1994 Jeep Cherokee Problems: Body / frame (510 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 1994 Jeep Cherokee is Body / frame (39% of 510 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 510 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 1994 Jeep Cherokee?
199 of 510 filings named Body / frame (39% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (67 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical, Lights, Seat belts, Cruise / speed control, Steering, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 1993 has 413 reports on file; this year has 510. 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: Body / frame 199 complaints · 39.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 54
- Fires 12
- Injuries 30
- 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 199 | 39.0% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 67 | 13.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 54 | 10.6% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 34 | 6.7% | 25 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 31 | 6.1% | 8 crashes · 2 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 30 | 5.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 17 | 3.3% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 12 | 2.4% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 10 | 2.0% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 424 | 83.1% | 33 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 97V069000 was reported 789 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 97I002000 was reported 839 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 99V340000 was reported 1,762 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 08V056000 was reported 4,774 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 09E025000 was reported 4,746 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 11V279000 was reported 5,471 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 | 27 | |
| 1995-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 1995-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 1995-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 1996-Q1 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 1996-Q2 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 1996-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 1996-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 1997-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 1997-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 1997-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 1997-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 1998-Q1 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 1998-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 1998-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 1998-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 1999-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 1999-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 1999-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 1999-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2000-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2000-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2000-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2001-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 93V161000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 97V069000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 97I002000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 99V340000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E026000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 08V056000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E012000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E025000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 11V279000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE95049 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP95007 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ97004 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ98023 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA99014 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | SQ00009 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA01005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP02005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA12005 |
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 Electrical, Lights, Seat belts, Cruise / speed control, Steering, 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 08V056000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARDS.
- Remedy:
- U.S. DRIVE RIGHT WILL MAKE ALL THE REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS. A REPRESENTATIVE WILL TRAVEL TO THE CUSTOMER'S LOCATION AND MAKE THE MODIFICATIONS ON SITE. THE RECALL WILL BE PERFORMED ON A REGIONAL BASIS BEGINNING MARCH 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT U.S. DRIVE RIGHT AT 1-888-632-5936.
-
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 11V279000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- INADEQUATE LIGHTING COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY OF VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- U.S. DRIVE RIGHT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND MAIL KITS ALONG WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY A QUALIFIED MECHANIC OF THEIR CHOICE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT U.S. DRIVE RIGHT AT 1-888-632-5936.
-
Recall campaign 93V161000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- THE SAFETY BELT ATTACHMENT BOLTS MAY NOT SUPPORT THELOAD OF REAR SEAT PASSENGERS IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT; THEASSEMBLY FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE STATIC LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 210, "SEATBELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." THE INABILITY TO SUPPORT THE LOAD OF REAR SEATPASSENGERS INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO SEAT OCCUPANTS.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE THE TWO INBOARD SAFETY BELT ANCHOR BOLTS WITH LONGER BOLTS ON ALL VEHICLES.
-
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 97V069000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- DUE TO HIGH STEERING LOAD EVENTS, VEHICLES CAN EXHIBIT BROKEN STEERING GEAR ATTACHING BOLTS OR FRAME RAIL CRACKING AT THE STEERING GEAR ATTACHING POINT INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR CRACKS IN THE FRAME RAIL. VEHICLES THAT SHOW CRACKS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH REINFORCEMENT PLATES. VEHICLES THAT ARE FOUND TO BE FREE OF CRACKS WILL HAVE A SLOT CUT IN THE CROSS MEMBER AND THE FILLET WELD WILL BE ADDED.
