1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 14about this part
- Share
- 1%of 1,028 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 159,942miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the engine of the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1% of the 1,028 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 159,942 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“As with many other posts, the vehicle just shut down while driving on the parkway. Pulled off the road put the car in park restarted , waited a minute drove another 20 miles home , no problem. This has happened before in the driveway, or just leaving the house but never on the road. Have replaced ignition switch, both o2 sensors distributor cap, rotor and wires. Fuel pressure is good . Don't expect a fix from chrysler , there are many posts here and online with no fixes. Just thought I'd add my experience to the mix. Time for a new car!”
NHTSA complaint #10593579, filed 2014-05, 206,254 miles“Engine stalls/cuts out without warning while driving at highway speeds, on city streets and sometimes while stopped in traffic. This is an ongoing issue for almost a year. Mechanic cannot find or duplicate the problem. Online forums seem to indicate this is an inherent problem in this product line the incident date below is the latest occurence.”
NHTSA complaint #10884054, filed 2016-07, 182,012 miles“Vehicle will stall out without warning while moving at any speed. Pulling over and restarting the car fixes the issue temporarily. This has been a problem for several years. No error codes are being generated . Replaced o2 sensors and this remains an issue. Looking online, many people have had this same issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11102239, filed 2018-06, 146,200 miles“Bought this vehicle for transportation to work and have not been able to drive it due to safety issues as the timing belt has apparent issues that make the main computer read it wrong from what I am understanding. The vehicle wants to shut off at a red light or stop sign, then kicks back into gear. It seems to drive better on a main stretch, yet falters at slowing to a stop. It is at the manufacture now and has recalls, yet this was not on the list of repairs. …”
NHTSA complaint #10944083, filed 2017-01, 200,000 miles“This vehicle is a safety hazard!!! It just dies at any speed. My daughter and her newborn almost went off the road at highway speeds twice now. Just about everything has been changed and the problem is still there. Why is nothing being done to rectify this problem???? Just go to any Jeep forum and you will find a multitude of people pouring their hard earned money into this same problem and still no fix. What does it take to to get all of these potential killer SUV's fixed??? A certain amount of deaths?????????????”
NHTSA complaint #10681934, filed 2015-02, 160,000 milesEngine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 22 | 71% |
| 2025 | 23 | 29% |
| 2024 | 109 | 43% |
| 2023 | 86 | 21% |
| 2022 | 51 | 19% |
| 2021 | 61 | 15% |
| 2020 | 50 | 21% |
| 2019 | 64 | 17% |
| 2018 | 125 | 15% |
| 2017 | 102 | 28% |
| 2016 | 76 | 24% |
| 2015 | 204 | 15% |
| 2014 | 409 | 17% |
| 2013 | 106 | 13% |
| 2012 | 285 | 17% |
| 2011 | 344 | 21% |
| 2010 | 21 | 18% |
| 2009 | 22 | 16% |
| 2008 | 107 | 15% |
| 2007 | 170 | 15% |
| 2006 | 124 | 10% |
| 2005 | 134 | 7% |
| 2004 | 35 | 3% |
| 2003 | 16 | 2% |
| 2002 | 26 | 2% |
| 2001 | 19 | 2% |
| 2000 | 34 | 2% |
| 1999 | 22 | 1% |
| 1998 | 14 | 1% |
| 1997 | 15 | 2% |
| 1996 | 17 | 2% |
| 1995 | 3 | 0% |
| 1994 | 3 | 1% |
| 1993 | 1 | 0% |
| 1989 | 1 | 20% |
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 complaintsAir bags
36 complaintsSuspension
32 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
28 complaintsOther or unknown
22 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 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