1999 Jeep Grand Wagoneer: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Jeep Grand Wagoneer filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 9
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
2 Air bags 11% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
4 Equipment 11% of all complaints
5 Seats 11% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
7 Steering 11% of all complaints
8 Suspension 11% 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: 2 complaints (22% of all).
Air bags: 1 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Seats: 1 complaints (11% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

knocking, grinding or other noise3 · 33%
A/C or heater2 · 22%
airbags did not deploy1 · 11%
stalls while driving1 · 11%
windows, sunroof1 · 11%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	2	0
Air bags	1	1
Engine and cooling	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Seats	1	0
Service brakes	1	0
Steering	1	0
Suspension	1	0
Visibility	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.

Consumer was driving at 35 mph when vehicle was hit on the right side. Vehicle spinned around and was hit again head-on, and then hit again on the right side. Upon impact, driver side and passenger's side air bag didn't deploy.
Air bags · crash · 1999-09-30 · NHTSA complaint #849507
Jeep a/c blower door fails. Prevents warm air on the passenger side and forces cold air throught the defogger.
Equipment · 2007-11-18 · NHTSA complaint #10209247
No heat comes into passenger area from heater. Windshield won't defrost. While driving, ice accumulates on windshield inside and out. Visibility problem. Sometimes I have to hang my head out window to see road.
Visibility · 2007-01-11 · NHTSA complaint #10178493
Seat has broken away from frame. Seat and safety belt would not have been able to restrain driver in the event of an accident. Seat replaced, and old seat is still available.
Seats · 2006-03-04 · NHTSA complaint #10151763
After many, many unsuccessful repairs, I am still unable to drive this vehicle due to front drive train as well I can?t hear myself talk due to the whining noise the rear end makes. I have done extensive research on the internet and there is wealth of web pages dedicated to jeep owners with the same exact problems.
Powertrain · 2005-01-23 · NHTSA complaint #10107779
Brake rotors have been grinded by the dealer. The calipers were defective, and they were not covered since the warranty expired.
Service brakes · 2004-12-07 · NHTSA complaint #10103251
While driving at 45 mph the center pin within the tie rod gave away and the consumer was able to slow the vehicle down and come to a stop. Dealer can't determine the problem.
Steering · 1999-10-07 · NHTSA complaint #850197
There is alot pulling within the suspension. Also, a lot of noise is coming from the transmission. Consumer thinks transmission is falling out, and the vehicle stalls.
Powertrain · 1999-07-29 · NHTSA complaint #843799

When owners complained

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

19993
20042
20051
20061
20072

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Wagoneer has 9 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 9, about average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Jeep Grand Wagoneer?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, air bags, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (33%), A/C or heater (22%), airbags did not deploy (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Jeep Grand Wagoneer?

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 Wagoneer 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.