IllustrationDT* 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
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cherokee years →Counts vary with age, sales 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
Seat Belts complaints
20 reportsVEHICLE FAILED EMISSIONS DUE TO A HIGH HYDROCARBON OUTPUT/ PROBLEMS WITH LIGHTS, BRAKES, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, STARTER, AND SEAT BELTS. *MR THERE WAS A CRACK FOUND IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *SCC *JB
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 JEEP THAT WE HAVE OWNER…
Read full complaint
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 JEEP THAT WE HAVE OWNER THAT HAS HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM.. THE LAST TIME THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY.. THIS TIME THEY WON'T AND SAY THEY DON'T HAVE TO.. THIS BUCKLE SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE NO MATTER HOW OLD IT GETS UNLESS IT WAS PHYSICALLY ABUSED WHICH IT HAS NOT BEEN... FEDERAL MANDATES ARE IN PLACE ON BUCKLES FOR FOREIGN CARS; WHY NOT DOMESTIC CARS TOO... *NLM
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT LATCH INTO THE BUCKLE HOUSING MECHANISM. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK *ML
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT STAY IN THE LOCKED POSITION. WHEN APPLIED, IT UNLATCHES ON ITS OWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK PROPERLY, DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WOULD ORDER THE REPLACMENT PART, AND IT WOULD COST THE CONSUMER $88.00 FOR REPAIRS. *AK
SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT DOES NOT LOCK IN POSITION, CAUSING THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT TO BE INOPERABLE .CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULDN'T SNAP CLOSED, AND WOULDN'T STAY LATCHED UNLESS THE INSERT WAS JIMMIED, THEN TENSION PUT ON THE BELT. *AK
SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON DRIVER SIDE FAILED TO LOCK IN PLACE. *AK
DRIVER/PASSENGER GOT INTO VEHICLE & NOTICED SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT BACK AFTER USE TO ORIGINAL POSITION; REAR LAP BELTS WOULD STICK & NOT RETRACT UNLESS PLAYED W/AWHILE. *AK
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA 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.===