1990 Jeep Cherokee Problems: Brakes (265 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 1990 Jeep Cherokee is Brakes (54% of 265 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 265 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 1990 Jeep Cherokee?
142 of 265 filings named Brakes (54% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Cruise / speed control (48 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights, Cruise / speed control, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 1989 has 190 reports on file; this year has 265. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Brakes 142 complaints · 53.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 15
- Fires 11
- Injuries 9
- Deaths 5
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 142 | 53.6% | 9 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 48 | 18.1% | 5 crashes · 1 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 18 | 6.8% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 12 | 4.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 9 | 3.4% | 0 crashes · 3 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 6 | 2.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 5 | 1.9% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 4 | 1.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 3 | 1.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 216 | 81.5% | 9 crashes · 10 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 96V260000 was reported 697 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 97I002000 was reported 820 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 98V005000 was reported 1,078 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 09E025000 was reported 5,131 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 1995-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 1995-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 1995-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 1996-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 1996-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 1996-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 1996-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 1997-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 1997-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 1997-Q3 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 1997-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 1998-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 1998-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 1998-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 1998-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 1999-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 1999-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 1999-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 1999-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2000-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2000-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2000-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2001-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 90V177000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 91V063000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 91V003000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 96V260000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 97I002000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 98V005000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E026000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E012000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E025000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA90024 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE91067 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE93057 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE95049 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE96053 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA97001 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights, Cruise / speed control, and Brakes.
-
Recall campaign 06E026000
Safety recall 06E026000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
-
Recall campaign 09E012000
Safety recall 09E012000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
-
Recall campaign 09E025000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
-
Recall campaign 90V177000
Cruise / speed control
- Report date
- Component:
- Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
- Consequence:
- HIGH ENGINE IDLE WHEN CAR IS FIRST PLACED IN GEAR COULDRESULT IN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS WITH SENSORS THAT WOULD SEND CORRECT SIGNALS TO THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
-
Recall campaign 91V003000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- CONTAMINATION OF THE HYDRAULIC FLUID CAN CAUSEMALFUNCTIONING OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM; LOW PRESSURE HOSE LEAKAGE CAUSESLOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND ALSO RESULTS IN CORROSION AND FAILURE OF THE MASTERCYLINDER SNAP RING, RESULTING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE; FAILURE OF THE FRONT BRAKEHOSE DUE TO HOSE TO TIRE INTERFERENCE WILL CAUSE FAILURE OF ONE HALF OF THEBRAKE SYSTEM RESULTING IN A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE THAN EXPECTED.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE ABS LOW PRESSURE HOSE; REBUILD MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER; INSPECT, SERVICE INTERFERENCE PROBLEMS, AND REPLACE FRONT BRAKE HOSE AS NECESSARY.
-
Recall campaign 91V063000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- DETACHMENT OF THE HOSE FROM THE ABS SYSTEM CAUSES THELOSS OF THE ABS FUNCTION AND HYDRAULIC BRAKE ASSIST, LEAVING ONLY MANUAL BRAKESAND DECREASING STOPPING ABILITY, WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. DISCHARGE OFHYDRAULIC FLUID IN THE AREA OF THE HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINECOMPARTMENT FIRE.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE THE ABS HIGH PRESSURE HOSE.
-
Recall campaign 96V260000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS, THE ABS FUNCTION WOULD BE LOSE AND REDUCED POWER ASSIST WOULD BE EXPERIENCED DURING VEHICLE BRAKING. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS WILL SIGNAL SYSTEM IMPAIRMENT AND THE BASE MANUAL BRAKES WILL REMAIN FUNCTIONAL.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL TEST THE VEHICLE'S ABS AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. THE WARRANTY ON ALL ABS COMPONENTS WILL BE EXTENDED TO 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES (EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKE ACTUATOR PISTON ASSEMBLY AND THE PUMP-MOTOR ASSEMBLY WHICH WILL HAVE A LIFETIME COVERAGE). OWNERS WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR PREVIOUS ABS COMPONENT REPAIR COSTS.
-
Recall campaign 97I002000
Cruise / speed control
- Report date
- Component:
- Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
- Consequence:
- PEDAL MISAPPLICATION BY A DRIVER CAN CAUSE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SHIFT INTERLOCK ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OF THESE VEHICLES.
