1996 Jeep Cherokee from North America - Comments

Not once, but twice, I have replaced the

stick shift knob.

Had to replace the battery seemingly early.

Had to replace both hatchback shocks.

The air conditioner went down hard, but I can't remember what broke (<$500)

About half of the rubber body side molding has come off.

Early on I had several emission problems repaired under warranty.

Console latch broke almost immediately.

Perhaps I got a lemon, but I would not recommend a Jeep Cherokee to anyone. Although many of the above problems were cosmetic, many also were not.

I've experienced the same: shifter knob broke (replaced w/aftermarket knob). Hatchback shocks never last more than 5 years before they quit. A/C on mine died - $700 quote to fix (forget it; I'll sweat). Console latch failed as well.

You have a 4-cyl; seems to me that the Cherokee is more suited for a 6 or 8-cyl (I wouldn't have bought mine if it had a 4-banger).

All the same problems you have, but I'm still happy with this vehicle. After all, it's a Jeep (I consider it a 'Bic lighter' of vehicles).

How strange. At 96k miles my 1996 Cherokee (Sport Classic) has absolutely nothing broken or missing, nothing replaced, all hinges and latches original and working, all interior & exterior trim perfect, paint as shiny as new, upholstery/carpet/headliner perfect, all gaskets (including manual sunroof) flexible and tight, leather steering wheel cover like new, cigar lighter still works, all gauges accurate, washer/wipers perfect, heat/defrost/AC/cruise/4WD original and working like new.

There's some deterioration of the front doors gaskets where the latches hit and I'll replace those eventually; I removed the lousy cup holder because it was inconvenient & replaced it w/a great $15 one from eBay; though the orig. radio/cassette player was still working fine I put a new Kenwood CD changer in two years ago. But that's it.

It hasn't been babied by any means. It's spent its life in the rust belt, It's never been garaged though I do keep it parked in shade at home. I have a dog (often two) riding with me most of the time, and 17 grandchildren I frequently haul around.

All I've done is keep it waxed (Zaino'd in recent years), get an underbody wash weekly in the winter, keep all hinges/latches lubricated, treat the rubber/plastic/leather trim regularly w/the proper protectorants, keep good heavy rubber floor mats for the winter, sheepskin seat covers all winter (year round for the dog's back seat).

We've had many very fine cars--Toyota Cressida, Cadillac Seville, Buick,

Volvo 850, Mercedes--and the Cherokee's finish/accessorizing has proved to be at least as good as any of these. (And it's been BY FAR the most mechanically reliable and inexpensive to maintain.)

Strange? See if any of you find this entry strange!

I too have a 96 cherokee classic, 6cyl, 4x4 and it has 118K miles on it. I have replaced, the radiator $300, the water pump $135, the power steering pump $200, the rear differential $600, the brake booster $190, the front brake rotors and the rear drums $500. Last saturday I replaced the heater vacuum valve $17.00 - I'm glad I fixed it at the beginning of winter! I also replaced (for the second time) the drive belt.

This 'Jeep' is a piece of junk.

Anyone considering buying a jeep, run the opposite direction and buy a japanese or german made car.

However, if your bank account needs emptying and you would like to bond closer to your local mechanic, by all means buy a jeep cherokee.

I find it hard to believe. I too have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 HO Inline 6, which I have had since brand new.

I'm yet to have a major problem like any of the ones stated. The most major work I have completed on this car is replacing the alternator and the belts. That's it! Small things like tune up and oil changes keep an already healthy car in awesome shape!

It has 116,000 miles now and still can beat some sports cars off the line. Like I said, just maintain the car!

I too have been plagued by owning a Jeep Cherokee. I really like the power of the 6-cylinder engine, the shift on the fly 4WD, and the size/concept of the vehicle. The overall quality of my vehicle is abysmal.

People seem to be at polar opposites when it comes to these trucks. Every time I fix a load of things on the vehicle (100K by the way), I feel good about the truck, start to get the "Jeep" thing, then it requires another repair. I have to replace the car with something less "needy".

I owned an older Range Rover Classic with many more miles, much more style, and better out of the box off-road capabilities and was under the hood/car less than this Jeep. I was in a bad accident in the Rover and walked away unscratched. If I were in the Jeep, some of the constantly vibrating plastic somewhere in the cockpit could have come loose and caused injury.

I am glad there are satisfied Jeep owners to buy these cars and parts for the sake of an American car company, I can't do it anymore.

RE: 11th Dec 2006, 21:22.

Those are all normal wear-and-tear items for a '96. If you have a '96 and you haven't changed the water pump, timing belt, the differential oils and coolant regularly, they are bound to fail. Any of the items you mentioned would wear out on any Toyota truck or any other vehicle... give me a break.