Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Jeep Cherokee submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 89 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.
The 25 most recent of 89, in the owner's own words
I THINK MY JEEP IS REMOTELY BUGGED SOMEHOW, ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND MY BRAKES WORK, ABS LIGHT GOES OUT AND MY BRAKES MAKE NOISE AND PEDAL GOES DOWN FURTHER LIKE I HAVE NO BRAKES. ALSO, TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS STEADY THEN SUDDENLY IT GOES UP AND DOWN. I HAVE CHECKED FLUIDS, HAD BRAKES INSPECTED (REPLACED PADS AND FRONT ROTORS) I WENT TO POLICE SAID THEY HAD NO WAY OF TESTING FOR BUGS.
THE BUTTON AND SPRING POPPED OUT OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER UPON APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE. IT APPEARS THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN MANY SIMILAR INCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE NHTSA INCIDENT NUMBER APPLIED FOR EARLIER MODEL YEARS. THAT NUMBER 95RV172000 WAS OBTAINED VIA INTERNET SEARCH OF JEEP OWNER WEBSITES AND COMMERCIAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE INFORMATION. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS INOPERABLE WITHOUT THE RELEASE BUTTON, HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME THE BRAKE IS IN THE RELEASED POSITION AND VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE. *TR
BRAKE LINE HOSES RUSTED THROUGH RESULTING IN NO BRAKING POWER. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES OCCURRED. *TR
THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPEN AROUND NOV OF 2002, WHILE DRIVING ON A WET ROAD IN TAMPA, FL, SPEED ABOUT 35 MPH. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. WHEN I APPLY MY BRAKES, THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP AND I SLID THROUGH THE STOP SIGN, MISSING TWO CARS. THE REAR BRAKES LOCK UP AT ODD TIMES. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND THE HOUSING HAS BEEN CLEANED, BOTH DRUMS HAVE BEEN TURNED. FLUID HAS BEEN DRAINED FROM SYSTEM AND REPLACED WITH NEW DOT 3 BRAKE FLUID. NO IMPROVEMENT, BRAKES STILL LOCK UP. *JB
DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON TWO LANE ROAD AT ABOUT 20 MPH. VEHICLE IN FRONT OF CONSUMER STOPPED, WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STOP VEHICLE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND, CONSUMER 'S VEHICLE HIT OTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR. AFTER ACCIDENT CONSUMER DROVE HOME BUT STILL HAD NO BRAKES, HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. CONSUMER HAD MECHANIC COME TO HER HOUSE TO EXAMINE VEHICLE. MECHANIC FOUND THAT BRAKE ROTORS WHERE SEPARATED. CONSUMER DONE RESEARCH ON INTERNET TO FIND THAT THERE WAS RECALL 00V136000 ON MAKE/ MODEL AND YEAR, BUT MANUFACTURE TOLD CONSUMER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL .. CONSUMER WAS HAVING PROBLEM FIXED BY REPLACING ROTORS. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED REGULARLY. CONSUMER BELIEVED ROTORS WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER SWIRLED IN ORDER TO AVOID A PEDESTRIAN AND ANIMAL. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A DITCH. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A MEDICAL TECHNICIAN WAS ON DUTY FROM THE AMBULANCE, AND EXAMINED THE DRIVER, WHO WAS OKAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY.*AK
PARKING BRAKE BUTTON POPPED OFF WITH SPRING AS DRIVER WAS TRYING TO ENGAGE PARKING BRAKE. PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT ENGAGE NOW.*AK
ALL FOUR BRAKE ROTORS WORE OUT. DEALERSHIPS REPLACED THE ROTORS TWICE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. ALSO, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
THE EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASE BUTTON POPPED OUT WHEN APPLIED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. THE MECHANIC ORDERED THE PART FOR REPLACEMENT. *NM
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. *AK
BRAKES FAILED AT 20 MPH. REAR-ENDED VOLVO STATION WAGON. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT I NEEDED BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED. CHEROKEE HAD LESS THAN 14,000 MILES ON IT. FIVE MONTHS LATER JEEP RECALLED ROTORS. BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ORIGINAL OEM PARTS (IE. ROTORS) THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST ME IN DISPUTING INSURANCE RATE INCREASE OR COST OF ROTOR/BRAKE REPLACEMENTS. ***NOTE*** JEEP IS ON THIRD SET OF ROTORS AND IS IN NEED OF YET ANOTHER AS THESE ARE WARPED. AND JEEP IS NOT AT THE 100,000 MILE MARK YET! *NLM
AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. *NLM
NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER 12 TIMES FOR RUST MARKS ON THE VEHICLE WHICH THE DEALER DESCRIBED AS FALL OUT AND THEY INSISTED IT WAS SOMETHING THE CONSUMER HAD DONE TO CAUSE IT TO HAPPEN SO SOON, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED, AS THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ALL THE GAUGES WENT OUT AND THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED, THE AIR CONDITION AND RADIO WERE INOPERATIVE AND STILL IS, THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE WHICH WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE ROTORS WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. THE MOST RECENT PROBLEM WAS WITH THE POWER WINDOWS. *JB
THREE MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, RUST MARKS APPEARED. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNTIONED WITH OUT ANY WARNING. THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER AND THE RADIO. THERE IS A THUMPING NOISE IN THE ROTORS THAT WAS FIXED BUT THE NOISE STILL REMAINS. *JG
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. ALSO STATED THAT SHE HAD A RECALL ON THE ROTORS AND HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A SHOP WHO HAD CHANGE THE ROTORS BUT NEVER DID. SO SHE FAIL HER INSPECTION. TS
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN TRYING TO APPLY THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB
A CLUNKING SOUND IS COMING FROM BOTH REAR DRUMS WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM REOCCURS. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR BRAKE DRUMS STARTED AT 23542 MILES (BOTH REAR DRUMS HAD BEEN REPLACED). AT 30889 ON JULY 10, 2002 THE DRUMS FOUND TO BE OUT OF ROUND. TWO WEEKS LATER THE NOISE RETURNED. *SCC
BRAKE ROTOR SEPARATED FROM HUB DURING BRAKING. CONTACTED DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT MY JEEP WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL.*AK
CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE THE EROTORS REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER COMPLETING THE WORK, CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (00V136000) IN THE MAIL REGARDING THE ROTORS. CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR MONIES PAID. *JG
RECALL 00V136000 REPAIRS HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE RECALL PROBLEM. ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES SINCE FIRST TAKEN INTO DEALER FOR RECALL. *AK BATTERY FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. DASH GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO CLUSTER HARNESS FAILURE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. FOG LAMP SWITCH FAILED. THE FRONT PINION SEAL WAS LEAKING. THE BUCKLE FOR REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT BROKE. *YH
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND HAD BOTH FRONT ROTORS TURNED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AKI
ROTORS WERE RECALLED [NHTSA RECALL NO. 00V136/CHRYSLER RECALL NO. 879] AND REPLACED AT 20,400 MILES. AT 32,000, ADDITIONAL NOISE PROBLEMS. REPLACEMENT ROTORS ARE BAD WITH ONLY 16,000 MILES ON THEM! DEALER SAYS DAMAGE TO ROTORS CAUSED BY HEAT FROM PADS, BUT TOP OF LINE CERAMIC PADS WERE USED (LOW-HEAT). MECHANIC SAYS ROTORS ARE DEFECTIVE, ROTORS DON'T JUST MELT. REPLACED ROTORS AT OWN COST. TOOK BAD ROTORS BACK TO DEALER. THEY BLAMED PADS, BUT SEEMED SURPRISED AT THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO THE ROTORS. ACCORDING TO THE COMPLAINTS FILED ON THIS SITE, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE REPLACEMENT ROTORS USED IN THE RECALL. *AK
BRAKE ROTORS HAVE PREMATURELY CORRODED, CAUSING CENTER OF HUB TO SEPARATE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH DUE TO A FAULTY GAS GAUGE.*AK BUTTON POPPED OFF EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER. *SLC
AFTER PARKING VEHICLE, CONSUMER APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE BUTTON AND SPRING POPPED OUT. DEALED ORDERED THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY .*AK THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS FIXED, BUT THE CONSUMER STATES THAT HE WAS NOT SATISFIED. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WAS NOT CLOSING PROPERLY DUE TO MISSING BOLTS. *YH
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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