-
Recall campaign 99V340000
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 10 of 510 complaints · page 1 of 21
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK CASE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 164,000...UPDATED 02/01/16 *BF UPDATED 02/05/16*LJ, 04/19/18 *JB *JS
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY MOTHER WAS REAR ENDED WHICH CAUSED THE FRAME INCLUDING THE SEAT TO COMPLETELY NOT HOLD TOGETHER,, MY MOTHER WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE AS IT PROCEEDED TO ROLL OVER,, KILLING HER INSTANTLY.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICES FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 13V252000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, STRUCTURE) AND 02V053000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: LEVER AND LINKAGE: FLOOR SHIFT). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AFTER RECEIVING THE SAFETY RECALL NOTICE OF THE AFFECTED PARTS ON MY JEEP, I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE GIVEN A CALL BACK WHEN THE SPECIFIC PART CAME IN. 3 MONTHS PAST AND I RECEIVED NO CALL SO I DECIDED TO CALL AGAIN AND YET HAVE TO GET A CALL BACK FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I WOULD HOPE THAT IF IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO SEND ME A RECALL NOTICE IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GET THE ISSUE FIXED. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
LAST YEAR THE NHTB ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE 1994 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE'S ISSUE WITH THE GAS TANK PLACEMENT. IT WAS STATED EACH EFFECTED JEEP WOULD RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION FROM CHRYSLER TO INSTALL A TRAILER HITCH IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT THE GAS TANK FROM ERUPTING. EACH TIME I CALL CHRYSLER/JEEP AT THE 1-800 NUMBER, I RECEIVE "THE PARTS ARE ON ORDER AS WELL AS THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF PARTS". THIS HAS GONE ON FOR 11 MONTHS NOW WITH NO RESOLUTION IN SITE. HOW LONG IS CHRYSLER ALLOWED TO PUT OFF INSTALLING THE TRAILER HITCHES ON THE VEHICLES? I PURCHASED A NEW WRANGLER IN APRIL 14 WITHOUT A TRAILER HITCH AND REQUESTED ONE BE PUT ON AND WITHIN A MONTH THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED THE HITCH. SO IS THERE REALLY A SHORTAGE? I DRIVE THE GRAND CHEROKEE TO WORK EVERY DAY AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE TRAILER HITCH INSTALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 12 MONTHS SINCE THE RECALL AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE RESOLUTION NOW. PLEASE LET ME HOW THIS ISSUE IS GOING TO PROCEED AND BE RESOLVED. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
FOR AT LEAST A YEAR NOW THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO HAVE YOU RECALL JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES YEARS 1993-2004. THEY SAY THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 64 DEATHS DUE TO THIS DEFECT. JUST YESTERDAY, A FAMILY OF 4 WAS OUT ON A DRIVE WHEN THEY WERE REARENDED. THE JEEP BURST INTO FLAMES. THE PAPERS AND NEWS CHANNELS SAY THE GAS TANK WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE AND IT JUST COULDN'T BE STOPPED. THE ENTIRE FAMILY, TWO CHILDREN, AGES 4 AND 11, AND THE PARENTS WERE KILLED IN THIS ACCIDENT. I MYSELF DRIVE A 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND MY GAS TANK IS IN THE BACK OF THE REAR AXLE AND NOT IN FRONT OF IT. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN, AGES 7 AND 12. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND CORRECT IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS TAKING MORE AND MORE LIVES AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. RECALL THE JEEPS AND MAKE CHRYSLER FIX THERE MESS UP. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAVE A 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE NOT ONLY LETS GO SUDDENLY, BUT OFTEN DOES NOT EVEN ENGAGE AT ALL. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CONSUMER REQUESTING INFORMATION ON A 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE. CONSUMER STATES THAT SHE WAS REAR ENDED AT A STOP LIGHT AND WAS PINNED IN THE SEAT BY THE STEERING WHEEL. SHE WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. *KB
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE ON FREEWAY 65 MPH, THE TIRE STARTED TO "BOUNCE", AND SHUTTER..I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED OUT MY TIRE AND SAW THE TREAD STARTING TO COME APART FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE...THE WHOLE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WITHOUT WARNING WHEN SHE PLACED THE GEAR INTO DRIVE. SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. SHE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED HEAD, NECK, AND BACK INJURIES AS WELL AS CUTS AND SCRATCHES ON HER KNEES. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 177,264. UPDATED 09/06/07 *TR
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 1994 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners named Body / frame most often — 199 of 510 reports (39%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 1994 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Electrical, Lights, Seat belts, Cruise / speed control, Steering, 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 1994 Jeep Cherokee?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. 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.