1990 Jeep Cherokee problems & reliability
270 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Jeep Cherokee. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (13 injured, 5 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Jeep Cherokee vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 143 | 53% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 54 | 20% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 28 | 10% |
| Power Train | 17 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 2% |
| Seats | 6 | 2% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 142,868 miles (middle 50% between 119,900 and 195,492 miles), based on 21 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1990 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 30-45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that he increasingly applied pressure on the brake pedal until the vehicle responded. There was a 100-feet stopping distance delay. The dealer was…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Oct 28, 2022
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 jeep cherokee. While driving at an unknown speed, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop to stop the vehicle. The parking brake was engaged to stop vehicle. The vehicle was towed to contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the vacuum pump…”
Service Brakes · filed Mar 3, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 jeep cherokee. While the brake pedal was depressed, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 96v260000 (service brakes, hydraulic) years before the failure. The vehicle was…”
Service Brakes · filed Mar 6, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- BRAKE DISC/HUB SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA97001 · opened Jan 13, 1997 · closed Jan 9, 1998 · led to recall 98V005000
- BRAKE DISC/HUB SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE96053 · opened Sep 5, 1996 · closed Jan 13, 1997
- REAR AXLE SHAFT SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE95049 · opened Aug 17, 1995 · closed Jan 26, 1996
- DRIVESHAFT/UNIV.JOINT FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE93057 · opened Jun 14, 1993 · closed Oct 29, 1993
- STEERING GEAR LOCKUP
Preliminary Evaluation PE91067 · opened Apr 16, 1991 · closed Jun 14, 1991
- FAILED ANTILOCK BRAKES
Engineering Analysis EA90024 · opened Apr 26, 1990 · closed Jan 14, 1991 · led to recall 91V003000
Technical service bulletins
18 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Jeep Cherokee. The 10 most recent:
Child Seat Tether Anchor Installation This bulletin describes procedures to install Child Seat Tether Anchors based on Customer Request. Retrofits are subject to part availability. Vehicles in the following list that…
23-014-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2015
Subject regarding floor pan corrosion. *slc
2302602 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 10, 2002
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
2300800B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
230800 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2000
This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts. *tt
080600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2000
Subject on the child seat tether anchors. *mjs
233599REVA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
Information on child seat tether anchors. *tt
233599 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 1999
Information on installation of radio transmitting equipment. *ak
081698 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 1998
Subject on customer satisfaction notification #733--brake pedal shift interlock. *yc
98733 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1997
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Jeep Cherokee in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Jeep Cherokee?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 142,868 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.