1991 Jeep Cherokee problems & reliability
233 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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.
10 complaints report injuries (14 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Jeep Cherokee vehicles were involved in 6 fatal crashes with 4 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 | 145 | 62% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 14 | 6% |
| Power Train | 13 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 7 | 3% |
| Seats | 6 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 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 172,602 miles (middle 50% between 140,195 and 182,000 miles), based on 22 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1991 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to slow as needed. The brake warning light was illuminated. The depressed the brake pedal with extreme force and the vehicle came to a stop. The dealer was contacted but the…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Nov 8, 2022
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 jeep cherokee. When the contact engaged the brake pedal, it became stiff and had to be depressed several times to stop the vehicle. The contact also had to depress the brake pedal from a greater distance to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The brake warning indicator remained…”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 15, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 jeep cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal noise and the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard. The contact lost brake functionality while being operated on the highway and the abs warning indicator illuminated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The vehicle…”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 15, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SUDDEN ACCELERATION
Defect Petition DP02005 · opened Apr 25, 2002 · closed Sep 10, 2002
- 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
- VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION
Defect Petition DP95007 · opened Nov 17, 1995 · closed Dec 5, 1995
- 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
Technical service bulletins
17 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 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
The outer exhaust manifold studs may fatigue and break. *yc
110798 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 1998
Information on installation of radio transmitting equipment. *ak
081698 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 1998
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 1991 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 1991 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 172,602 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.