-
Recall campaign 98V005000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- THE REDUCED STRENGTH CAN ALLOW THE CAST IRON WEAR SURFACE TO SEPARATE FROM THE HUB, REDUCING THE BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VEHICLE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE ROTORS WITH ROTORS THAT ARE COATED WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 5 of 265 complaints · page 1 of 11
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 1990 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 30-45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that he increasingly applied pressure on the brake pedal until the vehicle responded. There was a 100-feet stopping distance delay. The dealer was notified of the failure and declined to diagnose the vehicle. The contact provided a description of the failure to the dealer who informed him that the brake pump motor assembly needed to be replaced; however, the parts were no longer available nationwide. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 96V260000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which he associated with the failure; however, the parts were not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 195,492.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT FAILED TO STOP TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED TO STOP VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE VACUUM PUMP MOTOR FAILED. THE CONTACT CALLED CROWN DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM LOCATED AT (6300 KING DR, VENTURA, CA 93003 ([redacted]) BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 164,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 96V260000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) YEARS BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CROWN DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM (6300 KING DR, VENTURA, CA 93003) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND THE PUMP MOTOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER WAS NO LONGER MAKING THE PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE BRAKE ACTUATOR PISTON ASSEMBLY AND THE BRAKE PUMP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH PARTS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. HAWK CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP (7911 W ROOSEVELT RD, FOREST PARK, IL 60130, ([redacted]) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED, BUT REFUSED TO PROVIDE A LIFETIME WARRANTY FOR BOTH PARTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL OR LIFETIME WARRANTY FOR THE PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO SOLUTION OTHER THAN HAVING THE DEALER REPLACE THE PART. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY 4YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND I WERE ON OUR WAY HOME WHEN MY BRAKES ALMOST COMPLETELY WENT OUT AT ABOUT 45MPH. LUCKILY WE WERE ON A STRAIGHT COUNTRY BACKROAD WITH A GRAVEL SHOULDER TO AID IN SLOWING DOWN. TOWED THE JEEP TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP 2 WEEKS LATER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC ON 04/24/2017 WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THE ISSUE TO BE THE ACTUATOR PUMP UNDER A #702 RECALL. I WAS GIVEN 2 OPTIONS, SELL MY JEEP TO CHRYSLER FOR ~$600 OR GET IT REPLACED WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS WITH BOTH PARTS AND LABOR TO BE COVERED BY CHRYSLER. CONSIDERING I HAD PURCHASED THE XJ (SO CLEAN AT THE TIME) FOR $3000 PLUS HAD DROPPED $1,100 ON NEW TIRES TWO MONTHS PRIOR IN FEBRUARY I DID NOT FIND SELLING IT FOR ~$600 A FINANCIALLY WISE DECISION. SO I OPTED WITH GETTING THE PARTS REPLACED. WELL FOR THE PAST 4 MONTHS NOW WHENEVER I CHECK IN ON MY JEEP, THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP INFORMS ME THEY ARE STILL WAITING ON PART NUMBERS FROM CHRYSLER SINCE THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES HAVE NOT COME ACROSS THIS RECALL YET AND WHEN I CONTACT CHRYSLER I AM JUST INFORMED THAT THEY NO LONGER MAKE THE ORIGINAL PARTS AND ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR ONE LEFT OUT THERE. THIS LAST WEEK THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE AN ORIGINAL PART PLUS THE OFFER STILL STANDS FOR ~$600. I HAVE YET TO GET A RESPONSE THIS PAST WEEK ABOUT THE OTHER OPTION I ORIGINALLY AGREED UPON (REPLACING WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS). I DON'T SEE $600 AS A SOLUTION TO THE RECALL AS BOTH NADA AND KBB PRICE MY JEEP FROM $2,200-$4,900 IN MY AREA (BEND, OR). I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO GET MY BELOVED JEEP BACK UP TO SAFETY STANDARDS FOR MY DAUGHTER AND I. I LOVE JEEP, PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE SHORTED MONEY OR SAFETY BECAUSE OF NEGLECT TO REPAIR. THANKS FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO READ THIS.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 1990 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners named Brakes most often — 142 of 265 reports (54%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 1990 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights, Cruise / speed control, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 1990 Jeep Cherokee?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.