1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee filed 1,638 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 1,638
involving a crash: 124

Jeep Grand Cherokee 1999: 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 38% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 24% of all complaints
3 Visibility 10% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
5 Seats 6% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
7 Air bags 5% of all complaints
8 Suspension 5% 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: 620 complaints (38% of all), 14 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 386 complaints (24% of all), 70 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 165 complaints (10% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 121 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seats: 91 complaints (6% of all).

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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
4.7 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 3 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: AWD, RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 1,638 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

vibration282 · 17%
knocking, grinding or other noise102 · 6%
stalls while driving81 · 5%
A/C or heater78 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts66 · 4%
windows, sunroof63 · 4%
warning lights, check engine60 · 4%
airbag warning light52 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire42 · 3%
fuel system, fuel smell32 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	620	14
Powertrain	386	70
Visibility	165	2
Engine and cooling	121	1
Seats	91	0
Electrical system	84	1
Air bags	83	21
Suspension	76	3
Fuel system	67	4
Vehicle speed control	57	13
Steering	53	6
Exterior lighting	35	0
Equipment	33	2
Structure	32	2

What owners report

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

The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Air bags · crash · 2015-10-05 · NHTSA complaint #10779860
The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the head that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Air bags · crash · 2015-09-28 · NHTSA complaint #10778083
Went to back car out of the garage, when the car was put in reverse, it immediately accelerated on its own and shot back approximately 60 yards, hit our basketball pole and damaged the driver door and rt. Front quarter panel. Unable to stop it with foot on brake!!!!
Service brakes · crash · 2014-11-18 · NHTSA complaint #10659067
I had a minor hit in rear ..and fuel skid plate got pushed in and almost ruptured gas tank..this happened over a year ago ..now the skid plate is starting to rot/rust out and it would cost over $600.00 to repair ..due to the june 2013 recall of this item I think chrysler should be responsible for this repair ..I…
Suspension · crash · 2014-03-21 · NHTSA complaint #10574099
Front left and right calipers seized causing caliper, pad and rotor overheating and brake rotor cracked and failed causing me to scrape a guard rail while attempting to stop. This is the third brake caliper related failure I have had in the last 24 months.
Service brakes · crash · 2013-03-27 · NHTSA complaint #10504720
30-35 mph tried to round a bend in the road and the steering failed, the steering wheel locked and I was unable to turn the vehicle and crossed the center lane of the road and crashed head-on into a school bus.
Steering · crash · 2007-11-05 · NHTSA complaint #10207988
While parked, the vehicle rolled backwards out of the driveway, drove over a retaining wall, and rested against a neighboring home. The door of the vehicle knocked the contact to the ground and caused minor back and wrist injuries.
Powertrain · crash · 2007-09-14 · NHTSA complaint #10202986
The consumers wife was driving, when all of a sudden the vehicle started to accelerate on its own, she applied the brakes as hard as she could, however the vehicle continued to proceed in a forward motion. The only solution was to place the vehicle into park.
Service brakes · crash · 2007-06-22 · NHTSA complaint #10194435

When owners complained

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

19983
1999153
2000202
2001339
2002255
2003151
200493
200551
200641
200763
200862
200937
201041
201127
201219
201321
201433
201525
201612
20179
20182
20193
20203
20211

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 74 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 1,638, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
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 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, visibility. Total complaints: 1,638. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (17%), knocking, grinding or other noise (6%), stalls while driving (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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.