IllustrationSTRONG FUEL SMELL, THROTLE STICKS, ENGINE SURGE, TOLD BY AAA FUEL INJECTOR RECALL COMING? IF YES, WHEN?
1988 Jeep Cherokee
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1988 Jeep Cherokee do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 113.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →97Owner complaints
Model-year median: 113
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
3InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1988 Jeep Cherokee
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 97 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 3 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Vehicle Speed Control: 25 reports
- Seat Belts: 20 reports
- Electrical System: 16 reports
- Fuel System, Gasoline: 11 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 9 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cherokee years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 3 of 97 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports6 fire reports2 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
11 reportsDESIGN OF FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM SEEMS POOR. MYSELF AND OTHERS I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FUEL INJECTORS START LEAKING WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF WARNING, THIS TYPE OF LEAK CAN BE VERY SERIOUS WHEN FUEL SPILLS DOWN ON THE HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM, IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE AND POSSIBLE INJURIES.CAN Y…
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DESIGN OF FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM SEEMS POOR. MYSELF AND OTHERS I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FUEL INJECTORS START LEAKING WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF WARNING, THIS TYPE OF LEAK CAN BE VERY SERIOUS WHEN FUEL SPILLS DOWN ON THE HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM, IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE AND POSSIBLE INJURIES.CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM AND CONTACT ME ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT . I HOPE THAT NOBODY HAS BEEN INJURED BY THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
FUEL INJECTORS LEAK SPRAYING FUEL IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER SAYS COMMON PROBLEM BUT VERY DANGEROUS.*AK
FUEL INJECTORS CRACKED OR SEPARATED NEAR PRESSED SEALS. DEALER ESTIMATE OF 1000.00 TO REPLACE 6 INJECTORS AT 110.00 EACH. WITH ONE HOURS LABOR. I FOUND INJECTORS AT RETAIL SHOPS(I.E. TRAK, PEPBOYS, ETC.) FOR 55.00 EACH. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS POTENTIAL FATAL PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED DOZENS UPON DOZENS OF TIMES IN…
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FUEL INJECTORS CRACKED OR SEPARATED NEAR PRESSED SEALS. DEALER ESTIMATE OF 1000.00 TO REPLACE 6 INJECTORS AT 110.00 EACH. WITH ONE HOURS LABOR. I FOUND INJECTORS AT RETAIL SHOPS(I.E. TRAK, PEPBOYS, ETC.) FOR 55.00 EACH. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS POTENTIAL FATAL PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED DOZENS UPON DOZENS OF TIMES INCLUDING MANY REPORTS WITH NHTSA. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE NOT BLATANT ROBBERY FOR PARTS BY THE MANUFACTURER. NOW THIS OCCURS DURING COLD WEATHER, SO IT IS A SEASONAL OCCURRENCE. *AK
SMELL FUEL WHEN STARTING CAR. CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH. REPAIR SHOP FOUND LEAKING FUEL INJECTORS AND REPLACED AT EXTEMELY HIGH COST. LEAKING FUEL COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
UPON STARTUP OR WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN GEAR IT WILL ACCELERATE TO 5000-600RPMS; AT TIMES IT WILL STALL MOSTLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AT CRAWL SPEED. *AK
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM LEAKED SMELLED FUMES, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE. *AK
LEFT REAR SEAT BELT WON'T STAY TIGHT AND WILL WORK PART OF THE TIME/MIDDLE AND RIGHT REAR SEAT BELTS LOCK UP/JAM AND WORK PART OF THE TIME. *AK
LEAKING FUEL INJECTORS. *AK
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
3PE89151 · Safety Belt Retractor
Opened Aug 11, 1989 · Closed Dec 11, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:retractor
===
PE88029 · Throttle Control
Opened Feb 23, 1988 · Closed Sep 19, 1988
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
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 ALSO WERE EXPERIENCING SOME THROTTLECONTROL PROBLEM.A REVIEW OF THE WARRANTY CLAIMS AND THE AVAILABLEINCIDENT REPORTS DOES NOT INDICATE THAT A POTENTIAL DEFECT TREND EXISTSOR IS DEVELOPING.THE WARRANTY CLAIMS ATTENUATE, AND THE ALLEDGEDINCIDENTS APPEAR TO BE CAUSED BY A VARIETY OF FACTORS. #===
PE88001 · Fires Caused By Cltch Lk
Opened Oct 23, 1987 · Closed Jan 28, 1988
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN DETECTED.===
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.