1988 Jeep Cherokee Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1988 Jeep Cherokee. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 118 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the vehicle speed control. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Upon pulling out the driveway power steering was lost. The gear box dropped. There was another frame welded to the original frame. Found that the vehicle had been in an accident. Contacted the dealer. *ak”
“The rear passenger tire experienced tread separation. *jb the consumer was driving when loud noise had come from the right rear wheel well. The exact same problem happened to the left front tire. (model peerless force 4) *scc”
“Jeep cherokee driver side seat belt buckle does not stay latched... The mechanism has collapsed inside the buckle.. Daimler-chrysler refuses to replace this part of the seat belt under warranty.. This is a chronic problem with these older jeep cherokee seat belt buckles... This is the second older…”
“No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak”
“Vehicle was parked with engine running, consumer applied brake and put vehicle in reverse. Vehicle went backward at high speed, and hit parked vehicle. Accident report stated vehicle went 86 feet, and hit parked vehicle at 50 mph. No injuries. $ 2030 damage to vehicle. *ak consumer stated the…”
“When I come to a stop or near stop, and turn either to the left or right, the engine shuts down as I start entering into the intersection. It does this only when I have turned the steering wheel to start my turn. It has actually stalled when I'm nose out into traffic. Most of the time it will…”
“Dt* the contact stated that the shoulder part of the seat belt strap does not lock up. Has had vehicle for 5 years and the seat belts in the front do not function properly and have never functioned properly. They should lock up when vehicle breaks but they do not. Updated 7/13/2006 - *nm”
“While driving about 55 mph on highway accelerator pedal always went to the floor, throttle stayed open. Could step on brakes pedal to make throttle close, butit will activate again.*ak”
Defect investigations
FIRES CAUSED BY CLTCH LK
NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN DETECTED.===
THROTTLE CONTROL
SUMMARY:THE PE WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER JEEP'S RECALL OF CERTAIN1987 MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.0 LITER FUEL INJECTED 6 CYLINDERENGINE (87V-035) HAD INVOLVED ALL THE POTENTIALLY AFFECTED VEHICLES.AREVIEW OF THE ODI FILES HAD INDICATED THAT 1987-1988 JEEP VEHICLESEQUIPPED WITH THE 4.O LITER ENGINE…
SAFETY BELT RETRACTOR
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Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Jeep Cherokee as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.