1991 Jeep Grand Cherokee: common problems

Owners of the 1991 Jeep Grand Cherokee filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 6
involving a crash: 1

Jeep Grand Cherokee 1991: 3D model with the “Service brakes” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Service brakes” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: David_Holiday, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
4 Structure 17% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 3 complaints (50% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 1 complaints (17% of all).

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	3	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Powertrain	1	1
Structure	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Normal operation consumer came upon an object applied the brakes and the vehicle rolled over twice, causing the differential to seperate from the vehicle. Please provide more details.
Powertrain · crash · 1997-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #808413
Tl* the contact owns a 1991 jeep grand cherokee. After the engine was started, hydraulic fluid leaked out. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact about the vehicle being involved in a customer satisfaction campaign that included a warranty for the life of the vehicle,…
Service brakes · 2017-07-24 · NHTSA complaint #11010347
Dt: the contact stated that while driving the dashboard light for abs came on. While trying to mash the brakes and stop the pedal went to the floor. The vehicle would not stop, and the contact had to pull the emergency brake to come to a stop. After this, the vehicle had zero braking ability.
Service brakes · 2005-10-19 · NHTSA complaint #10140252
After replacement of catalytic converter ( new item 3omph) and exhaust system turned a bright orange suddenly fire seeped from the undercarriage: flames 3--4 inches from fuel tank.
Engine and cooling · 1997-11-19 · NHTSA complaint #819266
Applied pressure on pedal brakes would not stop. No response from anti lock braking system. Tt
Service brakes · 1995-05-02 · NHTSA complaint #964672

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19951
19972
19981
20051
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Cherokee has 730 complaints (40 years in the data). This year has 6, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1991 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, powertrain. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (17%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1991 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1991 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.