Ten problems related to electrical system have been reported for the 1998 Jeep Cherokee. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Jeep developed communication issues, dash displayed "no bus. " one morning I started the Jeep and went to shift to gear and the passenger air bag deployed. Took it up the road and back thinking I had a communication issue to diagnose, the drivers air bag deployed turning on my road. Seemed to happen when pressing the brake. I learned about the recall corrosion in air bag module may lead to inadvertent deployment. I dropped my vehicle off to nye Dodge Jeep ram in oneida NY. Repair order was made Nov 14th 2019. I was given a 1-800 number to call, placed 4 calls before my case was escalated correctly. Made numerous calls to the 800 number and eventually on 12/5 maybe 12/6 an inspector came and inspected my vehicle. With basically no progress after a month and a half I picked up my vehicle. With a couple more calls to the 800 number and being told were "on hold" with chryslers end my vehicle is still not fixed and the 800 number calls all end with well leave a message for whoever is in charge with your case to call you, they have yet to call going on 3 weeks. I was told the airbags are not available from Chrysler. Looking for a solution or to at least get the module installed in the right location and ill source airbags. It has been an absolutely ridiculous amount of time to not have any answers and my recall not completed.
The contact owns a 1998 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that there was a loud noise coming from the front area of the vehicle and the suspension was unstable, the check engine, multiple gauges, and various warning indicators illuminated randomly. The dealer was notified of the failures and the contact was waiting for a response to determine if they could inspect and diagnose the failures. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was not available.
Air bag light comes on and all gauges stop working-- pressing hard on the face of the gauge cluster or smacking the top of the dash restores everything. . Owned it for 4 years and previous owner said they experienced it before me. . Now it has started a new additional problem, "check gauges" light comes on and volt meter pegs to the right at 19 volts. Smacking doesn't help this, it just goes away in a few miles. . .
It started with the lights turning off when I hit a bump. The whole Jeep would go dark. Instrument panel, overhead lights, driving lights, all of them! then after parking the Jeep, day or night, the alarm system would go off all by itself. The door switches locking and unlocking while I was driving down the road. Then there was the radio that would turn on and off by itself. Then the windows decided to stop going up and down. When I would start the Jeep the instrument panel gauges wouldn't move, turn on. So, I would turn off the Jeep and restart it. Some of the gauges, would turn on but others, would not, like the fuel tank gage, speedometer gage. During the summer months, there would be a puddle of water on the passenger side floor board. I still to this day don't know what caused it to happen every day and each time it was turned on. Then there is the transmission and rear end that started having problems. It started to slip out of gear and the rear end made a noise. I had all the oil levels checked out, but still it would happen. I do recall getting a flyer in the mail, regarding a recall, but it also said that the dealer, did not have the parts to fix the problem. Why would you send out a flyer that you have no way of fixing because you can't get the part's? ! and are you even concerned about the worry you put me through? it became another reason to park the Jeep. How could you do. This, to so many people? with all these strange things happening to the Jeep, I had to do what was best for my safety, as well as, those who were on the road driving around me. I just couldn't live with myself, knowing that I could have cost someone or myself injury or death, by having the Jeep on the road knowing it was having so many problems. It has now been close to three-years since the last time I drove it.
My 1998 Cherokee classic is having the same issues as many other complaints I have read. The issues involve the speed and tach gauges dropping to zero, the rest of the dash gauges not responding from whatever position they are in when rest of gauges go south, the "idiot" lights don't work, and the wretched airbag light luminates the whole time all this other stuff is going on. The speed is not a factor. It can happen at any speed, even when I first start the vehicle. It can happen once in a while to several times in a mile, cutting in and out. This problem has been going on even longer than what I listed. February of last year is when it started being more than a once in a while, sporadic issue. Before then, it happened less than 10 times, since owning the vehicle late 2007.
Airbag light comes on and then the speedometer and tachometer go to zero so I have no idea how fast I am going at the time.
The dash functions are inoperative (speedometer, fuel gauge, tachometer, oil pressure, etc. ). As a result the consumer has run out of gas on 3 occasions and received two speeding tickets. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer on several occasions but they have not been able to rectify the problem.
Electrical sysyem will go on and off at times. Also, while driving fog lights will go out. Contacted dealer, and dealer is not willing to do anything.
Electrical system malfunctions causing a/c & radio to intermittently fail.
Three months after the purchase of the vehicle, rust marks appeared. The electrical system malfuntioned with out any warning. There have been problems with the air conditioner and the radio. There is a thumping noise in the rotors that was fixed but the noise still remains.