND RESTART. SOMETIMES TWICE BEFORE RPM'S STAY DOWN. 1989 MODELS HAD RECALL ON HIGH ENGINE IDLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
885937
Incident
Oct 1, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 10, 2001

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON HIGHWAY ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALWAYS WENT TO THE FLOOR, THROTTLE STAYED OPEN. COULD STEP ON BRAKES PEDAL TO MAKE THROTTLE CLOSE, BUTIT WILL ACTIVATE AGAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID
885605
Incident
Apr 8, 2001
Driver assistanceFuel system
Filed Mar 27, 2001

STRONG FUEL SMELL, THROTLE STICKS, ENGINE SURGE, TOLD BY AAA FUEL INJECTOR RECALL COMING? IF YES, WHEN?

NHTSA ID
743173
Incident
Feb 1, 2001
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jun 20, 2000

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK AT A VERY HIGH SPEED. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE LURCHED AT HIGH SPEED. *AK

NHTSA ID
863865
Incident
Jun 19, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 12, 2000

POSSIBLE THROTTLE GOT STUCK CAUSING TO USE MORE PEDAL TO SLOW OR TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AFTER STOPPING THE MOTOR WAS RACING AT AROUND 2000 OR MORE RPM. YH

NHTSA ID
552579
Incident
Dec 1, 1988
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 5, 2000
1 injury reported

VEHICEL UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED CAUSING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN INJURIES TO CLIENT (CHRISTOPHER J. MURRAY ATTRONEY FOR CLIENT). NLM

NHTSA ID
552381
Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Oct 8, 1999

WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE, ENGINE WOULD BE IDLING HIGH. SHIFTED VEHICLE INTO DRIVE & IT WOULD JUMP FORWARD. FEET WOULD REMAIN ON BRAKES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ALSO HAPPENS WHEN ENGINE IS WARM, HIGH IDLE CONTINUES WHILE DRIVING. MECHANIC CLEANED THE OUT THE UNIT. ALSO INFORMED OWNER IT WOULD NEED REPLACING AFTER THE PROBLEM RETURNED. *AK

NHTSA ID
850317
Incident
Jun 16, 1999
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 1, 1998

WHILE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE EVEN WHILE THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK

NHTSA ID
827443
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 8, 1998

WHEN VEHICLE FIRST STARTED IT WOULD BE REVVING, & THEN TOOK OFF WITH FOOT NOT ON BRAKES OR ACCELERATOR. HAD TO PRESS VERY HARD ON BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE. PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. TOOK TO DEALER TWICE & ELECTRICAL PARTS REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ID
824061
Incident
Apr 5, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 24, 1998

WHILE STOPPED WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, THE THROTTLE STUCK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO INCREASE IN SPEED. *AK

NHTSA ID
822789
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 5, 1997

VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY ACCELERATES TO 45-50 MPH AS ITS IDLE SPEEDS. *AK

NHTSA ID
526345
Incident
Dec 2, 1997
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 8, 1997

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE THROTTLE STUCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO INCREASE SPEED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
816087
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 4, 1997

AFTER STARTING ENGINE, RPM'S JUMP UP TO 3,000 OR 4,000, HAVE TO TURN ENGINE ON/OFF TO DECREASE ACCELERATION, VARIOUS SPEEDS, OWNER WILL PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
812776
Incident
May 24, 1997
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 3, 1997

INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE ENGINE ACCELERATES BY ITSELF BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR THOUSAND RPMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, WILL ALSO ACCELERATE WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH , HAVE TO APPLY THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR IT TO SLOW DOWN. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
812724
Incident
Jun 2, 1991
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 19, 1996

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE RACED OUT OF CONTROL AND OVERHEATED. ENGINE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP, COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE WITH ABS BRAKES. *AK

NHTSA ID
803590
Incident
Oct 4, 1995
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Oct 7, 1996

FAILURE ON THE THROTTLE, WHEN YOU PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK THE ENGINE RACES TO 1500 RPM; ALSO, REPLACED OXYGEN SENSOR. *AK

NHTSA ID
803260
Incident
Oct 7, 1995
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Aug 9, 1996

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE TO SLOW IT DOWN, ALSO REPLACED 3 STARTER RELAY SWITCHES/ 3 ALTERNATORS/ 3 IGNITION SWITCHES/CRUISE CONTROL/WIRING. *AK

NHTSA ID
987219
Incident
Sep 24, 1993
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 8, 1996

WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED, VEHICLE GOES INTO OPEN THROTLLE POSITION, TO DISENGAGE TURNED ENGINE OFF. *AK.

NHTSA ID
800651
Incident
Aug 7, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 7, 1996

THROTTLE STICKS, CAUSING DIFFICULTY STOPPING VEHICLE UNLESS PUT IN NEUTRAL GEAR.

NHTSA ID
507217
Incident
Aug 7, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed May 20, 1996
Crash reported2 injuries reported

THE THROTTLE STUCK AND THE VEHICLE SHOT FOREWAD AND CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

NHTSA ID
984671
Incident
May 18, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 3, 1995

THROTTLE STICKS INTERMITTENTLY, IN FOR REPAIR , WHEN VECHILE IS STARTED GOES INTO HIGH IDLE. TT

NHTSA ID
969815
Incident
Jan 1, 1995
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 27, 1995

THROTTLE SPEED SENSOR FAILED, CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *SKD

NHTSA ID
489693
Incident
Apr 1, 1995

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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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .