1996 Jeep Cherokee Steering Problems

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 TO 75 MPH VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE IN THE FRONT END SO SEVERELY WE HAD TO SLOW COMPLETELY DOWN AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TO A STOP COMPLETELY. THE JEEP IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND I HAVE READ OF OTHER INCIDENTS THAT THEY HAVE NAMED IT THE DEATH WOBBLE. IT COULD HAVE MADE US FLIP OVER AND WE COULD HAVE DIED IN A ROLL OVER. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO US BEFORE AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE SHOCKS, BUT THAT HAS EVIDENTLY NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. IT APPEARS FROM WHAT WE READ AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM IN THE FRONT END AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA ID

11096835

Incident

Jul 15, 2017

Mileage

153,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. IN ADDITION, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED AND THEN BECAME LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW POWER STEERING GAUGE AND A FRONT END ALIGNMENT WERE NEEDED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11090348

Incident

Mar 30, 2018

WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ON THE WASHINGTON DC BELTWAY WHEN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. SUBSEQUENTLY DIAGNOSED AS THE "JEEP DEATH WOBBLE".

NHTSA ID

10948132

Incident

Sep 25, 2016

Mileage

144,000 mi

AFTER VIEWING WEB SITE FOUND INFORMATION ON THIS 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE THIS RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE WAS RECALL INCOMPLETE STATUS PURCHASE THIS JEEP IN AUGUST 2011 NOTICE VEHICLE STEERING BOX WAS LOOSE.I FEEL THAT JEEP WAS NOT UNEXPECTED GOOD HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS AS LOOKING INTO THE DATA PURCHASE THIS FROM THIS COMPANY HAVE TO CALLIN FOR VEHICLE THEY FINALLY SHIP THIS IS NOT SAFE.NEEDSOME ASSISTANCES OF GETTING A REFUND THEY HAD TO KNOW THIS SOME INFO WAS SEND A BOUT THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACE THEY NEVER TRY TO COMPLETE THIS BEFORE SELLIN THE VEHICLE THIS IS UNSAFE THANKS GOD FOR THIS WEB SITE OF COURSE RIDING LIKE THIS NOT COOL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10641475

Incident

Mar 12, 2013

Mileage

125,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH OVER A POT HOLE, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND CONTINUED DRIVING. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V069000 (STEERING) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONTACT WAS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, HE NOTICED A CRACK IN THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE NEAR THE STEERING GEAR BOX. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE HIMSELF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

NHTSA ID

10552049

Incident

Nov 12, 2013

Mileage

146,000 mi

CHEROKEE BEGAN TO SHAKE VERY VIOLENTLY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS RECENTLY AFTER HITTING MINOR BUMPS AT 55 MPH. SHAKING WOULD NOT STOP OR EVEN SUBSIDE UNTIL CAR WAS PULLED OVER. SHAKING SO VIOLENT IT CAUSED AN EXHAUST LEAK. NEVER AN ISSUE UNTIL RECENTLY - SEVERAL RECENT INCIDENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10542606

Incident

Aug 5, 2013

Mileage

265,000 mi

1. EARLY THIS YEAR, JUST AFTER THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY, '09, OUR '96 JEEP CHEROKEE (152K IN EXCELLENT CONDITION) BEGAN SHAKING OR WOBBLING VIOLENTLY AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 52 TO 56 MPH. ON INQUIRING IN A HANDFUL OF WEB SITES ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I LEARNED THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF JEEP CHEROKEE OWNERS AND OWNERS OF OTHER JEEP MODELS IN A BROAD RANGE OF MANUFACTURE DATES BETWEEN '86 AND AS RECENT AS '05. ALSO LEARNED THAT THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE" OR "DEATH SHAKE". ADDITIONALLY, IN MY INTERNET RESEARCH, MANY JEEP OWNERS ATTEMPTING TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM HAVE TAKEN THEIR VEHICLES TO PROFESSIONAL MECHANICS INCLUDING CHRYSLER-JEEP DEALER/SERVICE CENTERS TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RESOLVED, SPEND HUNDREDS, IN SOME CASES WELL OVER A THOUSAND $, ONLY TO HAVE THEIR VEHICLE RETURNED WITH NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE WOBBLE CONDITION. 2. WITH OUR JEEP, THIS WOBBLE HAS NOT SUBSIDED. IT HAPPENS ON EVERY OCCASION WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAYS WHILE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AS WE ACCELERATE UP TO THE 55 MPH RANGE. UPON ACCELERATION, AT APPROXIMATELY 51 TO 52 MPH A VIBRATION BEGINS, THEN UPON ACCELERATING AT 53 TO 55 MPH THE VIBRATION BECOMES A VIOLENT WOBBLE TO THE EXTREME THAT WE HAVE HAD INSTANCES WHEN WE HAD TO DECELERATE DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH OR LESS IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. IF THERE IS A SAVING GRACE OUT OF THIS PROBLEM, IT IS THAT WE CAN ACCELERATE OUT OF THE WOBBLE BY GETTING BEYOND 55 MPH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT IN PHOENIX HIGHWAY DRIVING, THIS IS NOT ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY. THOUGH' NOT IN EVERY INSTANCE AS DURING ACCELERATION, THE SAME CONDITION EXISTS @ 55 DURING DECELERATION AS WE EXIT THE HI-WAY. 3. THUS FAR, AS WE'VE READ AND HEARD OF SO MANY JEEP OWNERS SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AT A PROF. AUTO REPAIR CENTER WITH NO RESOLUTION, THE POSSIBLE REMEDY, AND AVOIDING HIGHWAY DRIVING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10259533

Incident

Jan 3, 2009

Mileage

151,500 mi

THE STEERING GEAR TO MY 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE COMPLETELY CAME OFF THE FRAME RAIL WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING. LUCKILY SHE WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT FIVE MILES PER HOUR. WHAT HAD HAPPEN IS THAT THE THREE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE STEERING GEAR TO THE FRAME RAIL BROKE OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10238783

Incident

Aug 17, 2008

Mileage

116,417 mi

1996 JEEP CHEROKEE STEERING GEAR FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE STEERING GEAR FAILED WHILE MAKING A TURN. CONSUMER STATES THAT SHE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET A SECOND TIME TO GET THIS SAME PROBLEM REPAIRED. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM SHE EXPERIENCED WAS LISTED AS A RECALL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10222857

Incident

Feb 23, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING GEAR BOX FAILED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS CRACKED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT ONLY ONE OF FOUR RECALLS WERE FOUND IN THEIR SYSTEM THAT WERE COMPARABLE TO THEIR RECALLS. WHILE TURNING THE VEHICLE AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POP. SHE HAS REPLACED THIS UNIT THREE TIMES, TOTALING $1,000. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR COSTS AND STATED THAT THEY DO NOT HONOR THE RECALL. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER IS 97V069000 (STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,797. UPDATED 03/06/08. *LJ

NHTSA ID

10211162

Incident

Aug 9, 2005

Mileage

103,000 mi

UNIVERSAL COLUMN WAS CRACKED. REPAIR SHOP (MONRO BRAKES & MUFFLERS) SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 1996 JEEP. I LOOKED UP ON THIS WEB SITE HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/1996/12/JEEP/CHEROKEE/RECALLS/INDEX.HTML.

NHTSA ID

10129425

Incident

Jul 19, 2005

WHILE TRAVELING A BOLT FROM THE STEERING BOX SHEARED OFF. *AK THE STEERING BOX FELL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL STEERING. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO RESTRAINT ON THE STEERING GEAR, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED TOO FAR, BREAKING THE CLOCK SPRING WHICH CAUSED A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE AIR BAGS. *SC

NHTSA ID

10097646

Incident

Oct 16, 2004

Mileage

114,409 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING BOX GEAR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED HE DISCOVERED NEW CRACKS IN THE FRAME SINCE THE DEALER PERFORMED THE REPAIR LAST YEAR. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FOR THE SECOND TIME BECAUSE OF THE STEERING BOLTS BREAKING, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE RECALL WAS FOR SPECIFIC RIGHT HAND JEEP MODELS AND THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS A LEFT HAND JEEP MODEL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10087542

Incident

Aug 9, 2004

Mileage

214,000 mi

CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL 97069000 CONCERNING STEERING GEAR BOX. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. CONSUMER HAD TO PAY $170.00 IN REPAIRS. *AK *CB *JB

NHTSA ID

10026341

Incident

Jun 18, 2003

THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10022275

Incident

Apr 15, 2003

CONSUMER STATES POWER STEERING BEARING FAILS INTERMITTENLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING FUNCTION. TS

NHTSA ID

8021797

Incident

Oct 1, 2002

SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE, CONSUMER STATED THAT STEERING COLUMN FAILED, DEALER REPLACED NEW STEERING COLUMN. *TT

NHTSA ID

563999

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

755962

Incident

Oct 1, 2001

WATER PUMP WENT, CAUSING THE ENGINE COOLANT SENSOR TO GO, TIRE ROD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TOLD THIS WASN'T USUAL UNLESS A LOT OF MILEAGE. COULD THE MILEAGE BEEN ALTERED? WAS THIS VEHICLE IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE I PURCHASED IT?

NHTSA ID

734139

Incident

Apr 8, 2000

POWER STEERING FAILED DUE TO BRACKET HOLDING THE HYDRAULIC PUMP ASSEMBLY FAILING. BRACKET BROKE AND CAUSED BELT AND BELT TO BE THROWN INTO RADIATOR. THIS CAUSED STEERING TO LOCK-UP AND CAR COMING TO STOP IN A FLOWER BED AT APARTMENT COMPLEX. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR A FATALITY. BRACKET AND MOUNTING BOLT FAILED FOR NO APARENT REASON. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO LOCAL REPAIR MECHANIC WHO ORDERED THE PARTS AND REPAIRED THE DAMAGE AT A VERY REASONABLE COST. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT WHEN HE ORDERED THE PART FROM CHRYSLER HE WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY HAD BEEN REPLACING AT FAIRLY HIGH RATE. THIS IS NOT A PART THAT SHOULD FAIL. SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.

NHTSA ID

728448

Incident

Aug 13, 2000

VEHICLE WAS A PART OF MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 8125/ STEERING GEAR CRACKED. VEHCLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AWAITING FOR RECALL PARTS FROM MANUFACTURER. VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVEABLE UNITL IT WOULD BE FIXED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, WHO HAS NOT GIVEN THE CONSUMER ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICE.*AK

NHTSA ID

865361

Incident

Jul 3, 2000

VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE RECALL COMPONENT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE FAILURE HAS CAUSED OTHER BRAKE COMPONENTS TO WEAR EXCESSIVELY AS WELL. (00V-136) *MJS

NHTSA ID

552923

Incident

Mar 23, 1999

STEERING GEAR BOX SHAFT WOBBLES, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO WONDER WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

848756

WHILE DRIVING30 MPH OR ABOVE THE VEHICLE SEVERELY PULLS TO THE RIGHT, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

847031

AT 68,000 MILES POWER STEERING BROKE OFF THE HOUSING PUMP, CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID

837734