1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee: common problems

Owners of the 1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 3
involving a crash: 1

Jeep Grand Cherokee 1992: 3D model with the “Engine and cooling” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Engine and cooling” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: David_Holiday, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 67% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints

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

Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (67% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	2	0
Powertrain	1	1
Vehicle speed control	1	1

What owners report

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

Vehicle was sitting in driveway when motor started to accelerate. Then, vehicle jumped out of gear and went into reverse. Vehicle jumped a fense, and hit a wall. Consumer has yet to contact dealer. Please provide any further information.
Powertrain · crash · 2001-07-06 · NHTSA complaint #892076
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the intake manifold. Also stated that dealer was contacted and stated that the intake manifold was broken and that they are aware of the problem with the model and year but at the same time there is nothing they can do about it because there is no recalls.
Engine and cooling · 2003-01-09 · NHTSA complaint #10002427
Consumer called complaining about the manifold intake been broken. Also stated that dealer was contacted and stated that it is a common problem with the model of vehicle and also said that will only charging the consumer for it because there is no recalls or warranty for the vehicle. Ts
Engine and cooling · 2002-12-20 · NHTSA complaint #10001301

When owners complained

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

20011
20021
20031

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Cherokee has 730 complaints (40 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.

What to check before buying

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.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 3.

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 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 1992 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 1992 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.