1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 36about this part
- Share
- 4%of 1,028 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 98,245miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 36 complaints about the air bags of the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 4% of the 1,028 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 98,245 miles. 22 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving on the expressway and out of no where the car stick shift got stuck and I tried to avoid the cars and hit the meridia, the car was total lost, but thank god I am alive.”
NHTSA complaint #10535042, filed 2013-08, 188,000 miles“During normal driving down a mountain road, break pedal went to the floor. Attempts make to pump break with no effect. Emergency brake was pulled with no effect. Vehicle slammed into rock wall and then landed into a 10+ foot ravine. Was informed by mechanic the master cylinder failed which caused a near fatal accident with 5 people in the vehicle. I recently found out there was a recall on a replacement master cylinder for that make a model but cannot verify if this was a replacement part or not. I cannot not find any information with casting numbers of effected parts. …”
NHTSA complaint #10895469, filed 2016-08, 200,000 miles“The airbag light started coming on in my 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee so I took it to the dealership where I purchased the Jeep.they told me that the airbag module has gone bad . How can that be when I never had to use it? To get that fix it cost $500. I began looking up on the internet to see the cost of it.I looked at autozone website to see how much the part cost upon that I came across a recall for my Jeep. It's for the air bag light on/accidental deployment. I called daimlerchrysler as stated on the recall .they have given me the run around about the recall. …”
NHTSA complaint #10042923, filed 2003-10, 98,245 miles“The driver owned a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the driver was traveling approximately 70 MPH with the cruise control engaged when he lost consciousness. As a result, the vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags did not deploy. The driver was killed during the failure and the vehicle was destroyed. The failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10423973, filed 2011-09, 100,000 miles“Consumer's vehicle was hit on the driver side at 45 MPH. The front end of the vehicle was severely damaged yet the air bags did not deploy. When consumer's vehicle was hit on the driver's side, it went off road and hit a tree head-on. Consumer suffered injuries on the neck, shoulder, knee and back.”
NHTSA complaint #10057347, filed 2004-03, 100,000 milesAir bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 6% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0% |
| 2023 | 12 | 3% |
| 2022 | 9 | 3% |
| 2021 | 20 | 5% |
| 2020 | 17 | 7% |
| 2019 | 19 | 5% |
| 2018 | 24 | 3% |
| 2017 | 15 | 4% |
| 2016 | 12 | 4% |
| 2015 | 104 | 8% |
| 2014 | 211 | 9% |
| 2013 | 33 | 4% |
| 2012 | 43 | 3% |
| 2011 | 60 | 4% |
| 2010 | 11 | 9% |
| 2009 | 11 | 8% |
| 2008 | 40 | 5% |
| 2007 | 29 | 3% |
| 2006 | 60 | 5% |
| 2005 | 95 | 5% |
| 2004 | 326 | 25% |
| 2003 | 256 | 34% |
| 2002 | 486 | 33% |
| 2001 | 26 | 3% |
| 2000 | 59 | 4% |
| 1999 | 83 | 5% |
| 1998 | 36 | 4% |
| 1997 | 36 | 4% |
| 1996 | 34 | 4% |
| 1995 | 30 | 4% |
| 1994 | 37 | 6% |
| 1993 | 24 | 4% |
Other parts of the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
426 complaintsFuel system
166 complaintsBrakes
161 complaintsEngine cooling
69 complaintsBody and structure
68 complaintsElectrical system
60 complaintsSteering
40 complaintsVehicle speed control
39 complaintsSuspension
32 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
28 complaintsOther or unknown
22 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
18 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology