What are the most common problems with the 1999 Jeep Cherokee?

Brakes have the most complaints at 102, followed by the power train at 53 and air bags at 38.

Does the 1999 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?

Yes. The by-year fact lists 2 recalls. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.

Is the 1999 Jeep Cherokee reliable?

Owners filed 366 complaints with NHTSA. Check the brakes, power train and engine first.

How is the gas mileage of the 1999 Jeep Cherokee?

See the fuel economy section on this page.

Which year of the Jeep Cherokee is best?

See the by-year comparison on this page for complaints and recalls by year.

1999 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 366 owner complaints on file for the 1999 Jeep Cherokee^[1]. Brakes lead the list with 102 complaints^[2].

366owner complaints^[1]

2recalls^[3]

16–20MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups in the stories we read, biggest first.

Brakes. 102 complaints^[2]. Owners describe ABS warning lights that keep returning after dealer visits, shaking when braking, and a pedal that feels slippery under wet shoes.
Power Train. 53 complaints^[5]. Owners describe grinding and clunking from the transmission and transfer case area, plus a car that rolled after being put in park.
Air Bags. 38 complaints^[6]. Owners describe crashes where the air bags did not deploy.
Engine. 37 complaints^[7]. Owners describe stalling on the road, a broken belt, knocking noises and engine fires.
Visibility. 36 complaints^[8].
Electrical System. 26 complaints^[9].
Steering. 24 complaints^[10].
Suspension. 22 complaints^[11].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 1999 Cherokee is necessarily included.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor (00V136), May 2000. About 589,000 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: reduced braking, parts separating.^[12]
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module-Inactive (00V105), April 2000. About 395,000 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: an air bag that may not work as intended.^[13]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Cherokee 2WD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive^[14]	16 / 20 / 17	$3,950
Cherokee 2WD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive^[4]	18 / 23 / 20	$3,350
Cherokee 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive^[15]	14 / 20 / 16	$4,200
Cherokee 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive^[16]	16 / 22 / 18	$3,700
Cherokee 4WD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive^[17]	16 / 18 / 17	$3,950
Cherokee 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive^[18]	14 / 19 / 16	$4,200
Cherokee 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive^[19]	15 / 20 / 17	$3,950

Safety ratings

NHTSA lists these versions as not rated: 4 DR None^[20].

Engine and size

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
CHEROKEE 2DR/2WD 2.5L SE^[21]	166 in	69 in	64 in	102 in	2,978 lb
CHEROKEE 2DR/4WD 2.5L SE^[22]	166 in	69 in	64 in	102 in	3,126 lb
CHEROKEE 4DR/2WD 2.5L SE^[23]	166 in	69 in	64 in	102 in	3,031 lb

How 1999 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Cherokee model year. The 1999 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
1995	608	6
1996	447	6
1997	390	4
1998	399	5
1999	366	2
2000	369	1
2001	229	2
2014	2,650	13
2015	1,792	11
2016	1,411	9
2017	1,337	6
2018	687	7
2019	1,669	11
2020	328	3
2021	176	4
2022	51	3
2023	3	1
2026	8	4

NHTSA's counts for the Cherokee show 366 complaints and 2 recalls for 1999^[3]. Among the 18 model years listed, 6 have fewer complaints than 1999 and 11 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2023 (3) and the most are for 2014 (2,650)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 1999 Cherokee?

The 1999 Cherokee has 366 complaints on file^[1]. Brakes are the biggest group at 102 complaints^[2]. Air bag complaints stand out because 20 of them mention a crash^[6]. Engine complaints include 9 that mention a fire^[7]. These are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales, so read them as a guide to what to check on a used one.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Jeep Cherokee?: Brakes have the most complaints at 102^[2], followed by the power train at 53^[5] and air bags at 38^[6].
Does the 1999 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?: Yes. The by-year fact lists 2 recalls^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.
Is the 1999 Jeep Cherokee reliable?: Owners filed 366 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. Check the brakes, power train and engine first^[2]^[5]^[7].
How is the gas mileage of the 1999 Jeep Cherokee?: See the fuel economy section on this page.
Which year of the Jeep Cherokee is best?: See the by-year comparison on this page for complaints and recalls by year^[3].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Jeep Cherokee

1999 this page
2000 369 complaints, 1 recall
2014 2,650 complaints, 13 recalls
2015 1,792 complaints, 11 recalls
2016 1,411 complaints, 9 recalls
2017 1,337 complaints, 6 recalls
2026 8 complaints, 4 recalls

Compare all model years of the Jeep Cherokee

All Jeep models

Similar cars from 1999: suvs

1999 Chevrolet Suburban 708 complaints, 1 recall
1999 Dodge Durango 1,967 complaints, 3 recalls
1999 Isuzu Rodeo 564 complaints, 3 recalls
1999 Toyota 4Runner 330 complaints, 0 recalls
1999 Toyota Land Cruiser 23 complaints, 0 recalls

All suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 366 owner complaints on file for the 1999 Jeep Cherokee (41 mention a crash, 18 a fire, 27 injuries, 3 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
102 complaints name the brakes component group (5 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 76,900). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Jeep Cherokee model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Cherokee 2WD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 23 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
53 complaints name the power train component group (11 crashes, 0 fires, 9 injuries, median mileage at failure 70,000). NHTSA vehicle records
38 complaints name the air bags component group (20 crashes, 0 fires, 12 injuries, median mileage at failure 72,600). NHTSA vehicle records
37 complaints name the engine component group (1 crashes, 9 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 71,500). NHTSA vehicle records
36 complaints name the visibility component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 65,000). NHTSA vehicle records
26 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 6 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 78,680). NHTSA vehicle records
24 complaints name the steering component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 125,000). NHTSA vehicle records
22 complaints name the suspension component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 63,307). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 00V136, filed May 10, 2000: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor. NHTSA recall database
Recall 00V105, filed April 11, 2000: Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor / Control Module-Inactive . NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Cherokee 2WD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 20 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Cherokee 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 14 city / 20 highway / 16 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $4,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Cherokee 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Cherokee 4WD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 18 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Cherokee 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive: 14 city / 19 highway / 16 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $4,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Cherokee 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 20 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR None: not rated. NHTSA vehicle records
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, CHEROKEE 2DR/2WD 2.5L SE: length 166 in, width 69 in, height 64 in, wheelbase 102 in, curb weight 2,978 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, CHEROKEE 2DR/4WD 2.5L SE: length 166 in, width 69 in, height 64 in, wheelbase 102 in, curb weight 3,126 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, CHEROKEE 4DR/2WD 2.5L SE: length 166 in, width 69 in, height 64 in, wheelbase 102 in, curb weight 3,031 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

1999 Jeep Cherokee: problems, recalls and fuel economy