1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee: common problems

Owners of the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee filed 893 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 893
involving a crash: 135

Jeep Grand Cherokee 1996: 3D model with the “Powertrain” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Powertrain” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: David_Holiday, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 31% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 12% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
5 Structure 10% of all complaints
6 Steering 8% of all complaints
7 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
8 Suspension 6% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 280 complaints (31% of all), 82 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 111 complaints (12% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel system: 107 complaints (12% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 88 complaints (10% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 85 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
5.2 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: AWD, RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 893 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

fuel system, fuel smell62 · 7%
stalls while driving59 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise40 · 4%
steering or power steering problems39 · 4%
vibration36 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire34 · 4%
rollaway, parking brake33 · 4%
rust, corrosion30 · 3%
A/C or heater21 · 2%
won't start19 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	280	82
Service brakes	111	3
Fuel system	107	6
Engine and cooling	88	2
Structure	85	1
Steering	67	2
Electrical system	65	2
Suspension	50	5
Tires	35	1
Vehicle speed control	35	10
Air bags	34	29
Fuel/propulsion system	28	0
Equipment	26	1
Latches, locks, linkages	21	0

What owners report

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

I had my power steering bracket break into 3 pieces, causing me to go through 2 pulleys and 4 serpentine belts before figuring out the problem. I have also experienced the "death wobble" a few times at speeds between 40-50 mph. It is very disturbing and scary and forced me off the road.
Steering · crash · 2017-05-07 · NHTSA complaint #10983935
While parked, the vehicle rolled away independently at 5 to 10 mph. The vehicle crashed into the bounty wall. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 176,000.
Powertrain · crash · 2016-03-09 · NHTSA complaint #10845799
The air bags did not deploy either on initial impact or the rollover. She was wearing her seat belt. Has there ever been a recall on these vehicles pertaining to these air bags failing? My wife may still be alive today if not for this defect.
Air bags · crash · 2014-03-11 · NHTSA complaint #10568623
The air bags did not deploy. The contact was injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer stated that the air bags should have deployed (after inspecting) but were unable to diagnose the reason why they did not. The vehicle also stalled intermittently before the crash.
Engine and cooling · crash · 2010-11-05 · NHTSA complaint #10364152
Upon impact, the rear of the jeep where the gas tank was located immediately burst into flames. The consumer's wife was burned to death. The consumer stated the jeep was designed with an unprotected fuel tank located in the most vulnerable position behind the axle and below the bumper with no type of protection.
Fuel system · crash · 2010-09-22 · NHTSA complaint #10357528
Recall campaign 02v053000, consumer left the vehicle in the driveway, went into the house, and the vehicle rolled down the driveway, and struck a tree, damaging the right rear tail light/ lift rear door, and bumper. Consumer did not remember receiving recall for inadvertent movement.
Powertrain · crash · 2005-02-07 · NHTSA complaint #10110928
Upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle did not have enough impact to deploy the air bags. The front grill was pushed into the engine.
Air bags · crash · 2004-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #10087885
On august 21, 2003 I was in car accident which caused me to loss control of the vehicle and not be able to gain it back I went up on two and crashed into a median the truck over three times and I came out of the seat belt and landed in the passenger seat. I did have on my seat belt but came up out of it.
Air bags · crash · 2004-06-10 · NHTSA complaint #10075172

When owners complained

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

19954
199625
199765
199856
199971
2000104
2001222
2002118
200341
200425
200511
20064
20078
20088
20096
201012
20113
201212
201313
201452
201522
20168
20173
20182
20192
20201
20211
20231
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 289 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Cherokee has 730 complaints (40 years in the data). This year has 893, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes, fuel system. Total complaints: 893. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (7%), stalls while driving (7%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 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 1996 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 1996 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.