1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Typical pattern

17.5% of complaints about the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 1999 vehicle — around the middle of the 201 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 3.1 yr in service. The most-reported system is service brakes, hydraulic (564 complaints), typically at 2.1 yr or about 30,000 miles.

Complaints: 1,936
Median age at failure: 3.1 yr
Median mileage: 82,000 n=675
Crash / fire / tow: 9.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 10

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Service brakes, hydraulic

564 reports · 30,000 mi

2.1 yr

Power train

375 reports · 61,000 mi

2.2 yr

20.5%

Visibility

163 reports · 95,000 mi

7.9 yr

2.5%

Engine cooling

103 reports · 96,500 mi

3.1 yr

4.9%

Seats

91 reports · 110,000 mi

10.7 yr

3.3%

Electrical system

85 reports · 122,361 mi

6.3 yr

11.8%

Air bags

80 reports · 120,000 mi

9.7 yr

23.8%

Suspension

56 reports · 52,800 mi

3.3 yr

5.4%

Steering

55 reports · 100,000 mi

2.8 yr

9.1%

Fuel system

51 reports · 83,469 mi

4.2 yr

7.8%

Speed control

48 reports · 117,000 mi

2.2 yr

31.2%

Exterior lighting

36 reports · 90,000 mi

8.5 yr

2.8%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09E025000 2009-05-11

Exterior lighting:headlights

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

09E012000 2009-04-07

Exterior lighting

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06E064000 2006-07-17

Exterior lighting

CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06E022000 2006-03-13

Service brakes, hydraulic

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.

LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN LEAD TO A DECREASE IN BRAKE LINE PRESSURE AND AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06E023000 2006-03-13

Exterior lighting:headlights

CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06E011000 2006-02-01

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET AIRTEX ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS INSTALLED FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN 1997-2004 JEEP WRANGLER; 1997-2001 JEEP CHEROKEE; 1997-2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE; AND 2000-2003 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLES. THE PLASTIC ELECTRICAL GROMMET CONNECTORS AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP MODULE ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH AUTOMOTIVE FUELS AND MAY DEGRADE CAUSING A POTENTIAL LEAK PATH FOR FUEL.

IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FUEL LEAK COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

02V104000 2002-04-08

Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:injectors

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.0L ENGINE ONLY, THE DESIGN OF THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLDS COULD ALLOW DEBRIS TO ACCUMULATE AT THE #3 CYLINDER LOCATION.

THIS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

01V119000 2001-04-11

Seat belts:front:retractor

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN VAN, WAGON, PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES." THE FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MAY NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

IF THE RETRACTOR DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, IT WILL NOT ADEQUATELY PROTECT OCCUPANTS IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

00V034000 2000-02-04

Seat belts

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE TURNING LOOP (ATL) TOP MOUNTING BOLT WAS INADEQUATELY MANUFACTURED.

THE AFFECTED MOUNTING BOLTS MAY NOT WITHSTAND SUFFICIENT FORCE TO FUNCTION PROPERLY IN CERTAIN IMPACT SITUATIONS, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO A BELTED OCCUPANT.

98V276000 1998-11-04

Seat belts:rear/other

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE REAR OUTBOARD SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SPRING CAN DISENGAGE FROM THE REWIND MECHANISM, DISABLING THE RETRACTOR FUNCTION, AND PREVENTING THE BELT FROM FITTING SNUGLY AROUND THE OCCUPANT.

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

In owners’ own words

Engine cooling mileage not reported 0 mo in service

THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, AND AFTERWARD THE ENGINE STARTED TO STALL. WHEN DRIVING AND MAKING TURNS, THE VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF, AND SOMETME'S CAN HEAR A LITTLE NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. *AK

Engine cooling mileage not reported 6 mo in service

VEHICLE SAG/HESITATE, ATTEMPT TO STALL UPON ACCELERATION,DEALER DUPLICATED PROBLEM ON TEST DRIVE, BUT UNABLE TO FIX. NOTED TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS ALSO 1 QUART LOW, UNUSUAL FOR NEW VEHICLE.

Engine cooling mileage not reported 10 mo in service

THE MOTOR HAS A METALLIC TYPE KNOCKING OR TAPPING NOISE THAT INCREASES IN RAPIDITY AS THE RPM INCREASES UNTIL IT BECOMES A HIGH PITCHED SCREAMING TYPE SOUND. THE DEALER REFUSES TO ACCEPT THIS AS A PROBLEM SINCE OTHER 1999 6 CYLINDER JEEPS DO IT ALSO. HOWEVER MY 1996 JEEP WITH THE SAME ENGINE DIDNOT MAKE THESE NOISES. *AK

Other mileage not reported 0 mo in service

THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, AND AFTERWARD THE ENGINE STARTED TO STALL. WHEN DRIVING AND MAKING TURNS, THE VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF, AND SOMETME'S CAN HEAR A LITTLE NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. *AK

Other Grand Cherokee model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.